The Dallas Mavericks have won consecutive games to push the Miami Heat on the brink of elimination. A Dallas win tonight would capture the first NBA Championship in franchise history. A loss would set the stage for only the third Game 7 of the NBA Finals in the last 10 years. The series returns to Miami tonight.
Pre-Game Quote: Dirk Nowitzki played in Game 4 with a 101F temperature and a sinus infection. Heat stars and besties for life Dwyane Wade and LeBron James joked around about Dirk's cough before Game 5. Dirk addressed the cough in a press conference before Game 6.
"I just thought it was a little childish. A little ignorant. I've been in this league for 13 years and I've never faked an injury or an illness before. But that's it. It's over. It happened. It's not going to add anything extra to me. This is the NBA Finals, if you need extra motivation, you have a problem. We're one win away from my dream, from what I've been working for half of my life. This is really all I'm worried about and all I'm focusing on and not really off the court stuff that happened."
Useless Stat: The Heat won 8 of the 21 times (38 percent) they faced elimination in franchise history. The Mavs, however, won 16 of the 25 (64 percent) series clinching games in franchise history, including three of these games this postseason. Tonight's match-up will be the first time this postseason that the Heat can be eliminated.
Probable Starters:
DAL: C Tyson Chandler, PF Dirk Nowitzki, SF Shawn Marion, SG DeShawn Steveson, PG Jason Kidd
MIA: C Joel Anthony, PF Chris Bosh, SF LeBron James, SG Dwyane Wade, PG Mike Bibby
Player to Watch: Dwyane Wade, SG, MIA
Wade left Game 5 momentarily with a sore hip, but he expects to play tonight in Game 6. If his hip slows him down, though, Dallas should cruise to victory. If this is truly Dwyane Wade's team, he will need to be the man to takeover Games 6 and 7 to bring home Miami's second NBA Championship. Wade recorded two double-doubles in this series by way of points and rebounds. Please keep in mind that Wade is only 6'4" and averaging 6.8 rebounds per game in this series.
Prediction: Miami
I said earlier that Miami will win this series and I'm going to stick with that prediction. The Heat will force Game 7 and then capture their second NBA Championship. Prove me wrong, Rick Carlisle! Prove me wrong.
The game starts in a little more than two hours. In the meantime, watch this unrelated clip over and over again.
- Jeff Laboon
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