The Heat lead the series, 2-1, with Tuesday night’s game in Dallas.
Last time out
Miami exacted some revenge for the late-game meltdown that saw them blow a 15-point lead with 6:30 to play in Game 2, this time fighting off a fierce fourth-quarter rally from the Mavericks to hold on for an 88-86 win. The Heat led by as many as 14 in the first half, and by 13 in the second, but Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki, who had 34 points on 11-for-21 shooting, kept leading his team back into the game. Nowitzki scored 12-straight Mavericks points down the stretch, but on Dallas’ final two possessions, the Heat were able to force him into a turnover on a double-team and a missed potential game-tying jumper on the game’s final play. For Miami, Dwyane Wade was again the hero, scoring 29 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, while Chris Bosh (18 points) sank the decisive jumper from the left baseline with 39.6 seconds to go.
On the spot
Dallas Mavericks' Jason Terry reacts during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball game against the Miami Heat Sunday, June 5, 2011, in Dallas. (AP Photo)You could go ahead and put the entire Dallas supporting cast on the spot for Game 4, given that they shot 34.7 percent from the field and provided almost no help for Nowitzki in Game 3. But if anyone should be singled out, it is Jason Terry, the closest thing Dallas has to a No. 2 option. Terry had 15 points in Game 3, but was 5-for-13 from the field and is now averaging 14.3 points and 38.2 percent shooting in the Finals. Coming into the series, he had averaged 17.3 points on 47.1 percent shooting in the playoffs. “We didn’t really give (Nowitzki) much help, and I take a lot of that on my shoulders,” Terry said. “That’s two out of three games, offensively in the fourth quarter, that I wasn’t able to come up with some big plays and big shots.”
Repeat performance, please
Heat point guard Mario Chalmers has been a key to both Miami victories so far. Not only has he done a good job slowing down lightning-bug backup point guard J.J. Barea, but he has made some big 3-pointers to help boost the offense, especially when Wade goes out for a rest. In Game 1, Chalmers was 3-for-7 from the 3-point line and finished with 12 points. In Game 3, he was 4-for-6 from the arc, for 12 points. “Mario is a fantastic shooter,” Heat forward Chris Bosh said. “When he's spaced and he has time to gather, he can really shoot the basketball. He's production off of our bench. We need him a lot. We need him to play. We need him to get into the offense.”
Number to watch
5:51. The total amount of time the Mavericks held the lead in Game 3. The Heat led for 37:34. The Mavericks were able to stay close and have a chance because of the performance of Nowitzki, but the reality is, Miami controlled Game 3 throughout.
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