At least for the six games of the NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks had the best player on the court, handled the pressure of the Finals better, and were simply a better team than the Miami Heat.
The Dallas Mavericks are now one win away from their first NBA Championship after defeating the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals by the score of 112-103. Dirk Nowitzki scored 29 points and Jason Terry chipped in with 21 off the bench, as the Mavs take the series lead at 3-2. LeBron James had a triple-double (17 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast) in a losing effort. Game 6 is Sunday night in Miami, with tip-off set for 7:00.
Thus far, the NBA Finals have delivered 4 incredibly competitive games between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat. With the series tied 2-2, one team will leave Dallas tonight with a win. Who will it be?
The Miami Heat squandered another lead in game four of the NBA Finals, and fell to the Dallas Mavericks, 86-83. But Gregg Doyel, of cbssports.com,says don't blame Dwyane Wade for that.
Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler, and the Dallas Mavericks took down the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, winning 86-83. It was another comeback for the Mavs, who were down by 9 in the 4th quarter. Nowitzki finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds while battling the flu. Tyson Chandler scored 16 and pulled down 13 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass.
Faced with the prospect of going down 3-1, the Dallas Mavericks face a virtual must-win tonight as they battle the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Tip-off in Dallas is set for 8:00.
Miami Heat forward LeBron James certainly has taken a lot of criticism, throughout his career, and especially since joining his current team. CBSSports.com columnist Gregg Doyel becomes the last to blast James, asking if James is a "shrinking superstar".
The Dallas Mavericks were down 88-73 with under 7 minutes left in regulation. It appeared the Mavs would go back to Dallas down 2-0, but then they went on a 22-5 run to end the game, stunning the Miami Heat 95-93 to even the NBA Finals at one game apiece. Dirk Nowitzki scored the last 9 points for the Mavericks, with two of his last three buckets coming courtesy of his injured left hand. Here is more blogging from Scott on the game.
Will LeBron James and the Miami Heat take a commanding 2-0 lead? Or will Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks steal a pivotal game on the road? And what's the latest on Dirk Nowitzki's injured finger? Game 2 of the NBA Finals will tip-off at 8:00 tonight in Miami.
Marc Stein, of espn.com, says that NBA legend Larry Bird is "honored" to be compared to Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitski, and that Bird is pulling for the Mavs in the NBA Finals.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals went to the Miami Heat Tuesday night, as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 92-84 at American Airlines Arena in South Beach. LeBron James (24 Pts, 9 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl) was spectacular, earning his first ever NBA Finals victory.
Less than a year after the "decision" transformed them into villains, the Miami Heat will play in the NBA Finals. Will LeBron James and Dwyane Wade win a ring in year one together? Or will Dirk Nowitzki and the explosive Dallas Mavericks bring home their first championship?
Game of of the NBA Finals takes place tonight, in Miami, Florida, as the Miami Heat play host to the Dallas Mavericks. There will be may outstanding players in the series, with the likes of Dirk Nowitski, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade, but neither of these teams would be in the finals if they didn't get contributions from their entire roster. Michael Rosenberg, of SI.com, has the story, below.
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Sure, the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat squared-off in the NBA Finals just five years ago, but other than Dirk Nowitski, and Dwyane Wade, these teams are vastly different. Ken Berger, of cbssports.com, has the story, below.
Dirk Nowitski, and the Dallas Mavericks are headed for the NBA Finals, for the first time since 2006, and this time, both he, and his team, may be better. Johnny Ludden, of yahoo.com, has the story, below.
After a five year absence, the Dallas Mavericks are going back to the NBA Finals. For the second time in franchise history, the Mavs are Western Conference champs after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 by the score of 100-96. They now await the winner of the Miami vs. Chicago series.
The Mavericks made a late comeback in Game 4, defeating the Thunder 112-105 in overtime on Monday Night. Dirk Nowitzki scored 40 points, pulling his team out of a 15 point hole with less than 5 minutes in regulation. Dallas now leads the best-of-seven series 3-1. Read more to see more blogging from Scott.