June 20, 2006

Miami Wins the NBA Championship. : Beating Dallas 95-92

read story | posted by kirkaracha to Basketball at 11:09 PM CDT (59 comments total)

Not to take away from Miami's achievement, but it figures that the game would end on an uncalled foul against a Dallas player taking a shot.

The ref couldn't have a better view of Terry's shirt being grabbed. Nice to see they won't let a ticky-tack foul decide a game.

To me, this series boils down to Nowitzki vs. Wade. One played like a league MVP and the other didn't. Nowitzki couldn't buy a jumper tonight.

Hell of a series.

posted by rcade at 11:14 PM CDT on June 20

Sigh. Simmons was right. And I'm a Heat fan. :/

posted by tieguy at 11:14 PM CDT on June 20

Congratulations to the Heat, who outplayed the Mavericks in Games 3-6. Their D did an excellent job on Nowitski throughout the series. Dwayne Wade will most likely be the Finals MVP after an incredible series, but everyone stepped up for the Heat. Alonzo Mourning and Udonis Haslem had big games tonight.

Another blown double-digit lead for Dallas. They started out great, but couldn't keep it up. Why not stay in the zone? Why no Hack-a-Shaq? Why hoick up off-balance threes when you've got numbers on a fast break?

posted by kirkaracha at 11:16 PM CDT on June 20

I'm probably happier for Alonzo Mourning than anyone. He deserves a Championship, especially after everything he has gone through in his life. Congratulations to the Heat for winning the title.

posted by dbt302 at 11:21 PM CDT on June 20

The execution on the pass to Dampier in the lane on Dallas' second-to-last play was awful. Terry had another second, so he might have been able to get his feet set, but he was probably jacked up on so much adrenaline he didn't realize it.

I was rooting for Dallas, but at least Shaq's ring is a nice FU to Kobe Bryant. /pettiness

posted by kirkaracha at 11:23 PM CDT on June 20

Another game, another half-dozen superstar calls for Wade. On the bright side, the Mavs' persecution complex can live on!

posted by therealadam at 11:24 PM CDT on June 20

Simmons was right.

Yep. Only he was wrong about the series outcome. Guess he underestimated the atrociousness of the officiating. 21 FTA for Wade. 23 for Dallas. What's wrong with this picture?

posted by hoosiermama at 11:27 PM CDT on June 20

It is clear which team wanted it more. Just watch Morning. He was playing with the intensity of a 1st year player in his first playoff. He wasn't going to be denied. What else can be said about Wade? The better team won.

posted by ralem at 11:30 PM CDT on June 20

Wade actually, you know, 'drove to the basket', instead of taking fallaways around the perimeter?

posted by tieguy at 11:30 PM CDT on June 20

TrueHoop asks a question I was hoping the announcers would get around to covering: "What happened to Jason Williams? He went from the most to the least flair in the NBA. He looks so scared to make a mistake."

Williams was incredible to watch on the Kings. He's not the same player at all these days. His behind the back pass tonight (to either 'Zo or Walker) was the only time he did anything like Old Jason during the entire Finals.

posted by rcade at 11:30 PM CDT on June 20

[Rant] This game, and largely the series, came out the way it should've. The Mavs rolled over and laid dead.

The refs tonight were calling any and every foul, and yet, possession and possession again, Dallas shot jump shots. Miami did one hell of a job guarding the rim, and that's the reason they won this game and the series.

I don't want to take away from Wade's performance over the last four games, or Haslem's (especially tonight), but fucking hell if I'm not frustrated. Even if the Mavs won the game tonight, and it was a lot closer than it should've been, they didn't earn it, nor did they earn a shot at competing for game 7 (a game I had a ticket to).

That was embarassing.

Congrats to Wade. You won a championship, and I'm confident in saying it's the first of many.

But seriously, WTF, Mavs? [/rant]

posted by Ufez Jones at 11:32 PM CDT on June 20

Wade actually, you know, 'drove to the basket', instead of taking fallaways around the perimeter?

The Mavs spent the entire third quarter driving to the basket. They never got the calls and the Heat racked up that obscene number of blocks.

People who tell the story of this series as one in which the Mavs didn't want it as much as the Heat are crazy. Dallas played well in games 5 and 6.

posted by rcade at 11:32 PM CDT on June 20

rcade: re: the white chocolate, I imagine Riley threatened to bite his head off if his assist:to ratio was below 3:1. His current a:to ratio (2.9) is better than it ever was in sacto (2.0, 2.1, 2.6), though it has actually been steadily falling since his career-high 3.8 his first year in memphis.

posted by tieguy at 11:35 PM CDT on June 20

"What happened to Jason Williams? He went from the most to the least flair in the NBA. He looks so scared to make a mistake."

I think you can thank Hubie Brown for that. He didn't like Jason showboating in Memphis and sat on him when he did. He hasn't been the same since.

posted by hoosiermama at 11:36 PM CDT on June 20

The Mavs spent the entire third quarter driving to the basket.

No. No. They spent the third quarter Nashing the basket, i.e. getting close to it and passing back out to the perimeter. It was Nelly-ball redux.

I can't claim that I'm more disappointed with the result than you are, rcade, but I can't credit the Heat any more than I can fault my Mavs.

posted by Ufez Jones at 11:38 PM CDT on June 20

Correction: Old Jason also made a brief appearance when he made the unsportsmanlike Shaq pass that knocked Stackhouse out of Game 5.

posted by rcade at 11:38 PM CDT on June 20

No. No. They spent the third quarter Nashing the basket, i.e. getting close to it and passing back out to the perimeter.

Maybe, but I took all those blocked shots as a sign the Mavs were under orders to crash the hoop, and figured in a just universe we'd have gotten to the line 5-7 times on those plays.

But the crushing failure of the Mavs is worth it, I guess, if we can endure gauzy feature stories on Alonzo's NBA championship winning kidney.

posted by rcade at 11:41 PM CDT on June 20

Where's all the Shaq & Riley haters? Let us hear from you. Earlier this year, it was,
Shaq will NEVER win another ring without KB & Riley was being selfish to fire the coach and take over as head coach.
I like Shaq's attitude and Wade's even more so.
And this ring says they both had the right attitude and will to win. They had a great supporting cast of veterans who also deserved a C-Ring!!!!!!
Congratulations Heat!!!!!!

posted by porkchop at 11:43 PM CDT on June 20

Sigh.

posted by rcade at 11:46 PM CDT on June 20

But the crushing failure of the Mavs is worth it, I guess, if we can endure gauzy feature stories on Alonzo's NBA championship winning kidney.

Don't forget all the Wade as the second coming of Jordan stories.
And all the old warrior sailing off into the sunset Gary Payton stories.
And all the motivational speakers will inspire you to victory Pat Riley stories.

posted by forrestv at 11:48 PM CDT on June 20

The Mavs had no answer for Dwyane. Comparisons to Jordan are nowhere near warranted; but Wade willed the Heat to the title and played like the league's best in this series. Congrats to GP and 'Zo on getting rings. Shaq should consider going out on top. As for the Mavs--they MIGHT HAVE blown their best shot at winning a 'ship. (I predict a Spurs-Cavs final next year with Duncan winning a fourth title.)

posted by curtangle at 11:50 PM CDT on June 20

Maybe, but I took all those blocked shots as a sign the Mavs were under orders to crash the hoop, and figured in a just universe we'd have gotten to the line 5-7 times on those plays.

Because nobody took it in hard. They all tried to float it in and shoot over everyone. They didn't do that against Duncan or Marion or Gasol.

I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, I'm just pissed at the performance they threw out. If that's all they're going to do when their back is against the wall at home in the Finals, well then it may as well be another first round matchup against the Kings circa '02.

posted by Ufez Jones at 11:54 PM CDT on June 20

bdt wrote: "I'm probably happier for Alonzo Mourning than anyone. He deserves a Championship, especially after everything he has gone through in his life. Congratulations to the Heat for winning the title."

Did you forget about how he screwed over the Nets and the Raptors to get to this point? I wouldn't wish his health problems on anyone, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a selfish jackass. It causes me physical pain that his self-serving methods have delivered him a ring.

posted by Scott Carefoot at 11:59 PM CDT on June 20

FINALLY ... my prognosticating skills bear fruit!!!

Heat in six! Hurray for Riley and Zo et al

Now, I only wish I could've been able to watch this last game!!! dammit anyway ... NHL and NBA need to get their playoff scheduling together so as not to wear a fella out like this!!!

posted by Spitztengle at 12:13 AM CDT on June 21

posted by thatweirdguy2 at 12:15 AM CDT on June 21

Zo: so selfish, he's playing for a million bucks a year when he could have been earning $8M or $12M. Is he a saint? No. Are there a lot greedier people in the NBA, getting paid millions and not bothering to show up at all? Absolutely. Zo is almost definitely the lowest paid player who got any floor time tonight, and with the possible exception of Wade, played the hardest. Maybe I'm just a softie because of all the time and money he gave to the homeless shelter I used to work at, but I can't begrudge a man who doesn't really know how long he'll be on the planet his desire to play cheaply and play hard for a winner in the town he considers home. (Yes, this is in direct contrast with Vince Carter, who pulled the same despicable contract shit 'Zo did, but still tanks it regularly and is tanking regularly for a basically max contract in a region he could care less about.)

posted by tieguy at 12:27 AM CDT on June 21

exactly scott carefoot. the way i see it, the only guys i'm happy for are wade, jason kapono and doleac. the rest of those guys are carpetbaggers.

that's just speaking of course in terms of like/dislike of the individuals. the mavs didn't do enough to win as a team.

posted by ninjavshippo at 12:28 AM CDT on June 21

tieguy, no one was going to pay 12M for mourning last offseason, not with his health risk. secondly, he got his money when they bought him out. third, VC's playing a completely different, much better game in NJ as opposed to TOR, even if he got there by the same a-hole antics mourning pulled.

the guy's a prick in my book. congrats, though.

posted by ninjavshippo at 12:31 AM CDT on June 21

Spitztengle: nice catch on the prediction. I got it part right- "The wildcard is Wade- can the Mavs stop him like they did Nash in the late games in that series? If they can (maybe with Howard?), this is a short series; if they can't, Heat in 6-7." So I got the important part right. I did also predict that Dirk would average 35-40, though. Oops.

Spofi needs a prediction bank so people can go on record with their predictions...

posted by tieguy at 12:32 AM CDT on June 21

rcade: "What happened to Jason Williams? He went from the most to the least flair in the NBA. He looks so scared to make a mistake."

It's true, the guy they used to call "White Chocolate" is now pure vanilla. But he's traded in his flair for a ring. Guys who play like Williams used to are getting raves on the And-1 Tour, but few will ever warm an NBA bench. There's a reason why guys who are ball-handling wizards on the court play for the Globetrotters and not the Knicks.

Funny how the guy who used to be a walking turnover wasn't the Miami PG who lost his concentration jawing at the ref and missed a pass. That was Gary Payton.

posted by L.N. Smithee at 3:43 AM CDT on June 21

Hats off to Miami. They were hungrier than the Mav's, and actually appeared to have fresher legs than Dallas most of the series. Dallas had no answer for Dwade, and no one was able to step up for Dallas when it counted most the last two games.

Spofi needs a prediction bank so people can go on record with their predictions...
I believe yerfatma is holding some of the bad notes in his safety deposit box, er, um, profile, lots of 'em have defaulted.

posted by mjkredliner at 7:34 AM CDT on June 21

Miami Beat us to win the championship. I wish Mavs fans would STOP CRYING about the Refs. We lost 4 games in a row. We reverted back to old Mavs ball(shooting jumpers and playing soft under the boards).
Thats the bottom line, so lets stop being babies about it and blaming everyone but ourselves. We did not play tough like in games 1 & 2. How do we expect the refs to send us to the line if we are just shooting (jacking) 3s and outside jump shots. The Heat just played more aggressive.

If we ever plan on winning a the Championship, we have to look at how we need to improve.......After the Heat lost the first 2 games, did they cry about the Refs? No, they went back and figured out what they needed to do in order to win. That's what we should of done. WE PUT WAY TO MUCH ENERGY IN CRYING ABOUT CALLS. THAT'S WHY WE DON'T HAVE THE TROPHY!

posted by Dallas at 8:10 AM CDT on June 21

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I liked seeing Dwayne Wades coming out party - it certainly was a show for the ages - but there is no way in hell that Mavs team should have lost four straight like that. They looked lost, got away from their strengths and did settle for jumpers. It seems that they lost a great deal of their focus and intensity the longer the series went on. I am a little baffled at the way they played - right up to the end - like any minute they'd wake up from the nightmare and be up by eleven with two minutes left. Miami controlled the pace from game three and managed to win with the ol' boring ball isolate Wade and watch him play. I really prefer the other brand of basketball.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 8:20 AM CDT on June 21

The ref couldn't have a better view of Terry's shirt being grabbed. Nice to see they won't let a ticky-tack foul decide a game.

What is the equivalent of tongue-in-cheek while typing?

Ufez: I'll agree with you in that I think the Mavs gave this one away as much as the Heat won it, particularly in Games 3 and 6. In my years of watching the NBA, I cannot remember a champion being so underwhelming overall.

I will disagree with you though, in my confidence that this is the first of many for Wade. I'm just not sure how soon the Heat can do a major overhaul of the roster. Shaq, Payton, J-Will, Employee #8, Mourning, Shandon Anderson are all rapidly fossilizing before our eyes. But they'll stick around for a bit, I imagine.

Safety deposit box entry: Heat don't make the East finals next year.

posted by smithers at 8:38 AM CDT on June 21

Did you forget about how he screwed over the Nets and the Raptors to get to this point? I wouldn't wish his health problems on anyone, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a selfish jackass. It causes me physical pain that his self-serving methods have delivered him a ring.

posted by Scott Carefoot at 11:59 PM CDT on June 20

I'm sorry for your pain Scott but you make it sound like Zo is the only selfish player in the NBA. I'm sure we could comment on selfish players all day. Kobe comes to mind right away.

posted by dbt302 at 8:43 AM CDT on June 21

I guess no matter what the outcome someone is going to blame the refs!The Mavs and the Heat are both great teams someone had to win. I congratulate both for a great season! I had to be partial to the Heat, My wifes boss(owner) sister passed away a few weeks ago. She was the wife of the Heats trainer.. Her intials MC was on the Heats jerseys for game 1. Marge is up in heaven celebrating the Heats Championship.

posted by The Tribster at 8:45 AM CDT on June 21

Safety deposit box entry

I added a new section, but the wiki might be a better place for this. I was really tracking the brilliance of one member. And myself.

There's a reason why guys who are ball-handling wizards on the court play for the Globetrotters and not the Knicks.

Yeah, I don't know how to describe it, but there's a world of difference between Steve Nash and Jason Williams. I guess it's the difference between craftsmanship and showmanship. Or, more succinctly, at some level of competition, "Money talks and bullshit walks."

posted by yerfatma at 9:01 AM CDT on June 21

Well...when the going got tough, the Mavs reverted to mush...and Miami's grizzled vets (Walker, Posey, Payton, Mourning, and Shaq) rode Dwyane Wade to victory. While Wade will get a lot of credit and Riley will be praised for booting out SVG, remember that these guys wouldn't be here if not for Payton's heroic shots and strong D, for Posey's big 3's in Game's 5 and 6, Walker's strong play in the 3rd Quarter and Shaq being Shaq...congrats to the Heat

posted by chemwizBsquared at 9:27 AM CDT on June 21

chemwiz: Not so much 'Shaq being Shaq' but more 'Shaq on occasion threatening to be Shaq, hence generating double and triple teams, but never really being Shaq.'

smithers: Agreed that the Heat probably don't make the conf. finals again unless Riley makes another miraculous trade. If he does somehow manage that, he moves up in the pantheon from 'mediocre GM with one good/lucky year' to 'damn good GM', as well as pretty damn good coach. I don't have the faintest idea what such a trade would look like, though.

posted by tieguy at 9:40 AM CDT on June 21

I'm sorry for your pain Scott but you make it sound like Zo is the only selfish player in the NBA. I'm sure we could comment on selfish players all day. Kobe comes to mind right away.

I suppose we could, but that would stupid, as Kobe didn't win a title -- the jackass who walked away from two different goddamned teams and kept their money so he could play where he wanted won a title.

Fuck him.

posted by wfrazerjr at 10:08 AM CDT on June 21

I'm sorry for your pain Scott but you make it sound like Zo is the only selfish player in the NBA.

Sure, but that's not exactly a ringing endorsement of 'Zo. We're talking about whether his first ring's a cause for celebration.

posted by rcade at 10:09 AM CDT on June 21

As one who questioned Pat Riley when he took over the coaching reigns in Miami, I'm saying it now: He's a really great basketball coach. I'll never question him again. He took over in order to get the Heat over the top, and that's exactly what he helped do.

As for saying Shaq would never win a title without Kobe, I never said that. I always was (and still am) someone who thinks Kobe will never win without Shaq (unless the Lakers get someone dominating in the middle (who Kobe can get along with)). If any other player starts taking the emphasis off Kobe, I think he'll want them run out of town, too.

I also was wondering when the real Mavs would show up, and they ended up appearing from game 3 on. The Heat showed real guts getting their own act together to win four in a row.

posted by dyams at 10:49 AM CDT on June 21

The Mavs spent the entire third quarter driving to the basket. They never got the calls and the Heat racked up that obscene number of blocks.

Here's the biggest problem the Mavs have - their owner's constant whining about the referees rubs off on his team. You get a bad call / non call as a player, you need to focus and play through it - it's part of the game.

Last night with 17 seconds left Nowitzki gets flamed over a call and slams the ball ... after he makes that brutal pass to Dampier and blows an opportunity for the lead. Come on, man - it's the NBA finals, there's still time left, and you are only down by 3. You are in a position that millions of players dream to be in - focus !!!

As for the non-call on the last Terry shot, that was in the Mav's favor - down by 3, a non shooting foul call would give opportunity for only 2 shots. Great decision by the ref, allowed Dallas a shot at the tie (another opportunity they blew).

posted by cixelsyd at 10:50 AM CDT on June 21

Congrats to the old timers. It's nice to see athletes reach a goal after years of trying. In particular Payton and Walker.

posted by mustang71 at 10:51 AM CDT on June 21

I was really tracking the brilliance of one member.

Said member, if I remember, regaled us all with tales of the Marlins moving to Las Vegas, the Saints drafting Matt Leinart, then moving to Los Angeles, and many other things. Strange how you don't see that guy around much anymore.

Hmmm.

By the way, yerfatma, are you also feeling somewhat ambivalent about 'Toine getting a ring? I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 12:07 PM CDT on June 21

TBH I happen to have a very reputable source who has the Cubs winning the World Series.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 12:17 PM CDT on June 21

I love 'Toine getting a ring. I will always have a place in my heart for anyone who played hard and wanted to be a Celtic. For all his perceived faults, he loves the game and plays hard. Can't ask for more than that.

posted by yerfatma at 12:53 PM CDT on June 21

My only question is, SVG was scouting all of the opponets for the Heat during these playoffs and also designing plays and watching tapes and speaking with Wade daily. I just hope that they give him a ring also. I do think it sort of stinks that Shaq was all about saying he came here to play for Riles when Riles wasn't the coach when he came. Makes me wonder if it was Shaq who got rid of SVG.

posted by warstda at 1:24 PM CDT on June 21

Watched the first quarter. Dallas got ahead, and I told my kids the refs would never let it stay that way. Sure enough, saw two fouls called for Wade in which the Mavs never even touched him. One call made so late the shot was already at the backboard. Could not take it anymore. Stopped watching, and just flipped over during commercials of other shows to see the score.

That said, Miami probably deserved to win. Played harder. Mavs fell flat, whether it was officiating, skill, tiredness, doesn't matter. Game over. Series over. Season over.

But the NBA is on the verge of becoming a laughingstock. Until they fix the officiating (not just regarding this series, but overall), it is a joke. A very, very bad joke.

posted by graymatters at 1:39 PM CDT on June 21

yeah i agree with graymatters, the officiating was horrible throughout the playoffs.Yes superstars get preferential calls but if u watched the LA phoenix series u could see that kobe couldn't get a call no matter what he did in games 5-7, that being said Wade got so many phony calls it was pathetic. i saw 4 fouls that were called where 2 should have been offensive(nowitski elbow late in 4th quarter and another where he ran over the guy already on the post. 2 more were called one when he fell down after making a shot no contact. yes dallas erred by not driving to the basket but at some point u get frustrated as a player when u get contact but no foul and watch on the other end when u just graze a guy and the whistle blows. i have been watching the NBA for over 25 years and yes i have seen some spotty officiating but this series rates right up there in the top 5 of all time and what is worse was the obvious blatantness of if, pathetic, well i guess all those guys in the league office are happy now Shaq has his ring without Kobe and that supposedly will further cement his legacy although he was totally useless in this series

posted by sprman92 at 2:23 PM CDT on June 21

I don't get all the complaints about the officiating. As far as I remember it's always been like this, at least for the past few years. The superstars (and D Wade is now officially one) get the calls when they drive and there's even a hint of contact. As a Kings fan I have nightmares of Kobe getting the same kind of calls that Wade was getting. The calls always favor the more agressive team and the Heat were far more aggressive then the Mavs. Hell, it even works in my rec league, if I drive hard and create contact (unless it's an obvious charge) I'll get a whistle.

I was really disappointed in the Mavs. I think Avery made too big a deal about them losing focus and the whole changing hotels thing. I've never understood why a head coach complains to the press about officiating in the middle of a series. The Mavs believed they were getting a raw deal and forgot how they played in games 1 & 2. I wanted to give Devon Harris a bottle and a diaper when he threw a tantrum on the floor, really pathetic. Almost as bad as GP getting hit in the back with a pass because of his big-ass mouth.

Overall though, I was entertained and isn't that the point?

posted by enfranchised at 2:49 PM CDT on June 21

I do think it sort of stinks that Shaq was all about saying he came here to play for Riles when Riles wasn't the coach when he came. Makes me wonder if it was Shaq who got rid of SVG.

You know, he might have been talking about playing for Riley, the General Manager, the man responsible for building a championship team. For all the flak he catches, Shaq is an intelligent man; coming off the situation in Los Angeles, and seeing how Kobe was demonized in his wake, I doubt that he would do any backroom politicking to get rid of a popular coach. I think Riley got rid of Van Gundy.

Regardless, hard to argue with the results.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 3:23 PM CDT on June 21

I noticed today that a lot of columnists who were predicting a Mavs title are admitting they were wrong about the Heat -- but also saying the Heat are the worst championship team ever.
If the Mavs had won, I wonder if they, too, would be considered the worst champion ever.
Also, for some reason, I have a sense of deja vu. It seems like at the end of every Finals, some analyst is saying that year's champion is not great. Even when Jordan's teams were winning, I remember hearing about how better the Celtics and the Lakers championship teams were.
Is there any real way to decide which teams were good and which weren't? Or is it all opinion?

posted by forrestv at 8:32 PM CDT on June 21

Bottom line: Heat won, Dallas lost. Heat = Champions while Dallas = Better luck next year

posted by BornIcon at 11:40 AM CDT on June 22

Thanks for pointing that out. For a second I was getting really confused.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 12:50 PM CDT on June 22

I have a sense of deja vu. It seems like at the end of every Finals, some analyst is saying that year's champion is not great.

Unfortunately, I think this says as much about the state of the NBA as it does the analysts.

posted by graymatters at 1:10 PM CDT on June 22

can we just stop talking about svg
we all happy the heat won

posted by defrag3x at 5:22 PM CDT on June 22

Great quotes from Homer Simpson: "good things do happen to bad people." And 'zo the quitter gets a championship ring.

posted by tommytrump at 10:20 PM CDT on June 22

I was gonna say that the thing that displeases me about the Heat winning is seeing Zo get a ring. But I see that several are already on the same page.

$10 million to him after he sulks (ooooh! I am injured) about going to the Raptors. Any kidney sympathy I might have had went out the window.

posted by gspm at 11:58 PM CDT on June 22

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