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Thursday, June 22, 2006
Sayson: Going through fire
By Homer Sayson
Second overtime
CHICAGO — When Miami nailed an NBA Finals ticket last June 8, coach Pat Riley gathered his players in the locker room, circled the date 6-20-06 in the chalkboard, and said that June 20 is the day the Heat will win the championship.
That day of reckoning, 6-20-06, arrived yesterday in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. But when the Mavericks raced to a 26-12 lead at the 3:14 mark of the first quarter, it quickly looked like Riley was a false prophet with a distorted calendar.
Calmly, Riley called timeout and reminded his boys that “to win it all, you have to go through the fire.” After that little chat, the Heat took better care of the ball and unleashed an 11-4 run.
The Heat bit deeper into the Mavs lead and got to within 32-31 following a Dwayne Wade bucket with 9:05 to go in the second quarter. But playing before an inflamed crowd of 20,522 at the American Airlines Center, the Mavs answered with 10-0 run, pushing them ahead, 42-31.
But like spurned lovers, the Heat wouldn’t go away.
With Wade scoring 19, Miami seized control at the half, 49-48. It was a slim one-point lead, but the die was cast for the Mavericks—That early 14-point flurry was their best shot, and the Heat took it like a man.
The third quarter went back-and-forth like a playground see-saw. But somehow, Miami stayed on top 71-68 heading to the final period. And that’s where the boys were separated from the men.
“Relax, and take a deep breath,” Riley told his players as they came to within 12 minutes from the title. After Miami tied the series at 2-2, Riley had spoken about “seeing the possibilities,” of how weary they’ve been, how far they’ve traveled and how close they’ve come.
And now, as the fourth quarter beckoned, those possibilities had turned so unbelievably near.
And how did the Heat manage in the crucible of a Game 6 clincher? With quiet confidence.
Wade was again unstoppable. Besides his 36 points, he gathered 10 rebounds and five assists. His four straight free throws, which gave Miami a 95-90 cushion with 17.7 seconds left, sealed the Larry O’Brian trophy.
Alonzo Mourning, 36, is playing with a borrowed, transplanted kidney, but last night, with immortality at stake, he played like a man with two healthy kidneys. Zo spilled eight points, six rebounds and five blocks in 14 minutes of play. Yes, 14 minutes of play.
Antoine Walker, 29, continued to shoot badly, this time going 6-for-17, but he willed himself to 14 points, 10 in the decisive third quarter. He also 11 rebounds and two assists.
Udonis Haslem is a 25-year-old lion of a power forward. He played with a bum shoulder, ignored pain and had 17 points and 10 rebounds. His defense also gave Dirk Nowitzki fits.
ames Posey, 29, had only six points, but his 3-pointer, which gave the Heat an 87-81 bubble, was one of the daggers that eventually killed the Mavs. And then there was Jason Williams, who compensated his poor shooting (1-for-7) with seven assists.
Shaq only had nine points and 12 rebounds, while Gary Payton had as many points as turnovers (two). But it didn’t matter, their teammates carried them through. And that’s what Riley said all along, “It’s about family, trusting each other, helping one another.”
The distraught Mavs, meanwhile, go home and will have the rest of the summer to ponder on what went wrong after a 2-0 went down to four straight defeats.
Well, the Mavs only need a mirror to find the culprit. They lost a 13-point lead with 6:34 to play in Game 3, and they couldn’t hold on to a one-point lead with seconds to go in Game 5.
And in last night’s Game 6, the Mavs simply choked. They shot 34 of 92 (37 percent) from the field, 5 of 22 from the arc (22.7percent). They were also out-rebounded, 56-50, and lost the assists battle, 18-16.
Nowitzki led Dallas with a solid 29 points and 10 rebounds, but he vanished down the stretch, making zero field goals in the fourth stanza. Josh Howard had 14, but he went 5-of-16 while Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse missed 26 of 38 shots.
This was an interesting NBA Finals. Dallas had more talent, but the Heat had the best player in Wade. Dallas had more depth, but Miami showed more poise. Dallas had quickness, but Miami had toughness.
The Mavs came in with the promise, but Miami went home with the truth. The Heat are the best team, and that’s why they are now the world champions.
(homsay@hotmail.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 22, 2006 issue)
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