Mavericks comes from behind again to win Game 5

You could really tell that this rally is going to come.

The Dallas Mavericks moved within one win away from claiming their first championship in franchise history by outlasting the Miami Heat 112-103 after almost relinquishing the lead in the homestretch in the final game of the season in their homecourt at Dallas Texas last night.

Jason Terry and Jason Kidd ensured the win with a big three pointer each to finish with 21 and 11 points respectively and JJ Barea provided the 3rd quarter spark with 17 points and 4-5 3 pt. fieldgoals.

As expected, Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs with 29 points and he got the support he demanded in Game 3 as the Dallas bench clearly rose up to the occasion with even Brian Cardinal providing quality minutes while preserving Tyson Chandler to avoid foul trouble.

The Heat could have more problems than this loss though as Dwayne Wade sustained a hip injury in the first quarter and had to be checked in the locker room until the halfway point of the 3rd quarter after missing most of the 2nd period and the decline of his aggressiveness was very evident since then.

LeBron James tallied a triple double of 17 points 10 rebs and 10 assists in this losing effort but his offensive output is still subpar of what is expected of him most especially that Wade had to leave the court for majority of the game since the end of the first quarter.

"I thank God for giving me strength to be here and to him be all the glory" said a jubilant Jason Terry on a post game interview.

Miami will try to battle back as the series shifts to Miami again for Game 6 and if necessary , a Game 7 for the championship on June 13.

Miami Heat holds on to win Game 3 after a furious rally by the Mavs

The Miami Heat avenged their Game 2 loss by a nail biting win on the road against the Dallas Mavericks 88-86 to take a 2-1 series lead of their championship series last night at the hostile territory of Dallas.

Chris Bosh scored the go-ahead basket and Udonis Haslem shut down Dirk Nowitzki in the final possession to allow their team to escape with this victory after the Mavs mounted their comeback onslaught behind their superstar Dirk Nowitzki who scored 16 points in the third quarter for a total of 34 points with 11 rebounds but he was forced to a tough shot during the last possession.

Dwayne Wade, who led the '06 Heat team to the championship over Dallas, scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds but his timely baskets and motivational words to his teammates was the biggest factor that led to this win.

"I just want to lead my teammates by example and be aggressive" Wade uttered in an interview after this pivotal win.

Dallas didn't offer much help to Dirk on this game as the next leading scorers for the Mavs are Jason Terry with 15, Shawn Marion with 10 and Kidd added 9 points and 10 assists but he committed a total of 4 turnovers.

Game 4 will still be played in Dallas on Tuesday, (US Time) as the Mavs try to take their first win in their home floor in the Finals and prevent a 3-1 lead for Miami.

Mavs makes stunning comeback to tie the NBA finals

Miami should have learned from OKC's mistake.

The Dallas Mavericks completed another unbelievable comeback win 95-93 to tie the NBA Finals series at 1-1 after being down by 15 in the fourth quarter last night at the American Airlines Arena and steal homecourt advantage as the series heads to Dallas for Game 3.

Dirk Nowitzki came alive when it mattered the most, scoring consecutive points which included the most important shot of the game, a game winning lay-up with three seconds left for a total of 24 points and Miami ended the game with the missed desperation attempt by Dwayne Wade.

Wade led the Heat with his scintillating performance with 36 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists and LeBron James, who tallied the highest lead of the Heat with a three, scored 20 but once again the duo faces criticism due to premature celebrating.

Jason Terry made up for his relatively quiet Game 1 performance with two crucial jumpers to finish with 16 points and Shawn Marion added 20 points for the Mavericks.

Nowitzki is seemingly not bothered by his left hand tendon injury as he made those crucial shots using his injured hand, as they will try to gain the lead on this series in Game 3 and they will have much crowd support as the series shifts to the Mavericks' turf for the first time.

Heat win Game 1 of the NBA Finals

Another stifling end game blitz.

Dwayne Wade waxed hot towards the end of the game to lead the Miami Heat to a crucial 84-92 Game 1 victory in the coveted NBA Finals in front of their rowdy crowd at the American Airlines Arena in Miami Florida.

Wade scored 7 points in the fourth quarter that he seasoned with a huge block on Shawn Marion and a spectacular alley-oop pass to Lebron James to put the icing on the cake of this huge victory after the Mavericks engaged them in a very close and competitive battle.

Dirk Nowitzki was relatively quiet for the majority of the fourth quarter and his shooting was limited to a 7-18 clip although he scorea total of 27 points and 8 rebounds to lead the Mavs.

Jason Terry started great 12 early points but after that fast start, he wasn't able to add to his production any more and he even missed a crucial three pointer that may have brought the lead down to 5 with 2 minutes remaining.

Dallas might be playing a little underhanded on Game 2 because an X ray showed that Dirk Nowitzki tore a tendon on his non shooting hand but he will play as he tries to rally his team back and avoid a 0-2 hole going back home.

Heat sets duel with Mavs in the NBA Finals

The Bulls crumbled in the homestretch again.

Much like what happened to the West Finals, the Miami Heat stunned the Chicago Bulls with an 18-3 run in the final minutes to win 83-80 and they will battle the Dallas Mavericks in a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals.

LeBron James and Dwayne Wade joined forces to catapult the Heat to this comeback. Wade scored a rare four point play and James buried two three pointers to snatch the game as the Chicago fans watched in great disbelief.

James also provided tough defense on the reigning MVP Derrick rose who shot just 9-29 from the field to score 25 points and dished out 8 assists. He didn't get any able support with only Luol Deng making an impact with 17 points while Carlos Boozer was a non factor with just 5 points in 1-6 shooting.

Miami did beat Dallas in th 06 Finals but only two hold overs from each team remains today, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry for the Mavs and Dwayne Wade and Udonis Haslem for the Heat so we can expect a different series. The Mavs gained the 2-0 series lead before the Heat won four straight win the series back then.

Heat incinerate Bulls in OT to get 3-1 lead

A win away from the Finals.

Miami clawed within a game away from reaching the elusive NBA Finals by edging out the Bulls in Game 4 101-93 OT victory led by LeBron James with 35 points and they survived an off night from Dwayne Wade last night at Miami Florida.

Wade really struggled this game, scoring only 8 points from the 2nd quarter and scoreless in the 2nd half until the halfway point in OT but the other members of the Big 3 James and Bosh filled in for the void lest by D-Wade.

Bosh scored 22 points and is extremely dominant this series, scoring 30 or more in 2 games this series thus far and his improved performance was a key turning point as they will try to wrap up the series in Chicago.

The Bulls lost three straight for the first time this season and that is after winning the first 4 battles with the Heat this season including the opener of this East Finals.

MVP Derrick Rose scored 23 points but it wasn't even a decent performance as he only shot 8-27 and he even committed 7 turnovers. Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer both added 20 for the Bulls who will face a do or die game in their home floor on Thursday.

Heat seize 2-1 lead against Bulls

Stopping the dynamic duo clearly wasn't enough.

The Miami Heat emerged with an 96-85 victory over the Chicago Bulls to deal the No.1 seed their first losing skid since February and take the crucial 2-1 series lead last night at Miami.

Chris Bosh stunned the Bulls with 34 points, his second 30+ point performance in this series and it catapulted his team to the win although two of the "Big 3" LeBron James and Dwayne Wade combined for just 12-30 attempts from the floor.

Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with his double-double of 26 points and 17 rebounds but MVP Derrick Rose struggled shooting once again, hitting just 8-19 shots and he didn't even have an assist throughout the first half.

The Bulls clawed to within 4, 78-74 but they allowed Miami 9 unanswered points and the latter cruised on to the victory.

Game 4 will be played in Miami, with the home team trying to win a 3-1 series lead while the embattled Bulls will attempt to steal a game to tie the series before heading back to Chicago.

Heat beat Bulls to even series

Another spectacular end game barrage.

The Miami Heat knocked off the Chicago Bulls to gain homecourt advantage on their Eastern Conference Finals series with their 85-75 victory last night at the United Center in Chicago Illinois and tie the battle at 1 game apiece.

LeBron James bounced back from a poor performance in the opener to score 29 points while Dwayne Wade added 24 markers. James exploded in the end game to turn a close contest to a break away win with consecutive baskets when the Bulls can't buy a basket.

The Heat did a better job at the rebounding department winning it 45-41 after getting pounded 45-33 in Game 1.

The Bulls started really cold, missing their first nine shots before Bogans scored 5 straight points to get them going and despite the poor shooting they managed to lead the first quarter capped by the halfcourt buzzer beater by Luol Deng 26-19.

Udonis Haslem scored 13 off the bench and he didn't disappoint his coach Eric Spoelstra when he inserted him to the lineup and called him a "warrior".

Derrick Rose score 21 for the Bulls and Deng contributed 13 after scoring nine in the first half but it was a total struggle offensively as they shot only 34 percent as compared to Miami's 47% clip and they missed 10 freethrow attempts 16-26.

Game 3 will be played in Miami where both teams will try to win a decisive 2-1 lead.

Bulls make clear statement against Heat on Game 1

The Bulls really meant business.

No.1 seed Chicago Bulls delivered an emphatic message to the Miami Heat after their 103-82 victory in the opener of Eastern Conference Finals in front of the supportive crowd at the United Center in Chicago last night.

Derrick Rose led the charge with 28 points and 6 assists but it was the balanced attack and overall dominance of the stat sheet and hungriness for the win that catapulted the Bulls to this masterful performance.

Luol Deng contributed 21 points and provided the tough defense on LeBron James all night long holding him to just 15 points and 5-15 shooting.

Carlos Boozer and provided stability from the interior with 14 points and 9 rebounds together with Joakim Noah who hauled in 14 rebounds as they dominated the rebound battle 45-33.

Chris Bosh led the Heat with 30 points and his pair of freethrows with 5 minutes remaining cut the lead to 12 but Korver hit a 3 and Rose hit a floater afterwards to pretty much put the game away from the reach of the Heat.

Taj Gibson gave the fans something to remember right before going home as he flushed in an amazing putback slam off a missed three point attempt. He also posterized Dwayne Wade in the eaarlier parts of the game.

Game 2 will still be in the Windy City on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) where the home team will try to take a commanding 2-0 lead before heading to Miami.

Bulls advance to East Finals by ousting Hawks

The next big challenge is right ahead.

No.1 seed Chicago Bulls secured their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals by pulling down the curtain on the Atlanta Hawks' season on Game 6 after a masterful 93-73 demolishing last night at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta.

Now, Chicago will lock horns with the Miami Heat and their "big three" of LeBron James,Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh as they vie for Eastern Conference supremacy and a ticket to the prestigious NBA Finals in an attempt to capture the championship.

Carlos Boozer went berserk, shooting 10-16 from the field to finish with 23 points and 10 rebounds and he also provided tough defense on the Atlanta frontcourt of Josh Smith and Al Horford as he worked side by side with Joakim Noah who blocked 3 shots.

The no. 1 defensive team in the league held the Hawks down to 42% shooting and Atlanta didn't manage to score at least 20 points in any of the quarters, a huge proof that the Bulls' defense really held it's ground.

Derrick Rose sacrificed some of his offense as he dished out 12 assists and shot only only 13 attempts to get his 19 points, in contrast to Game 4 where he shot 30+ attempts and the Hawks managed to put the cuffs on him leading to their defeat.

Joe Johnson finished with 19 points but he shot only 7-18 from the floor while Game 4 hero Josh Smith scored 18 points had 3 steals and 2 blocks but the big missing factors are Jamal Crawford and Al Horford who both shot 2-10 from the field.

How can Rose and the Bulls try to stop the rampage of James and Wade together with the rest of the Miami Heat team? That is the big question in the minds of basketball fans around the globe as they await this big showdown.

Heat advance to East Finals by eliminating Celtics

Finally over the Boston spell.

The Miami Heat ended the game on a scorching 16-0 blast to oust the Celtics out of the playoffs and qualify for the Eastern Conference Semifinals as they await for the winner of the Chicago-Atlanta series to determine who will they be battling for the East Championship.

Dwayne Wade and LeBron James combined for a total of 67 points including game sealing shots from LeBron down the stretch to finally propel the Heat over their arch rivals Celtics who spelled them much trouble this season.

James hit a three with 2:10 remaining and another with 40 seconds left to ice the gamefor a total of 33 points and wrap the series up before the shocked Boston team knew what hit them.

The aging Celtics was clearly outperformed by the much younger,explosive and athletic Miami Heat team especially at home stretch when it mattered the most just like what happened to the overtime period of Game 4 where the Celtics clearly fell apart.

Miami is in search of it's first championship since 2006 or the "Wade-Shaq" era and their superstar LeBron James is in quest of getting his first championship ring since joining the league in 2003.

Heat take 3-1 lead via OT win over Celtics

Too hot to handle.

The Miami Heat pulled away in the overtime period to take the 98-90 win over the home team Boston Celtics and bring a 3-1 lead as the series heads back to the South Beach in Miami Florida last night at Boston Massachusetts.

LeBron James led the way with 35 points and Dwayne Wade contributed 28 for the Heat as they push their arch rivals to the brink of elimination after trailing for the majority of this pivotal game.

Kevin Garnett's performance in this game is the exact opposite of his heroic 28 points and 18 rebounds in Game 3 as he missed nine of his ten shots and only accounted for an anemic 7 points.

Paul Pierce scored 27 points to spearhead the C's and Ray Allen added 17 points while the injured Rajon Rondo who played 39 minutes was limited to just 10 points and 5 assists.

The Celtics started out red hot as they hit 8 of their first 11 shots, ending the first quarter with an impressive 67% shooting to take a 31-28 lead. They went on to take a 53-50 halftime edge after Pierce and James had a shootout.

James and Pierce however, was both silenced in the third quarter both scoring only two points with the Celtics still holding the lead after 3 quarters 73-69.

Miami then clamped down on the Celtics in the 4th quarter only allowing them to hit 2 fieldgoals (5 points) in the first nine minutes of the quarter before a three pointer from Delonte West evened things out at 81 all.

Boston had the chance to win it during the regulation period but their play went nowhere and Paul Pierce was forced to put up a fall away jumper over James which missed thus sending the game into overtime where Miami scored the first six points and they cruised on to the victory.

Injured Rondo inspires Celtics to win Game 3

The Boston Celtics clinched their first win in the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals by beating the Miami Heat 97-81 and avoid falling to a 0-3 hole that no team in NBA history has ever overcome last night in their homecourt at "Bean Town"

Celtics' point guard Rajon Rondo dislocated his left elbow during a collision with Dwayne Wade late in the third quarter and had to be carried out of the court yet he came back to start the fourth quarter much to the applause of the Boston crowd.

Rondo contributed 6 points and 11 assists after playing the 4th quarter with literally one arm to compliment stellar performances from Kevin Garnett who scored 28 points with 18 rebounds and Paul Pierce added 27 for the defending East Champions.

Shaquille O' Neal saw action for the first time this series but he was a non factor scoring only two points and no rebounds in 8 minutes of play but his presence alone ignited hope in the heart of the team after losing the first 2 games in Miami.

Wade led the Heat with 23 points while LeBron James scored 15 points but they combined to hit just 14 out of 35 shots. James even missed three of four free throws in a span that the Celtics started to pull away.

Game 4 will be in Boston, Monday night where the C's will try to even out the series while Miami tries to get a commanding 3-1 lead before heading back to Miami.

Heat take Game 2 to gain 2-0 lead over Celtics

Miami only needs two more wins to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Behind a scorching performance by LeBron James who scored 24 of his 35 points in the second half, the Miami Heat pulled away with a late 14-0 run to secure Game 2 with a 102-91 victory over the Boston Celtics to gain a comfortable 2-0 series lead Tuesday in front of the fired up Miami fans in Florida.

James got very able help from Dwayne Wade who scored 28 points and Chris Bosh who tallied 17 points and 11 boards as they broke away from an 80-all deadlock with 7:10 left in the final quarter. Boston missed their next 6 attempts at the basket, allowing Miami to cruise along for the victory.

The embattled Celtics was led by Rajon Rondo with a double-double (20 points, 12 assists) while Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett added 13 and 16 points respectively. Ray Allen was a non-factor as he only accounted for an anemic 7 points on 2-7 shooting.

Game 3 will be on Saturday in Boston where the home team Celtics will try to avoid falling to a 3-0 deficit in which no team in NBA history have recovered from.