Miami leads the NBA Finals.
LeBron James' team leads 2-1 in the decisive series of American basketball against the Dallas Mavericks.
247_There were four seconds left in the decisive third game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat. The Mavericks' two-point deficit seemed the least of their problems. The ball was in the hands of star player Dirk Nowitzki who, from the free-throw line, only had to make the basket and send the game into overtime. But the German, who hit 90% of his free throws in this playoff phase and was again the game's top scorer with 42 points, saw the ball hit the rim and go out. The Heat's 88-86 victory put LeBron James' team ahead in the NBA Finals. And it raised concerns for the fourth game on Tuesday, October 7th: Nowitzki alone can't save Dallas.
Nowitzki's dependence is greater than basketball fans imagined at the start of the 2010/11 Finals. The German has been the lone star of the Dallas Mavericks, spending more time on the court than his teammates and running much more from defense to offense than throughout the season. Rebounding, one of his biggest weaknesses, has become a great virtue in recent games. Veteran point guard Jason Kidd is bothered by the team's lack of options. "We have to have someone showing up other than Dirk," said the 38-year-old point guard. "We have to find a way to get up front and play up front. The big thing is that we have to make plays at the end of games. In Game 2, we managed that. In Game 3, we didn't," he added.
Unlike Dallas, which is starting to lose the physical strength of its main star, the Miami Heat secured the victory and balanced the energy of its key players. Aside from Dwyane Wade, who scored 29 points and seemed determined to prove he's not just a supporting player to his teammates, LeBron and Chris Bosh played a game where they clearly conserved their energy. Together they scored 35 points, seven fewer than top scorer Nowitzki. It's likely they'll be hungry to take to the court this Tuesday to secure their third victory, at Dallas's home court. The Heat are more solid and know that if they take the series to their home court, they'll celebrate the victory next Thursday.