NBA 2005/06

[Rob]

Well, considering that almost no one lives downtown in Dallas (a trend that's changing for the better with the development boom we're in the midst of) there probably won't be any good rioting unless they win it at Home.

So, unless the Heat can take two out of the next three, there's little hope of a decent riot.

[Neal]

Hrmmm...on the other hand, being just 2 minutes from the AA Center, you may be fairly heavily impacted by the riots after the Mavs win.  Or lose.

It's nice that you're diplomatic about the outcome of the series, but even I'll admit that it's over for the Heat.  Dallas is just too deep, too young, and too good for Miami.  The Heat will show up Tuesday night, but I'm not even sure if they have enough to get the series back to Dallas. 
 

[john todd]

the final game of a championship has never been played in dallas, and it looks like this is not the year again.

i still expect shaq to drop 40 on the mavs, but with the complete lack of help shaq and wade are getting that might not be enough to get even the win.

[Neal]

Damn, Wade is a ******* warrior.  He played most of the second half on one leg and almost the entire fourth quarter with five fouls, but he simply wouldn't let the Heat lose.
I still don't think they'll win the series, but at least they've finally joined it.

[Rob]

That was ******* painful... what are the odds of Shaq making two clutch free throws and Nowitzki missing one to get the Heat a win?

I'm staying upbeat though - the Heat's A-game only beats the Mavs by two.

Mavs in 6.

[Chris M]

Is it just me, or does it seem as if the announcers for the game have been all about Miami?  It seems as if most of the series they've announced as if the Mavs are just another team on the floor and the Heat are the best and blah, blah, blah.  I get sick of hearing announcers who favor one team over another.

[Neal]

Is it just me, or does it seem as if the announcers for the game have been all about Miami?  It seems as if most of the series they've announced as if the Mavs are just another team on the floor and the Heat are the best and blah, blah, blah.  I get sick of hearing announcers who favor one team over another.

I wouldn't agree with that at all.  Hubie Brown is in love with the Mavs.  There were many times last night where he made comments that made it sound like the Heat were doing nothing to affect the Mavs' game and it was just that they weren't playing well. 

[Dressel Rebel]

Is it just me, or does it seem as if the announcers for the game have been all about Miami?  It seems as if most of the series they've announced as if the Mavs are just another team on the floor and the Heat are the best and blah, blah, blah.  I get sick of hearing announcers who favor one team over another.

I agree.  Most of what I heard was Wade this and Wade that.  It was gross.  A little Dirk mixed in as well, at reasonable levels.

[Brian]

Is it just me, or does it seem as if the announcers for the game have been all about Miami?  It seems as if most of the series they've announced as if the Mavs are just another team on the floor and the Heat are the best and blah, blah, blah.  I get sick of hearing announcers who favor one team over another.

I don't know that I agree with this either, although I think it depends on what team you are going for.  There might have been a lot of Wade talk in the game last night, but the guy played a heck of a game.  The same thing happened when watching Dirk go for 50 in the last round, I don't think I heard anything other than his name the entire 2nd half of that game - with good reason, he was playing unbelievably.  I didn't notice the announcers being too biased one way or the other to be honest, although the referreeing was suspect for a little bit early on.  That technical call on Wade for hanging on the rim was weak, especially when Dampier did it within a couple minutes of game time much worse.  Of course, I've always hated that call, regardless of who it is on - within reason.  If someone is swinging on it for 5 minutes, yeah, that's a little excessive - but if it is just a swing around the rim and then dropping off, who cares.  I guess as a fan I just think it makes it look cooler.  I know I never really understood the problem with us dunking in pregame in high school either, that would also be a technical.  Anyways - back on topic - it was a good game, I'm hoping Miami can at least make a good series out of it - the more basketball the better.

[Morgbug]

what are the odds of Shaq making two clutch free throws and Nowitzki missing one to get the Heat a win?

About 800 Billion to one.

[Dressel Rebel]

what are the odds of Shaq making two clutch free throws and Nowitzki missing one to get the Heat a win?

About 800 Billion to one.

Well, mathematically, Shaq is a 46.9% free throw shooter.  The odds then of hitting 2 consecutive free throws is:

.469 x .469 = .21 or 21%

However, that's his regular season free throw shooting %.


In the finals, he had been shooting 12.5% from the line.  So the odds then of him hitting 2 consecutive free throws last night was:

.125 x .125 = .01 or 1%

1% chance of that happening.

And on top of that, the odds of Nowitzki missing that 2nd free throw was very low, he's one of the best in basketball.

 

[Neal]

Well, mathematically, Shaq is a 46.9% free throw shooter.  The odds then of hitting 2 consecutive free throws is:

.469 x .469 = .21 or 21%

However, that's his regular season free throw shooting %.


In the finals, he had been shooting 12.5% from the line.  So the odds then of him hitting 2 consecutive free throws last night was:

.125 x .125 = .01 or 1%

1% chance of that happening.

And on top of that, the odds of Nowitzki missing that 2nd free throw was very low, he's one of the best in basketball.

 

Hence why I think we should all be ready for the impending apocalypse.
 

Seeing that I seem to be the only person in this thread rooting for the Heat, this article won't mean much to any of you:

Wade misses practice, but says he'll play in Game 4

[Morgbug]

I don't mind the Heat at all.  I also happen to really like Dwayne Wade as a basketball player.  I'm not much of a Shaq fan though and his abysmal free throw percentage has left him short of more than one championship in his history in the league.  But I could find it in my heart to be happy that Miami won, if only because I could rub it in the Lakers fans face that Shaq got a championship before Kobe did.  That could be lots of fun. 

And I'm not much of a Mavs fan either.  I like them, but I don't routinely root for them either.  No attachment and I'd have preferred to have seen Phoenix in the final over the Mavs.  Oh well.

[john todd]

actually with shaq having shot 2 for 16(?) in the 1st 2 games, he was technically due for a couple of free throws to fall.

that was pretty brutal last night, but i think the mavs will be able to learn from the tape and will be able to come back tomorrow.    alll i really want is for someone to tell avery to stop trying to milk the clock when they have a lead.  i was so frustrated watching the mavs dribble out the shot clock and then throw up a prayer. if they had kept playing like they did in the 3rd quarter, they could have beat the heat by 30.  also, why weren't they exploiting wade's 5 fouls?  i would have run devin harris or jason terry at him every single play until he fouled out or the mavs went up by 50.   like i said for a mavs fan that was a hard game to watch.

[Rob]

I take it back, the way the Heat are playing now, they head back to Dallas up 3-2.