Here’s what we know about the NBA Finals so far

We know that the series is now tied 2-2.

We know that Dirk Nowitzki will play through a bad finger injury with a brace, will play through with a 101 degree temperature, and we also know LeBron James is human after all.

From the Miami Herald today:

It’s not just the first time in his playoff career that LeBron has been held  below 10 points. It’s the first time in 434 NBA games, regular season and  playoffs included. It’s the first time overall since Jan. 5, 2007.

If he’d done this in Cleveland, sat on the weak side watching teammates do  the bulk of the lifting, he would’ve been called a quitter. Given that his team  was hardly getting blown out of this one – in fact, the Heat was leading by nine  points with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter with LeBron playing the facilitator – it should probably just be called a once-in-a-lifetime oddity. The Halley’s  Comet of LeBron James’ playoff career.

Ouch! It goes further:

But here’s where the criticism is absolutely valid in this one. If LeBron had  played 44 minutes as the sidekick, the egoless point forward with all the right  intentions, and then turned it on for the final four minutes, no one would’ve  been concerned about the final stat line.

If LeBron James decided that, in the final few minutes with the Heat  desperate for big buckets, he would switch to a scorer’s mentality and just  flat-out missed, it would at least be reasonable.

But for LeBron to attempt exactly one shot in the fourth quarter when his  team needed everything he had, it’s pretty much inexcusable.   

So to put it mildly, LeBron is taking some HEAT (hahaha) for his poor performance no?

Look, the Dallas Mavericks are playing hard. They are huffing and puffing, running around bandaged up with a temperature of 101. These “old” guys have this series tied up at 2 games apiece. It’s going to be very interesting the way this thing ends up, but we do know that the Mavs are trying really hard in this thing. More than some players are playing right?

Is this Maverick fan crying or sweating?

 

Ugh!!! The cameras caught up to a Dallas Fan last night at the American Airlines Center for the Mavs vs. the Heat game.

Is this fan crying or is he just over-heated?

From the Sportress of Bologitude:

It’s hard to say, really. On the one hand, this face painter could be simply reacting to his beloved Dallas Mavericks going down two games to one in the NBA Finals after the squad lost to the Miami Heat 88-86 Sunday night. Alternatively, the bead of moisture running down his painted blue cheek could also be stemming from the considerable amount of perspiration accumulating on his forehead.

Gross!

***Breaking News*** Miami Heat “very disappointed” over Game 2 loss to Mavericks

In breaking news from USAToday, we are learning that the Miami Heat are “very disappointed” at losing Game 2 in Miami the other night.

“First of all, we let one go,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. “We let one slip away. We’re a very confident team going into the fourth quarter when we have the lead, whether it’s one point and obviously 15.
But just looking at the film, even watching on my own, just looking at the things you felt we could have done better as a team, the little mistakes we made that they made us pay for.”

I have to wonder if the Miami Heat ever thought that maybe they are too full of themselves? Nah, probably not.

Heat ‘very disappointed’ in late Game 2 collapse (USAToday) 

Wake up Call: “Cavs for Mavs” movement is appreciated in Dallas

Despite being owners of a conference-worst record 19-63, NBA fans in Cleveland have a clear horse in the race for the NBA Championship, which began on Tuesday night in Miami, the city to which LeBron so famously (or infamously, depending on where you live) took his talents last year.

Shortly after the Heat advanced to the Finals last Thursday night, one Cleveland area artist and graphic designer George Vlosich took to his computer and produced a t-shirt that embodies most Cleveland residents’ view on the series between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat (read: LeBron James).

The group’s newly-created logo even includes the tagline, “Defeat Pure Evil.”

Cavs-for-Mavs:

Twitter account @cavsformavs

The rapid growth of the Twitter account and the number of followers that have jumped on the bandwagon in one day is proof as well of the number of people–regardless of team affiliation–who just want the Heat to lose.

It’ll be interesting to see if any Heat fans out there have a response to the “Cavs for Mavs” group.

Perhaps “Evil Empire for Heatles” is in order.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

Congratulations to Weed Against Speed for the new addition in the household!

The Top Ten Shaq moments of all time Cosby Sweaters

Just exactly what is a Canuck? Puck Daddy

And I saw this picture and really laughed, I mean, it IS funny right?

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TODAY IN REX MORGAN:

Clearence items sometimes aren’t so cheap

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Thanks for reading the blog. Have a great day, and Go Mavs/Cavs et al!

Wake Up Call: Dirk is better with age

From Business Insider:

Dirk Nowitzki is having the best postseason of his career, averaging 28.4  points per game, while leading the Mavericks back to the NBA Finals. Nowitzki’s  newfound dominance can be traced back to a plan hatched by his coach before the  regular season even started.

This year, Nowitzki averaged just 34.3 minutes per game. That was down over  three minutes from 2008-09 (37.7 min/g) and 2009-10 (37.5 min/g), and was his  lowest amount of playing time since his rookie year (20.4 min/g).

The fewer minutes led to Nowitzki’s lowest scoring output (23.0 ppg) in seven  years. But the benefit appears to be a Dirk with fresher legs in the NBA’s  second-season. So far, Nowitzki’s playing time in the playoffs is up to 38.9  minutes per game, which is in line with previous postseasons. Last year he  averaged 38.8 minutes and in 2008-09 he average 39.4 minutes. And despite nearly  identical playing time, his scoring is up 2.0 points per game over the last  three years, when he averaged 26.7-26.8 points.

In his older age, the fresher legs have made Nowitzki a better shooter. His  effective field goal percentage (eFG%; which weighs shots based on their point  value, a 3-pt shot is worth more than 2-pt shot) was at a career-high this  season (.545) and has continued at nearly the same rate into the postseason.

All data via Basketball-Reference.com

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ABOUT LAST NIGHT:

What you missed while wondering how to make a memorable marriage proposal.

Excuse me, but aren’t we brothers?

When butter is the new weapon of choice.

Which part of this story is the weirdest?

It’s just impossible.

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TODAY IN REX MORGAN

You can’t buy friends

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Have a great weekend, thanks for reading the blog. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday!

The Wall Street Journal weighs in on the Dirkness

I saw an article from D Magazine and just had to sort of re-post, or do something to get this story out cause it’s too good to just keep it to myself.

It’s a great article and cements the question of just how good Dirk Nowitzki is and what his place in history will be. Here is a sample from author Jason Gay:

Nowitzki will never be rhapsodized as a silky NBA superstar—his game is too deliberate, methodical, result-driven. When he dribbles, you can practically hear him counting the bounces—1, 2, 3. He doesn’t so much drive the lane as lunge through it, and when he jerks backward for his patented fade-away one-leg jumper, he resembles a camp counselor teetering off a canoe. Though the Dirk shot itself is a beautiful thing—a high, slow crescent that appears to pause and admire itself before plunging through the net—it will never be celebrated like the game’s highflying. Nobody runs a highlight reel of “Tonight’s Most Exciting 16-foot Jumpers.”

I’m sorry D Magazine, I quoted the same text you did, but that was such an awesome quote.

An NBA Voyage to the Heart of Dirk-Ness (WSJ)