5* - Dallas Mavericks (-4?)
The fact of the matter is Dallas has Miami?s number. The Heat have failed to get a win or even a cover in the last six games between these two teams and the reason is fairly obvious to me. Miami?s bench plays very poorly against the Mavericks? defensive style.
Last Thursday night?s game may have been an extreme example of this when the Heat reserves could muster only two points but it is just another example of how they have consistently played against Dallas. Take away Wade?s and Shaq?s 45 points and the rest of the team scored only 35 with four players scoring just six points combined in their 82 minutes on the court.
In contrast, the Mavs? bench scored 24 points in Game One and when Nowitzky had a cold shooting hand, Terry and Stackhouse stepped up. A lot has been said about the fact that Dirk played poorly in Game One and with good reason. If he had played even an average game, the Mavs would have run the Heat out of the building which is exactly what I expect to see tonight. They won?t have to beat Wade and O?Neil, just everybody else on the Heat?s team which they have shown that they can do time after time.
The fact of the matter is Dallas has Miami?s number. The Heat have failed to get a win or even a cover in the last six games between these two teams and the reason is fairly obvious to me. Miami?s bench plays very poorly against the Mavericks? defensive style.
Last Thursday night?s game may have been an extreme example of this when the Heat reserves could muster only two points but it is just another example of how they have consistently played against Dallas. Take away Wade?s and Shaq?s 45 points and the rest of the team scored only 35 with four players scoring just six points combined in their 82 minutes on the court.
In contrast, the Mavs? bench scored 24 points in Game One and when Nowitzky had a cold shooting hand, Terry and Stackhouse stepped up. A lot has been said about the fact that Dirk played poorly in Game One and with good reason. If he had played even an average game, the Mavs would have run the Heat out of the building which is exactly what I expect to see tonight. They won?t have to beat Wade and O?Neil, just everybody else on the Heat?s team which they have shown that they can do time after time.
