Sure, it’s only game one, but it’s safe to say the Miami Heat is on fire.
The end of Tuesday night’s NBA Finals game was reminiscent of the end of the final game of the Heat-Bulls series; LeBron James and Dwyane Wade down the stretch along with the Heat’s suffocating defense, leaving the Mavericks unable to catch their breath.
After a close first quarter, with the Mavs leading at the half, the Heat went into the locker room and took care of business. The “big three” came back and maintained the lead throughout the half, while the veteran Mavricks team struggled to stop them.
The Heat’s shooting may have been a little hot and cold, but their defense was unstoppable and ultimately the key to their win. They did the dirty work; blocking shots, snagging rebounds, and staying aggressive. Defense is all about effort, and the Heat proved they want this title more than anybody else. After all, their defense annihilated the Bulls, who statistically boasted the strongest defense in the NBA.
As usual, James led the way with 24 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. He nailed a difficult three-pointer while falling back out of bounds at the end of the third quarter, giving the Heat a four point lead going into the final quarter.
Superstar point guard D. Wade came through in the fourth quarter and finished with 22 points, ten rebounds, and six assists. He worked his magic through the Mavericks defense any time the Heat needed it.
Chris Bosh scored 19 points and visited the foul line more than anyone else. He made nine out of twelve free throws, pulled down nine rebounds, but was able to hit only five of 18 shots from the field.
The Mav’s all-star forward Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points and went 12 for 12 from the line, but didn’t score enough points to give his team a solid lead at any point. He also left the game with an injured left finger that will likely be in a splint for the remainder of the series and could severely impact his shooting game.
This series is far from over, but last night the “big three” made it clear they’re in it to win it. Tune in Thursday at 9 pm on ABC to see if the Mav’s can extinguish the Heat.