June 18, 2006

Heat sweep at home.: Miami beats Dallas 101-100 in overtime to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals.

posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 11:47 PM - 43 comments

It's fun to watch the Herald fix that AP update feed. For a few minutes they had Nowitzki shooting the winning shot. I went to espn..they had the Mavericks winning 98-97 on the shot clock page and Miami winning 101-100 in the box score. I like to watch Cuban, but I'm hoping the Heat take the series.

posted by ?! at 12:07 AM on June 19, 2006

Wow. Unbelievable. I'm talking about the "foul" at the end on Wade. I'm speechless.

posted by hoosiermama at 12:28 AM on June 19, 2006

If Wade breaks a sweat, it's an automatic foul.

posted by igottheblues at 01:35 AM on June 19, 2006

The "fix" is on big time. I can't believe how much the officials control the outcome of these games. Pro-wrestling with dunks!

posted by dviking at 01:57 AM on June 19, 2006

They have to promote their next MJ. In all reality, I don't care. The NBA Finals always feel so anti-climactic.

posted by igottheblues at 02:10 AM on June 19, 2006

nba is all about individual stars...and while D Wade is an awesome ballplayer he is NOT the game itself. Way too much given to stars in this league........I am not a fan of NBA.

posted by skins fan at 02:43 AM on June 19, 2006

i would like to see cuban pass out win the heat take it

posted by defrag3x at 06:49 AM on June 19, 2006

Only Wade gets that last foul call with 1.9 seconds left. He was barely grazed and off balance. Between the Stackhouse suspension, that call, Wade's 25 trips to the line, the timeout call, and Shaq once again taking Dirk's head off on a rebound with no call, the NBA has become the Heat's sixth man. But the Mavs still had their chances, so if they focus too much on kvetching they'll hurt themselves in Game 6. Nowitzki and Wade trading baskets at the end of regulation was great stuff.

posted by rcade at 06:54 AM on June 19, 2006

The "fix" is on big time. And David Stern shot Kennedy...Russ Granik killed Nicole and Ron...Stu Jackson knows where Jimmy Hoffa's body really is...and Dick Bavetta moved the WMDs out of Iraq!

posted by The_Black_Hand at 06:56 AM on June 19, 2006

As you might expect, Mark Cuban reportedly lost his shit at the end of the game, yelling at the ref and staring daggers at David Stern. But he was apparently angry about a missed backcourt call when Wade jumped from the front court to catch a pass in the backcourt. Anyone know this rule?

posted by rcade at 07:07 AM on June 19, 2006

Not a good game. Too bad. It seems the NBA suffers from this occassional illness more than other sports. That was terribly officiated from the tip-off.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:46 AM on June 19, 2006

From the NBA 2005-06 Rules, Section VI.g:

g. Frontcourt/backcourt status is not attained until a player with the ball has established a positive position in either half during (1) a jump ball, (2) a steal by a defensive player, (3) a throw-in in the last two minutes of the fourth period and/or any overtime period or (4) any time the ball is loose.
I take this to mean that even though Wade was in mid-air when he got the ball, he didn't establish the "positive position" until he landed. If I understand correctly, this is different from the FIBA rules, in which your position is judged from where you begin your jump. Perhaps a real basketball official (Spitztengle??) could comment? I'm sure ABC will have a graphic to explain this on Tuesday in their TERRIBLE pre-game show.

posted by smithers at 08:10 AM on June 19, 2006

The Mavs have a lot they could complain about, but it's their fault for letting it be that close at the end. They missed a lot of open shots and layups in the first quarter, when they had a chance to take a sizable lead. (Miami shot 49 foul shots to Dallas' 25; the refs called 26 fouls on the Heat and 38 on the Mavs.) Dwayne Wade was awesome. He wasn't shooting well, but he made his free throws. A lot depends on whether Wade's relatively poor performance in the first two games was the aftereffects of the flu or first-time Finals jitters. Dallas can still win the series. They had chances to win this game and Game 3, even with great games by Wade.

posted by kirkaracha at 08:45 AM on June 19, 2006

Dallas can still win the series. If Dallas wins game 6, they've got a deciding game 7 on their home court and the mo. I like their chances in that situation.

posted by rcade at 09:06 AM on June 19, 2006

Was Avery saying in his post game comments that Josh Howard was asking him- Time out after the second foulshot? and the ref took that as Josh calling a time out?

posted by georged at 09:19 AM on June 19, 2006

How crippling is this loss to Dallas? Well...for all those Mavs fans out there...if Dallas rebounds Tuesday, then those 3 games in Miami are for naught...I think Dallas comes out and plays their best game of the season Tuesday, giving us a second straight year of 7 games. And there is not any conspiracy...these look like fair called games. Stackhouse got suspended because it followed precedent of the NBA trying to be pansies. Shaq has gotten away with a little more than usual, and Wade can be breathed on and get to the foul line...but when is that different from any other playoff...that "Star Treatment" is always been around...Dallas suffer's b/c their #1 has yet to have a dominanting game in the finals...if the Mavs want to win Game 6, Dirk MUST step up.

posted by chemwizBsquared at 09:19 AM on June 19, 2006

Georged: Howard said after the game he never made eye contact with the ref, so apparently his time-out hand gesture was part of his communication with Avery. If that's true, it's sloppy, but the refs should have cut them slack instead of being hardasses about it. The ball wasn't in play.

posted by rcade at 09:40 AM on June 19, 2006

Dallas had an 11-point lead with two minutes left in the third quarter, and blew it. They may have legitimate complaints about Wade's backcourt violation, or Howard's timeout call, and so on, but they blew the lead.

posted by kirkaracha at 10:14 AM on June 19, 2006

players are allowed to go into the backcourt on sideline throw-ins, it happens all year. it's nice to see the mavericks get screwed on a late foul call for a change, seeing how they won games 3 and 4 in the spurs series in much the same way. i wonder how long it will take the cuban-nator to hammer the league for this.

posted by ksb122 at 10:35 AM on June 19, 2006

It is so funny how Mavs fans are complaining about the refs now!!! I didn't hear any of this in the Spurs series.

posted by rmims at 10:58 AM on June 19, 2006

agree w/ others that dallas had their chances, but whatever happened to earning your respect (aka getting phantom calls) after more than a few years in the league? i love wade's game, but the non-calls he gets are laughably awful. i'm a shaq guy and want him to get his ring, but the nba's officiating is so spectacularly bad, it's hard to argue when some mavs fan complains that the fix is in.

posted by ninjavshippo at 10:59 AM on June 19, 2006

Just for the record, I am NOT a Mav's fan. I can't stand Cuban or half their players. More of a Spurs fan. When I said the "Fix" is on, I was referring to how the officials/league seem to control the game. Not calling fouls, calling fouls that didn't happen, suspensions, and the whole timeout issue. Other sports have officiating issues, but they don't seem to control the game the way it does in the NBA.

posted by dviking at 11:28 AM on June 19, 2006

Not a good game. Too bad. It seems the NBA suffers from this occassional illness more than other sports. That was terribly officiated from the tip-off. Are we forgetting this year's superbowl? I think there's more complaints with basketball because there's more games to complain after. Anyway, I mostly agree with you weedy, I think the NFL has just as big of a problem.

posted by tron7 at 11:28 AM on June 19, 2006

Cuban is a great fan of his team, and good for the NBA in general. Having said that, he's also proof that wealth and intelligence are sometimes mutually exclusive. Basketball is a game where there are perhaps 200 different plays that impact the game - Miami has made the plays when needed during the past 3 games, Cuban's Mavs have not. No amount of whining from any owner / player / coach is going to change that. Get it done on the court where it counts.

posted by cixelsyd at 11:44 AM on June 19, 2006

Does anyone watch the whole game. It is pro Basketball just tune in to the last 30 seconds. Someone drives the lane, and they always call a foul. They either hit or miss the free throws, that is where the game is decided. Just let the refs flip a coin and call a winner and spare us of this farce of a so called sport.

posted by kaydj72 at 11:47 AM on June 19, 2006

What a load...........

posted by chrisly13 at 11:57 AM on June 19, 2006

Having said that, he's also proof that wealth and intelligence are sometimes mutually exclusive. Surely you jest about Cuban's intelligence? Maybe you meant "wealth and knowledge of sports", because you'd be hard pressed to find a more intelligent man in the world of business than Mark Cuban.

posted by grum@work at 11:59 AM on June 19, 2006

Other sports have officiating issues, but they don't seem to control the game the way it does in the NBA. Isn't that what Cuban has been saying since he first entered the league as an owner? But when he does, he gets fined hundreds of thousands of dollars. The NBA has no interest in correcting this problem, because then the game might be decided on the court by the players. That said, and being a Maverick fan, the Mavs choked in games 3, 4 and 5. Chances at the end in 3 and 5 and blew it. Did not even show up for 4. I no longer think the Mavs can win this series. And, since Miami has shown the rest of the league how to play against them, I doubt the Mavs win 50 next year.

posted by graymatters at 12:07 PM on June 19, 2006

I think Cuban's business rep is inflated by virtue of Yahoo overspending like crazy for Audionet/Broadcast.Com during the heady days of the dot-com boom. But his management of the Mavericks, after a decade in which they were the losingest franchise in the four major sports, was nothing short of genius.

posted by rcade at 12:12 PM on June 19, 2006

according to the statment from joe derossi, howard asked for the timeout twice before it was granted. besides, shouldn't avery johnson have said something in the huddle after the first foul shot? the mavericks have only themselves to blame for letting this one get away due to missed free throws (howard 2, nowitzki 1) down the stretch.

posted by ksb122 at 12:47 PM on June 19, 2006

Photo of Wade getting fouled.

posted by kirkaracha at 01:27 PM on June 19, 2006

Photo of Wade getting fouled. Yeh, but that's not the foul they called. Doesn't matter; game is over.

posted by graymatters at 01:37 PM on June 19, 2006

There's only one answer for this- basketball needs instant replay.

posted by irunfromclones at 02:19 PM on June 19, 2006

it's not just that play kirkaracha. I mean, do you really believe that dallas is lacking in players that slash to the basket and draw contact? if we're calling the game close, let's do it on both ends. that's what drives me nuts. of course, mark cuban spending his tenure as an owner making the refs look like idiots isn't going to help his team getting any breaks on this front. it's asinine for me to really complain, since it doesn't change anything, but i believe that the nba has the most inconsistently inconsistent officiating of any of the big american sports.

posted by ninjavshippo at 02:22 PM on June 19, 2006

What's the difference if he was fouled by Harris instead of Nowitski? He was fouled. They call the foul on the wrong person all the time. do you really believe that dallas is lacking in players that slash to the basket and draw contact? Yep. Look at the shot chart. The Heat took a lot more shots in the paint.

posted by kirkaracha at 02:58 PM on June 19, 2006

As a Texan I normally pull for the Local Team . Cuban's arrogance and brash attude have caused me to pull for the Heat. Cuban and Jerry Jones are both owners that seem to want all the credit.

posted by mustang71 at 05:06 PM on June 19, 2006

kirk, the shot chart's misleading. wade only had 2 shots in the official "paint," and there's no tracking of shots he missed that sent him to the line, since those aren't official attempts. same is true for the mavs. furthermore, you have to admit that the fouls that slashers draw happen more often on the way to the paint (grabbing a guy after they get beat, body contact/blocking fouls like the picture you posted) rather than in the paint, them getting leveled by a big.

posted by ninjavshippo at 05:14 PM on June 19, 2006

They call the foul on the wrong person all the time. Wait a minute, which side of the argument are you on?

posted by graymatters at 06:00 PM on June 19, 2006

Which ever way the wind blows, baby!

posted by kirkaracha at 06:27 PM on June 19, 2006

Between the Stackhouse suspension, that call, Wade's 25 trips to the line, the timeout call, and Shaq once again taking Dirk's head off on a rebound with no call, the NBA has become the Heat's sixth man. Perfect Take!!

posted by bo_fan at 07:09 PM on June 19, 2006

Conspiracy (to have this series go 7?) or not--and both sides of the issue have merit--I still think Dallas takes it in 7 IF Nowitzki and Howard bring their A games. The Mavs might also consider guarding that Wade guy better. That foul call at the end of the game was weak and a horrible way to end a great game..but Dallas needs to show the poise they displayed during much of the Spurs series. Prediction for game 6: Mavs come out strong in the first quarter and lead by double digits; the Heat keep the game close until late in the 4th; and Dallas rides their fan support and their frustration with the last three games to win by 10-12 points (say 109-97.)

posted by curtangle at 01:55 AM on June 20, 2006

I don't think the Mavs can win a close game late unless Dwyane Wade is in foul trouble. He's in their head. As a Dallas native, I'd be crushed if the Mavs lose this thing, but I'm beginning to think that Wade has put together a Finals performance for the ages. If you were going to get beat, better to get beat like that.

posted by rcade at 08:02 AM on June 20, 2006

Nowitzki--check; Howard--check; double-digit 1st quarter Mavs lead--check; Wade--unchecked.

posted by curtangle at 11:21 PM on June 20, 2006

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