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The NBA Finals heads back to the Lone Star State and things have gone from bad to worse for the Dallas Mavericks.
NBA Commentary by Michael RobinsonMiami (+6) at Dallas
You see, when Dallas last left the comfy confines of home, they held a 2-0 advantage and looked like the younger, faster and more balanced team.
Dallas continued to show their wares all the way through the 4th quarter of Game 3. It was then they had a meltdown of epic proportions, blowing a 13 point lead and letting the Heat right back into the series.
The Mavericks’ spiral downward continued with a blowout in Game 4 and they suffered a 101-100 loss on Sunday night in a game marred by controversy.
The drama occurred when Dallas’ Josh Howard called a timeout with a second remaining which meant the Mavericks would have to inbound the ball under their basket for the game winning shot instead of at half-court. Howard claims that he never called the time-out and was issued one incorrectly by the referees.
In any event, Dallas must win these last two games at home to avoid being haunted by this series for the rest of their lives. That could be easier said than done as only once in NBA history has the home team won all seven games in the finals. For all you Dolph Schayes fans, that was in 1955 when Syracuse defeated Fort Wayne.
Dallas will also attempt to become the first team since the 1994 Houston Rockets to win the final two games of a seven-game series.
The losing team: Coach Pat Riley and the New York Knicks.
Game 6 Outlook
When you look at this game analytically, and ignore Miami’s momentum for a minute, Dallas looks to be in good shape. Here are three reasons:
1) In the close games that Dallas lost in Miami, the Mavericks shot eight fewer free throws in Game 3 and a whopping 24 less in Game 5. That disparity will not happen on the Mavericks home floor.
2) Shaquille O’Neal is still struggling badly at the free throw line, going just 2-12 in Game 5. It almost cost the Heat the game, and he can’t afford another performance like that in Dallas.
3) Dallas gets Jerry Stackhouse and his instant offense back for this game. Stackhouse was suspended for Game 5 in another break that went Miami’s way, and he could very well be the difference in this game.
Overall, this series has been fantastic so far, and it is only fitting that it comes down to a decisive Game 7 on Thursday night.
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