As I sat there watching Game 3 come to its conclusion, I was preparing myself for another comeback from Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks. But it wasn't to be, the Heat avoided another late collapse over the weekend,
reclaiming home-court advantage in the process. They will enter Game 4 as the
underdogs in the NBA odds.
But alas, this time it was not meant to be.
That didn't make Sunday's game any less exciting though. The
Heat were up by seven late in the fourth until Nowitzki once again caught fire
and scored 10 straight points for Dallas.
In the end, it wasn't enough as Dwyane Wade and the Heat
would have the last laugh to take a 2-1 lead in these 2011 NBA Finals.
Dwayne Wade was on a mission from the opening tipoff, scoring 29
points on 12-of-21 shooting. He added 11 rebounds and three assists, but his
clutch shots in the fourth were what really made the difference.
He took it upon himself to silence the rowdy Dallas crowd,
draining key shots to halt the Mavericks' momentum down the stretch.
In spite of the loss, Dirk Nowitzki was fantastic, dropping a
game-high 34 points and grabbing 11 boards. He just did not get enough help,
with only two other Mavs hitting double-figures in the scoring column.
Others will have to step up for Tuesday's Game 4 as there's just no
way Dallas will be able to win this series solely on the shoulders of Dirk.
Another thrilling 48 minutes (or more) in store for us
What are sportsbooks showing in the betting odds for Game 4? They have Dallas
favored by three points, with the O/U sticking at 187 at most outlets.
The Heat have covered in two of the three games so far in
the series, and we'll see if they can cash once more for NBA handicappers as the road underdogs in
this spot.
In terms of the NBA bettings trends, Miami has gone 6-1 ATS in its last seven
contests overall while Dallas is 9-3 ATS in its previous 12 matchups heading
into Tuesday.
The edge in the paint went to Miami in Game 3, as the Heat
outscored the Mavs 40-22 down in the interior.
You can give some credit to the Heat in that respect, as they've
done a tremendous defensive job at keeping Nowitzki and the rest out of the lane for the
most part. Simply put, Dirk will not miss free throws so you have to keep him
off the line as much as possible.
After making such a huge impact in earlier rounds this postseason,
JJ Barea has been extremely quiet so far in the Finals. He's scored just 13
points total through the first three games.
Dallas has been heavily reliant on its bench play throughout
the year, and Barea has been a big part of that, so he'll need to locate that
scoring touch as soon as possible to give the Mavs a much-needed spark.
This is as close to a must-win as you can get if you're the
Mavericks, and I really do not see them losing both of these games on their
home floor. They'll be disappointed to have let one get away over the weekend
and will likely come out with even more of a purpose on Tuesday.
FREE Pick: The Mavericks should be able to evade
another big letdown at home. Back them to cover in Game 4.