Desperate Heat Focus On Game 5
DALLAS (CBSMiami.com) – When the Miami Heat take the court in Game 5 of the NBA Finals Thursday night, all eyes will be on Heat forward LeBron James. Some will hope he fails to justify their anger towards his decision to come to Miami, while others will cheer him on hoping to bring a title to Miami.
James has faced scrutiny like almost no athlete in history since he came to play for the Miami Heat. He knew that coming in, but he had arguably his worst game of the season in Game 4. He knows this, the Mavericks know it, and it sets a grand stage for Game 5.
"If it was the Super Bowl, I would be kicking myself in the foot. We have one game. That's it," James said. "The great thing about this, it's a series. No matter if you can have a bad game; you can always make an imprint on the next game. Game 5 is a huge game."
But the Heat can't afford to have LeBron go into a funk offensively. While they have played Dallas to pretty much a draw in the last three games, if LeBron shows up offensively in those games, the city of Miami is celebrating an NBA championship right now.
How close has the series been? Three straight games have been decided by three or fewer points. It's the first time that's happened in the Finals since 1948, according to Stats, LLC.
And the Mavericks know, with the Heat's proverbial back against the wall, and LeBron looking to avenge a horrible performance in Game 4, they must be ready for anything.
"I think usually it's the team that loses that looks at the film and says, 'Hey, we have to do this.' Usually the team that loses has more of an edge, makes some adjustments with the coaches," Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki said.
Heat guard Dwyane Wade has been carrying the team in the NBA Finals; with a big helping hand from Heat power forward Chris Bosh. But for the Heat to take the final step and take the NBA championship, it all revolves around LeBron.
"He will be more aggressive and have more of an attack mentality tomorrow night," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He doesn't need to over-think it. He's a great player; he's a proven player. He knows how to be aggressive and how to pick his sports. I don't want him to over-think it. The aggressive mentality will be enough. We will do some things to help him, put him in positions to be aggressive."
While the Heat wants LeBron to be aggressive offensively, it can't come at the expense of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. It's the delicate balance the Heat has been trying to reach all season.
But in the NBA Finals, LeBron and D-Wade have to take their phenomenal games right at the teeth of the Dallas Mavericks defense. Both players will be called on to drive to the basket and force the Mavericks to get out of their zone defense.
The Heat has dominated the Mavericks through the first three quarters of almost all the games in the Finals. But Thursday night, if the Heat gets a big lead, they have to stay aggressive throughout the fourth quarter to put away the Mavericks and come back with a 3-2 lead in the series.
The NBA loves the matchup between Dallas and the Heat. From the Heat's star power of LeBron and D-Wade, to the Mavericks looking to slay the giants, to the desire of many to see the Heat fail, it's all put together a perfect storm that is producing record ratings.
No matter who wins Game 5, the NBA champion will be crowned at the AmericanAirlines Arena on Sunday night or next Tuesday night. If the Heat can pull out Game 5, the city of Miami will be planning the victory parade.
But, the Mavericks would love nothing more than to win the NBA Championship on the Heat's home court. It would be a fitting end to their season and the ultimate revenge for the Heat winning the title on the Mavericks home court in 2006.
Game 5 is set for a 9:00 p.m. tipoff at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
