Putting a wrap on the NBA Finals

I can't say enough about this year's NBA Finals and just how much I enjoyed watching them. In fact, I can't remember a more appealing and enthralling series with the story lines that we had in this year's Finals. This had to be my favorite NBA championship series that I can recall.

It wasn't just the presence of LeBron James and the Heat, or Dirk's quest for redemption, or how every game seemingly went down to the wire. It was the sum of its parts that made the Finals this year such a spectacle and so much fun to watch.

So to recap the series that was, I wanted to recognize the roles that certain players filled by handing some awards/accolades that I assure you are NBA-approved and sanctioned. 

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The Guy

Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki was named NBA Finals

MVP, not to mention "The Guy" of the

Finals by some nitwit blogger.

At the onset of these Finals I wrote that if Dallas is to win this year's title, Dirk will do something that LeBron didn't have the shoulders to do in Cleveland -- lead a team to a championship. Sure enough, that's exactly what the 7-footer did. 

If the team-oriented Mavericks were the perfect foil to the star-laden Heat, Dirk showed he's the ying to LeBron's yang. Dirk didn't need to ride shotgun with another superstar -- he just needed a back seat full of reliable players like Jason Terry and Shawn Marion. Dirk showed he can be 'The Guy,' which is something LeBron couldn't do in Cleveland, and an opportunity he forfeited by signing with Miami.

Dirk could have left Dallas this past summer, but he opted to show loyalty to the team, organization and city that showed him so much of the same the previous 12 years. 

While LeBron tried to take a shortcut, Dirk proved that taking the long road is well worth it. Along with Terry, Nowitzki suffered a painful collapse to the Heat in the 2006 Finals, for which he drew all types of criticism. That criticism reached a fever pitch after his top-seeded Mavericks were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the eighth-seeded Warriors in 2007.

But even after averaging 26 points per game against LeBron and the Heat, Dirk truly made his mark in the fourth quarter. The German power forward scored over 10 points per fourth quarter, including two game-winners. After struggling mightily in the first half (1-12) last night, he scored eight points in the third quarter and then 10 in the final frame to close out the Heat.

And as the final seconds ticked off the Mavericks' decisive Game 6 victory and as his teammates began their celebration, Nowitzki B-lined it off the court . Where was he going? Pulling a Herb Brooks (2:30) and taking a quiet moment for himself deep inside AmericanAirlines Arena. 

Dirk said he's never been concerned with legacy, and after his performance in these NBA Finals, his legacy will surely take care of itself.  

The Guts 

Jason Terry

Jason Terry was played a huge role in coming 

off the bench and lighting up the Heat for 27 points 

in Game 6.

Listed at 180 pounds, I'm convinced that a solid percentage of Jason Terry's body weight -- excuse the crude reference -- is in this guy's balls. Terry put on one of the gutsiest performances in recent memory, starting with his bold decision to chirp LeBron James and question whether he could guard him for seven games. 

Yours truly scoffed at Terry's brash statement. Was this dude really calling out the guy that had shut him down in Dallas' two defeats? But sure enough, Terry knew what he was doing. From that point on, "The Jet" played like a man possessed. He poured in 17, 21, and 27 points in the final three games of this series, respectively.

But how could he not play at that level? Especially after having the likeness of the Larry O'Brien Trophy inked up on his right biceps back in October. 

And after I called his Game 5 performance the signature game of his career, he was an absolute assassin in Game 6, scoring 27 points on 11-16 shooting. Cold blooded.

More importantly, Terry carried the Mavericks with 19 points in the first half last night, as Dirk was marred in a 1-12 slump. "The big fella was struggling but he had his sidekick right there with him."

Sidekick? Yes, maybe so. Gamer? Absolutely.

The Goat

LeBron James

Unfortunately, for LeBron James his post-game

press conference won't be the only time his late-

game struggles will be called into question.

Perhaps I've gone soft -- now that Dirk has his title and the Miami Heat's reign over the NBA has been delayed at least a year -- but I almost don't want to crush LeBron as I've been doing so passionately since the start of these Finals.

Right as I'm teetering on the edge of sensitivity, I just cue up tape of "The Decision," or the Heat's obscenely lavish coronation last July or the footage of "Cough Gate," and I'm right back to enjoying my ice cold LeBron/Heat flavored Haterade.

As William C. Rhoden of The New York Times writes, "Superstars can talk all they want about not being obsessed with rings and championships. Don’t believe them. There’s nothing worse than ending a stellar career without one. It’s a haunting gap in any superstar’s resume — one that Nowitzki and Kidd have filled."

So LeBron spurned the entire city of Cleveland for the chance to play with super stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. With the Heat, LeBron figured he'd have the best chance to win multiple titles and forever cement his legacy. 

Even with Wade and Bosh at his side, James' late game play plummeted to a level that we've never seen it dive. And for the next four-plus months, LeBron will face questions and criticism for these late-game struggles. Taking absolutely nothing away from the Mavericks, who proved they were the better team in nearly every facet, LeBron has to take the brunt of the blame for why the Heat did not get it done this year.

The Turning Point

Mavs' 15-point comeback in Game 2

You can make an argument for any number of huge moments when the tide of this series appeared to change, but you'd be hard-pressed to argue against the Mavericks' miraculous 15-point comeback in fourth quarter of Game 2. The Finals appeared as if they were already over when the Heat, leading 1-0, opened up its huge fourth-quarter lead in Game 2. But Dirk & Co. rallied for one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history, capped off by Nowitzki's game-winning drive to the basket.

The Unsung Hero 

How can I possibly chose one?

Seriously, I can't possibly deem only one Maverick the 'Unsung Hero' of the NBA Finals. Quite frankly, the Mavericks as a team are chalk full of these types of players. Jason Kidd, who scored in double digits only once this series, did so much of the dirty work -- rebounding, D'ing up just about any Miami Heat player on the floor, etc. -- that led to this championship. Or how about Shawn Marion, who did a great job guarding LeBron James and once again proved why he's known as "The Matrix."

I'm not sure J.J. Barea even qualifies as an unsung hero, after such a breakout post-season, but following the point guard's insertion into the starting lineup for Game 3, the Mavericks didn't lose a game. Let's not forget about the Dallas bench, led by Terry, outscored Miami's bench by six points per game, including 40-23 in Game 6.

The Mavericks seemingly got contributions from everyone on their roster, even 24-year-old Frenchman Ian Mahinmi, who chipped in with two big baskets last night. While the Heat were fueled by star power, the Mavericks' greatest strength lay in their depth.

Mavericks slay Heat to win NBA Championship

Dirk Nowitzki finally got the chance to

hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

So was that as good for you as it was for me?

The Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA Championship in franchise history last night, beating the Miami Heat 105-95 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Not since the New York Giants beat the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII have I rooted for a team (not my own) as vehemently as I rooted for the Dallas Mavericks to beat the Miami Heat in this year's Finals.

Despite joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh back in July, LeBron James was once again denied that elusive championship -- the title he bolted from Cleveland to win in South Beach.

Yes, the majority of basketball fans out there were pulling for the Heat to lose. But for me, it wasn't all about the Heat going down. Even as a Knicks fan, it was simply tremendous to see the Mavericks win their first title in the manner in which they did.

To see Nowitzki, a sure fire Hall of Famer, get his first ring and shed the memory of an NBA Finals collapse back in 2006 was great. To see his teammate, Jason Terry, go absolutely bonkers throughout this series was the height of entertainment. Perhaps above all else, watching Jason Kidd validate his Hall of Fame credentials and finally win a championship after 17 seasons as a premier maestro at the point guard position was really special.

But most of all, this year's Finals provided us with a truly memorable match-up. I went as far to call it a Good Guys vs. Bad Guys series, with LeBron and Wade reprising the roles of villains, while Dirk & Co. were cast as super heroes.

Ultimately though, Dallas will be remembered as a team built on the intangibles of heart, grit, poise and togetherness. Most importantly, the Mavericks were a true embodiment of the word 'team.'

The Heat, which formed in the most inorganic and contrived of manners, are built on star power. The Mavericks are built on will power. You saw that will power throughout the series, as the Mavericks continually answered the bell in the fourth quarter. Miami, on the other hand, with all its star power, repeatedly withered in the biggest of moments.

As we have officially entered era of NBA super teams made up of super stars, it sure was fun to watch a consummate team beat the likes of the star-driven Heat and win the NBA Championship

I'll be posting plenty more on the NBA Finals tomorrow. For now, I'm off for some much-needed sleep.

One thing is certain though: the nightmare of the Heat winning the NBA Championship is not one I'll be having tonight.

NBA Finals now have Cough-Gate

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James mocking Dirk Nowitzki yesterday before Game 5.

Just hours before Game 1 of the World Series in 2000, played between the Mets and Yankees, I nervously asked my dad whether our Mets were going to win.

"If there's a God in heaven, the Mets will win," he told me.

Well, we all know that series didn't turn out so well for us Mets fans. In fact, I'm still convinced my Dad ticked off the wrong guy upstairs by saying that, but at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I'm left feeling the same way about these NBA Finals between the Mavericks and Heat.

As if the series, which the Mavs lead 3-2, needed to amp up its Good Guys vs. Bad Guys dynamic any more, I have no choice but to take it to a whole level following the video that surfaced just this afternoon.

The footage shows LeBron James and Dwyane Wade mocking Dirk Nowitzki by playfully pretending to cough while covering their mouths as they walked out of AmericanAirlines Arena in Dallas following yesterday's shoot around before Game 5.

Clearly a dig at Nowitzki, who played through a sinus infection and 101-degree fever in Game 4, the video elevates LeBron and D-Wade to a new stratosphere of supervillains.

“Did y’all hear me cough?” Wade said on the video. “Do you think I’m sick?”

So I guess Dirk was faking his sickness or at least embellishing it, right? I don't think so. I guess LeBron and D-Wade missed Dirk's post-game press conference. Heck, I thought I was going to catch something from just watching him on TV.

In the span of about an hour, I've gone from passionately rooting for the Mavericks (not just for the Heat to lose), to obsessively NEEDING the Mavericks to win (and the Heat to lose).

Dirk Nowitzki clearly faking it here.

No, Dirk's 21-point performance in Game 4 wasn't Michael Jordan's "Sick Game," in which he scored 38 points while battling the flu, but Dirk showed a toughness in Game 4 that few thought he had prior to these Finals.

Above all else, the footage shows what the Heat, or at least James and Wade, are all about -- pomp and showmanship. They insist on being the center of attention, for better or for worse.

They see the cameras in front of them. They know Dirk and the Mavericks are going to see the footage, but they're just doing what they've always done since joining forces -- saying and doing stupid things.

Maybe they were trying to channel their inner Jason Terry, who popped off at the mouth following Game 3 but then backed it up in Games 4 and 5.

Either way, I think justice has been doled out, at least for now. Wade injured his hip in last night's game and James continues to flounder in his fourth-quarter neurosis.

What's that called again? That's right, karma.

Maybe next game Dirk should go out in the fourth quarter and chuck up brick after brick and then toss some mysterious powder on the court and magically disappear. That'd be a pretty creative way to mock LeBron, don't you think?

But that's not Dirk. He's not that guy. He's the guy that's one win away from winning the championship that has eluded him for 13 years and I'm sure that's all he cares about.

If the Mavericks can close out the series come Sunday, that should be plenty revenge for Dirk. Then again, who needs revenge when you have a championship ring?

Terry, Mavs have what it takes. LeBron? Not so much.

Jason Terry brought "The Jet" out of the hanger during last night's Game 5, a 112-103 

Mavericks victory. Dallas leads the series 3-2, as it heads back to Miami.

The Miami Heat may have three superstars, but the Dallas Mavericks possess an even more valuable commodity -- fourth-quarter closers.

The Mavericks once again showed their championship grit last night, as the triumvirate of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd delivered a host of clutch baskets down the stretch of a rousing 112-103 victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Terry and Co. closed out the game with a 17-4 run, which included his cold-blooded 3-pointer over LeBron James to put the Mavs up 108-101. Terry, who scored eight points in the final frame, poured in 21 points in 30 minutes of work. Nowitzki scored a game-high 29, including eight in the fourth quarter.

With 10:02 remaining Dallas led 90-83, but soon found itself down by four points after an explosive 16-5 Heat run at the 4:37 mark. At the time, I tweeted that Miami was making its move and that it was "winning time."

Little did I know that it was Dallas that would be making its move, not Miami. The Mavericks countered with yet another fourth quarter surge, scoring 17 of the last 21 points to move one win away from their first NBA Championship.

Trailing 100-97, Terry knocked down the first of his two fourth-quarter triples. Following a LeBron James miss, Terry then found Nowitzki streaking along the baseline past Chris Bosh for a two-handed slam that electrified the crowd.

The bucket not only energized the fans, but it gave the Mavs a lead they would not relinquish. And after scoring zero points in a Game 4 win, Kidd followed suit with a huge 3-pointer with 1:25 remaining.  

(I'm a big Jason Kidd fan but earlier in the game I told my dad that the 38-year-old Kidd just can't shoot the ball like he used to. Then again, Kidd, like Terry and Nowitzki, is a gamer).

So while Terry was swishing 3-point daggers and doing the Jet; and while Dirk was being Dirk; and while Kidd was proving the Old Man has a little left in that tank of his -- where was LeBron?

.

He was pulling what's becoming his customary fourth-quarter Houdini act and disappearing in crunch time. Despite four assists, LeBron had only two points (1-4 shooting) in the fourth quarter -- the fourth game in a row The King has scored two points or less in the final stanza

Sure, he had a triple-double (17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists), but just two points in the most critical phase of the game just isn't going to cut it. In fact, James has only 11 points TOTAL in five fourth quarters this series.

LeBron James' fourth-quarter struggles continued in Game 5. 

But to focus solely on LeBron's enigmatic struggles in the fourth quarter of games, is to sell the Mavericks short. Take Terry for instance. After going 0-4 in the fourth quarter of a Game 3 loss, Terry took some criticism from a Nowitzki desperately searching for some offensive assistance.

But instead of ripping Dirk or deflecting the comments, what did Terry do? He called out the man who had shut him down -- LeBron James.

"Let's see if [James] can defend me like that for seven games," he said.

It turns out Terry may have been right to question whether LeBron could hang with him for seven games, because the self-proclaimed "Jet" is flying way above James right now. Terry backed up his remarks with 17 points in Game 4 and perhaps his gutsiest shooting performance of his career last night.

But Terry's comments shouldn't be chalked up as mere trash talk. No, they carry far more weight. Terry's brash proclamation and how he's responded are emblematic of Dallas' ability to rise to the occasion as a team in these NBA Finals -- something LeBron hasn't been able to do.

So while the Heat live and die with their three superstars, the Mavericks will continue to rely on a less tangible asset -- guts.

Just watch the 180-pound Jason Terry do his thing in the fourth quarter, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Bruins even Stanley Cup Finals at two games apiece

Boston Bruins' Tim Thomas throwin' down with Alex Burrows

of the Canucks in Game 4 last night. Thomas posted his third

 shutout of the postseason, a 4-0 Bruins win.

Following his team's overtime loss in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien sat stoically at the podium and calmly answered questions from the media, despite the 0-2 hole that his team faced.

Julien pointed to the first round matchup against the Canadiens, when his Bruins erased a 0-2 series deficit and won in seven games -- surely a signature moment for a Boston team that's now proving its championship mettle.

I guess the composure that Boston's head man showed in his press conference was no front, because with another dominating performance from his Bruins -- a 4-0 drubbing of the Canucks in Game 4 -- the Stanley Cup Finals are suddenly knotted up at two games apiece.

It would appear that the two teams are heading in opposite directions, and that especially rings true for both Vezina-nominated goaltenders.

Boston's Tim Thomas has been nothing short of spectacular these Cup Finals, having allowed only five goals against through the first four games. Last night,  he stopped all 37 shots he faced to post his third shutout of the postseason and is sporting a pristine 2.11 goals against average in the playoffs. Even in the games the Bruins lost, Thomas allowed only four goals against.

Vancouver's goaltending situation on the other hand is in flux. Roberto Luongo, who is also nominated as the league's top goaltender, has been embarrassed in the two games played in Bean Town. After surrendering only two goals in Games 1 and 2, Luongo has given up 12 tallies the past two games.

Vancouver's Roberto Luongo was pulled from
last night's game after allowing all four goals. 

Boston has lit the lamp so many times against Luongo in TD Garden, I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a nasty sun burn on the back of his neck to go along with his rising goals against average.

Luongo, who allowed all four goals last night on 38 shots, was pulled from last night's game for backup Cory Schneider. That wasn't the first time this postseason that Canucks coach Alain Vigneault has opted to yank the veteran netminder. Luongo was benched after allowing 10 goals (on just 40 shots) in two straight losses to the Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs, as the Canucks saw its 3-0 series lead cut to 3-2. Luongo responded brilliantly though, as he allowed just one goal on 32 shots in Vancouver's emotional Game 7 victory.

So where does this leave us as the series heads back to British Columbia for the all important Game 5? The Bruins appear to have ALL of the momentum right now, and rightfully so. They lost the first two games by the slimmest of margins, as Game 1 was decided in the final minute and with Game 2 going to overtime. Their victories -- 8-1 and 4-0 -- have been far less dramatic, to say the least.

But I'm not going to count the Canucks out just yet. Perhaps some home cooking back in Pacific Northwest is what the Presidents' Trophy winning team needs to find itself once again. Remember, Vancouver nearly coughed up that 3-0 series lead it had on Chicago, but prevailed with a resurgent Luongo in net. I look for Luongo to bounce back on home ice.

A Sedin twins sighting may help as well. Boston has put the clamps on the talented Swedish forwards, as Henrik has zero points in these Finals and a -2 rating, while his brother, Daniel, has only two points and a -1 rating. They'll need to get going if Vancouver is going to win its first Cup in franchise history.

In a slightly less-anticipated game, played on a slightly smaller stage, my men's hockey team erased a 5-1 second period deficit last night to win 6-5, proving that wild finishes are another part of this sport.

Which begs the question: What type of a finish will we see to these Stanley Cup Finals?

Bruins lose Horton, then pummel Canucks in Game 3

The Bruins celebrate during their Game 3 massacre of the
Canucks

If the Boston Bruins are to erase the 2-0 series deficit they once faced against the Vancouver Canucks and win the Stanley Cup, we'll trace the team's resurgence back to the 5:07 mark of the first period in Game 3.

Bruins forward Nathan Horton was drilled by Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome after passing the puck to Milan Lucic, and lay motionless on the ice after absorbing the late, blindsided hit.

Rome was assessed a game misconduct and sent to the showers, as Horton was ushered off the ice on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. Horton, who remains hospitalized, will miss the rest of the series with a concussion. Rome has been suspended the remainder of the series as well.

The Bruins responded to the frightening moment by pounding the Canucks into submission in an overwhelming 8-1 win.


As I was watching the devastating hit live, I thought back to Game 6 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals, between the Devils and the (then named) Mighty Ducks. Devils defenseman Scott Stevens, who made a career out of feasting on unsuspecting forwards, delivered a similar late hit on Ducks captain Paul Kariya.

Kariya, who appeared to be knocked unconscious for a moment, suddenly came to and was helped off the ice. It was assumed the Ducks star was done for the game, having sustained such a brutal hit. But Kariya came back only minutes later and delivered the Ducks next goal -- an inspiring slap shot that beat Devils' goalie Martin Brodeur.



The Ducks won the game 5-2, but would lose Game 7. Despite losing the series, Kariya's heroics are one of the more indelible images of recent Cup Finals and while I watched Horton nearly decapitated by Rome, I wondered how the Bruins would respond.

They left no doubt.

“I think it definitely made us realize that we all needed to pick it up and step up for him,’’ Daniel Paille told The Boston Globe after the game. “He’s been great for us all playoffs. Obviously, to lose him at this point hurts us. It was nice to see us all come out.’’

After only scratching out two goals in the Games 1 and 2, the B's eight-goal output, which included two shorthanded goals, was their best offensive performance of this postseason. But perhaps more startling than the Bruins' muscle flexing was how quickly the Canucks folded in Game 3.

And the Bruins surely had something to do with that.

Known as a physical, blue collar organization, the B's out-hit the Western Conference champions, 40-31. Heck even their amiable goalie Tim Thomas got into the action, as he clocked Henrik Sedin when the Canucks star skated through his crease.

Yes, the Bruins lost one of their best forwards in Horton (17 points, eight goals in playoffs) for the rest of these Cup Finals, but they may have gained the spark they so desperately needed.

Suddenly this series feels a whole lot different than it did on Saturday night, after the Canucks took a 2-0 lead. How can it not following such a steamrolling?

Sure, the Canucks still have a 2-1 series lead, but I have sneaking suspicion that Rome's dirty hit may have awoken a sleeping giant.

With Donnie out, Knicks' future suddenly looks cloudy

I've had some 48 hours to digest the news of Donnie Walsh's resignation from his post as general manager and president of the Knicks.

Donnie Walsh, left, with Knicks owner James Dolan.

Walsh's departure shocked Knicks fans, the media and the basketball world, alike. Most of all, the stability that Walsh brought back to the Garden has faded some since his resignation.

The franchise, which spent the 10 years prior to his arrival floundering in losing and dysfunction, once again plunges into the unknown.

Yes, the foundation for success is in place. Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony have re-energized the franchise and will make the Knicks, if nothing else, competitive for years to come.

But remember, it was Walsh who got the Knicks to this point of respectability. In three seasons, Walsh cleaned up the mess that was left by former GM and president Isiah Thomas, purging the roster of bad contracts that he had doled out. Sure, the team's play suffered during those first two years under Walsh, but it was his aggressive slicing and dicing that enabled the organization to get under the cap and procure the likes of Stat 'n' Melo.

At 70 years old, Walsh cited his age, a lack of energy and his reluctance to sign a long-term deal as the reasons for his resignation. But we all know that's just Donnie being the class act he's known to be. He'd never throw his owner James Dolan under the bus by telling the world how things really work at the Garden.

It was widely reported that Dolan wanted Walsh to take a 40 percent pay cut and wouldn't give him the autonomy to make basketball decisions freely, which Walsh wanted guaranteed. It was the point of control that proved to be a deal breaker, according to the New York Times..

Knicks beat writer Howard Beck writes: "In February, Dolan commandeered negotiations in the Carmelo Anthony trade and pushed the deal through despite Walsh's concerns. Walsh had taken a conservative approach and was opposed to giving up as many players and draft picks as Dolan ultimately did in the deal with Denver"

Now with Walsh out, who will guide the Knicks into this next, all important phase?

It's likely the Knicks will look in-house for Walsh's replacement, perhaps tapping former star and current front office assistant Alan Houston. But with Dolan running the show, who knows what direction the Knicks will go. And what will it mean for coach Mike D'Antoni, who has one year left on his four-year, $24 million deal? The future of the offensive-minded coach is suddenly clouded as well.

If it were only about basketball decisions and winning championships (something the Knicks haven't done since 1973),  Dolan would have swallowed his pride and given Walsh the autonomy he coveted. Sure, in professional sports organizations, the power ultimately flows from the owner. No general manager ever has final say over the guy who owns the team.

But Dolan missed the chance to finally step back and let savvy basketball people like Walsh -- a consummate professional, a basketball lifer -- run the show at this all important juncture. Instead, he opts to keep Isiah Thomas in his ear and run the Garden like a political machine, as Mike Lupica wrote in today's Daily News. 

Once again, uncertainty surrounds the short-term health of the franchise. Now at critical moment as the Knicks look to take that next step -- a very important next step -- who knows who will be the man to lead the way.

All I know is that the right man for the job just walked out the door and Dolan was holding it wide open.