The Dallas Mavericks had a real chance to win Game 1, but in the end, LeBron James and Co. were just too much. Dallas held Miami to 36% shooting from two-point range, but the Heat hit 11-of-24 from distance. If the Heat are going to shoot 40%+ from three-point range, it’s going to be very tough to beat them.
The Mavs’ bench was also a disappointment. Jason Terry (3-10), Peja Stojakovic (0-3) and J.J. Barea (1-8) combined to go 4-of-21 and Dallas lost by eight. And it’s not like the Heat forced them into a bunch of tough shots that they weren’t used to taking. These were all shots that Terry, Stojakovic and Barea had hit against the Blazers, Lakers and Thunder. The bottom line is that if Mario Chalmers (12 points) is matching Terry’s output, the Mavs are in big trouble.
Give credit to Miami’s Big 3, especially LeBron (24 points, nine rebounds, five assists) and Dwyane Wade (22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists), who combined to shoot 18-of-37 from the field. The rest of the Heat shot 13-of-43 (30%) from the field, so the duo stepped up when it had to.
With the news that Dirk Nowitzki (27 points, eight rebounds) has a torn tendon in his left hand, things are looking awfully grim for the Mavs. The good news is that it’s not in his shooting hand, but he’s probably going to be wearing a splint for the rest of the series, and that’s not going to help his game.
Game 2 is crucial for the Mavs if they hope to make this a series.
