The Miami Heat have won through to the NBA finals after winning game 5 in Chicago to take the series 4-1. There are plenty of similarities between the progress of the Heat and their opponents, the Dallas Mavericks, in how they made it through their conference play-offs. Both won the series 4-1 after splitting the first two games, both clinched series wins with late rallies, with Dallas inflicting two in a row on Oklahoma City. However, the Heat showed they have plenty of late game tenacity, as they rallied back from a 12 point deficit with just over three minutes remaining to win 83-80.
The Heat outscored the Bulls 26-18 in the last, with all their points coming from the big three. In fact, 69 of 83 on the night came from Wade, James and Bosh, and all of their last 33. Perhaps a reflection of their perceived lack of depth, but just as much a result of having three match-winners on the court. And therein lies the big difference to the Mavericks. While Dirk Nowitzki had a massive series against the Thunder, justifiably winning most of the coverage and the plaudits, there is only one of him. He has some great support, and certainly more depth than the Heat, but the pressure will be intense on the Mavericks as they seek to deal with the triple threat of the Heat. Ultimately, the Bulls were found wanting in that regard, although it didn't help that Derrick Rose shot 9-29 field goals. It was clear by the end of the series that the Bulls were too reliant on Rose to keep pouring in the points, and although Nowitzki is pivotal to Dallas's chances, they also have other scoring options as they have shown throughout the playoffs. Whether they can stoip the big three from scoring more...that is the question.
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