Miami is Heating Well

This year's NBA Finals is a rematch of the 2006 Championships. Dallas is still haunted by the 0-2 Miami comeback, winning the next four games for a 6-2 Heat victory, their first NBA title in franchise history. 

 Four players from the 2006 Finals are still with their respective teams. Miami has kept Udonis Haslem and Dwayne Wade in their fold. Dallas still has Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. Both teams have overhauled their crews and depending who does better defensively and offensively, the Larry O'Brien trophy will be theirs.

Game One was history and gauging from that game, this could be a very tight series. 

 I'm not a Heat or a Mavs fan but I would very much like Dallas to win the series, although at the rate LeBron James and Wade are playing, Miami could be this year's NBA kings. Chris Bosh peaked at the right time and together, Miami's three-pronged attack is very potent. Bosh operating in the paint, D-Wade to LBJ, it's simply poetry in motion. Haslem, Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller are getting regular minutes and when they are on the court, their contributions are significant.

Miami must win Game 2 today to sustain their momentum. Entering Games 3 to 5, they still would have homecourt advantage.   The key would be Bosh. If he plays like the Chris Bosh we knew in Toronto, then this early, let's say goodbye to Dallas. Of course, Tyson Chandler is capable of making things miserable for Bosh.

 For the Mavericks to get back, they must also win Game 2 to regain homecourt edge. 

The next three games will be in Dallas and the crowd there is always loud and rowdy, plus they have Mark Cuban cheering and maybe heckling on the sidelines.

 The Mavs bench must step up. On paper, they have a more productive second unit than Miami in Jason Terry, JJ Barea, Peja Stojakovic and Brendan Haywood. We missed these guys in Game 1. Barea had several clear drives to the basket and all but one clanked. Terry was silent in the second half and Peja was perhaps daydreaming of the bikini babes on South Beach. The Jet must score at least 20 points a game and Peja to make at least 10 if Dallas wants to win the series.

LeBron is having a grand time shooting those three's, and hey, even Wade, who doesn't normally launch long-range bombs, made two from beyond the arc. Dallas must limit Miami's three-point shooting and at the same time make its own long-range conversions. Shawn Marion is a good one-on-one defender and he should stick to LeBron like a nasty wart.

 D-Wade is almost unstoppable. Not only is he quick, he's also strong and very much younger than Jason Kidd. J-Kidd can't defend him in open-court situations but he could put the clamps on Wade during offensive and defensive sets, considering that he's a very good on-ball defender. And yes, Kidd must up his point production.

Dallas will win Game Two today if these issues will be addressed. If they lose again today, then Miami is it for the 2011 NBA title.

*   *   *

 Tomorrow evening at the Danao City Civic Center will be the winner-take-all battle for the title of the 18-Under 5th Cong. Red Durano Basketball Cup. Team Liloan will go up against Team Sogod in the main game. Carmen will fight host Danao City for third place. See you at Danao City tomorrow guys. May the best team win!

[email protected]