BASKETBALL: Miami at Dallas

We'll have plenty of slow days over the summer to examine regular season baseball. So this is another easy one: Game 6 of the NBA Finals is today's one to watch.

Game 5 was a dramatic 1 point OT win for Miami that again came down to the final shot. The Mavs squandered another 4th quarter lead and D-Wade seemingly couldn't miss a shot down the stretch. The Heat now leads 3-2 and has two chances to steal a win and the title on Dallas' homecourt.

The Mavs have done a lot of complaining since Game 5 ended. After Dirk Nowitzki booted a ball into the Miami crowd in frustration, I've heard how Josh Howard's critical timeout shouldn't have been granted, how Dwyane Wade wasn't fouled on his game winning drive, how Jerry Stackhouse shouldn't have been suspended, and even how David Stern and his zebras simply won't allow a Mark Cuban owned team win the NBA championship.

And it's a real shame. Because this series and these playoffs have been way better than all that. Afterall, I was hoping we'd seen the last of the hall-of-fame type whining with Phil Jackson's team losing in the 1st round. Dallas is too good for that crap, even though it is highly entertaining when coming in the animated high-pitched tones of coach Avery Johnson. The refs didn't beat the Mavs. The Heat and D-Wade did. Dallas outplayed Miami and should have won both Games 3 and 5. But instead they missed critical foul shots and gave up too many open 4th quarter looks. And the Heat gladly took advantage. Game 6 should be intense. The Mavs are mad and they'll have fired-up fans led by Cuban himself wanting to help turn that anger into baskets. Meanwhile, Miami and coach Pat Riley know they are 48 good minutes away from history.

My pick: Dallas. These playoffs have been too good to end now. Dallas toiled all season to earn a chance for a Game 7 at home. Now is the time to make sure they get it. And I'm looking forward to making a Game 7 the one to watch in the near future.

So that's what I'll be watching today - Will Miami give Shaq his 4th ring or will Big D prove too tough for the Big Diesel?






Who will you be wacthing? The Mavericks of Dallas or the Ewings of Dallas?

UPDATE: Miami wins....yeah, Florida! First the Gators and now the Heat. I live in basketball heaven! And how about those Mavs? They did play like J.R., Bobby, and Lucy Ewing afterall. Seriously, what a great playoffs. The first of the NBA's new stars has claimed the title. Dwyane Wade indeed took it to another level these past 4 games, as his coach Pat Riley said after the game. Look for others in the great class of 2003 like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh to go after titles of their own in the future. The NBA is once again FANtastic. Congrats to David Stern, the real winner.