There is an old adage that says "in the biggest games, your best players have to be your best players". The NBA finals is the biggest stage and if there is a bigger spotlight, please point me toward it.
The Heat had a two game to one lead on the Mavericks headed to Game 4 and was ready to put a chokehold on the series. But not so fast as Dallas rallied with another Texas-sized comeback to even the series at two apiece.
Oh, yes, the best player proverb. Let's check the list from game four shall we? Dirk Nowitzki; playing 39 plus minutes with a fever of 101 degrees (21 points, 11 rebounds) check. Heck, Dirk had a game's worth of productivity in the final quarter with 10 points and 5 rebounds. Dwayne Wade (32 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocked shots) check, LeBron James (8 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 turnovers and one more shot attempt than me in the final quarter) check, um, no wait!! Whaaaaat!!?? Do I need to check the video and ask a better question tomorrow. Did I miss something here?
When the Heat needed him most, James came up empty and in the words of his teammate, Chris Bosh, he flat out "struggled". The Finals is the time where "legends" are made but in Game 4 James hit an all-time low. For the record, when James scores less than 15 points in the playoffs, his team is now 0-7 all time. Never mind the fact that Dwayne Wade carried the Heat in game four, it was James absence that was conspicuous. James can't have another game where he has more turnovers than field goals made. James has chalked the experience up to it being just one game in the series but the question now is, can he bounce back?
LeBron's performance has given his critics plenty of fuel and an old rival DeShawn Stevenson said James "checked out" in deferring to Wade, who was playing well. You may raise an eyebrow at Stevenson's choice of words but there was no questioning the fact that James was certainly a passenger in Game 4. Erik Spoelstra has vowed to put James in a better position to be successful and James has assured all within earshot that he will be more aggressive in the next contest. Game 5 will tell the story because right now it's about performance and nothing else. Hey LeBron, this is the finals and people have seen this before from you. Nobody cares how rough the water is, just bring the ship in to port.
As for Nowitzki, he was more deserving of a Jordan comparison in Game 4 than James. Some are measuring his performance up against that of Michael Jordan's sick game when he scored 38 points in 1997 the Finals on the road against the Utah Jazz. Not sure if I would take it that far as some of my media brethren have chosen to do because the circumstances were different, but it was undoubtedly a courageous performance by a guy who has been labelled as "soft".
So now what? Miami supporters will sit tight with the notion that if not for a few minutes here or there, the series could be over. But the bottom line is, the series is knotted at two apiece and Dallas' resolve in its resiliency and never quit attitude has only been reaffirmed by yet another playoff comeback. The series like every individual game is far from over.
Around the league
Mark Jackson has been hired as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors. After a long career as an NBA point guard and stint as a broadcast analyst with ESPN, Jackson will coach take the reigns for the Warriors. Jackson has already started by making some bold predictions regarding next season. Just wondering if he shouldn't spend a few minutes on the job with his team before making a forecast about next season particularly when the Warriors have been to the playoffs once since 1994.
With John Kuester out in Detroit it looks like the Pistons may be looking to the past for their next coach. Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer are amongst the candidates being considered and the name Mike Woodson who was part of Larry Brown's staff when the Pistons won their most recent NBA title will also receive consideration.
