Wade’s message: ‘It’s a series now’
MIAMI – In a Flash, the NBA Finals went from dead to dead even.
A few days ago this series looked to be over.
Really, it’s just begun. And thanks to a hard foul, it’s beginning to boil over.
Dwyane Wade, Miami’s flashy and slashing guard who was barely able to walk on a banged-up knee 24 hours earlier, scored 36 points and big buddy Shaquille O’Neal added 17 with 13 rebounds as the Heat downed the Dallas Mavericks 98-74 Thursday night in Game 4 to even the series.
“It’s a series now,” Wade said. “It’s 2-2 and the way we knew it was going to be. It’s best-of-3.”
Dirk Nowitzki went just 2 for 14 – a season low for field goals – getting his 16 points only because of 11 free throws. He also rolled his ankle in the fourth quarter, though by then it was already too late to mount a comeback.
Dallas also set a finals record by scoring just seven points in the fourth quarter.
“I’ve been telling you guys all along, this is a seven-game series,” Dallas coach Avery Johnson said.
Wade, who saved Miami’s season with 42 points in an epic Game 3 comeback, followed up with a performance just as impressive. Although he didn’t have his usual bounce off the floor, he fired in jump shots from every corner of AmericanAirlines Arena, which will host Game 5 on Sunday.
“I think this is our first almost-good game,” O’Neal said. “We’re picking it up. Different series now, 2-2.”
Jason Terry scored 17 points to lead Dallas, which was six minutes away from taking a 3-0 lead on Tuesday but let a 13-point, fourth-quarter advantage slip away. Since then, nothing has gone the Mavericks’ way.
“They made shots and Shaq was a beast down there,” Nowitzki said. “The bottom line is if you shoot 31 percent from the floor you are not going to win.”
Leading by 10 points at half, the Heat pushed their lead to 20 midway through the third quarter when tempers flared after Jerry Stackhouse’s hard foul on O’Neal.
After Wade scored six straight points, O’Neal, criticized for not dominating in Games 1, 2 and 3 despite constant double-teaming, spun on the baseline for a three-point play to give Miami a 68-51 lead.
On a steal and breakaway, Miami’s Jason Williams waited for a trailing O’Neal, who as he was gathering himself for a backboard-bending dunk was knocked to the floor by Stackhouse – the Mavs forward risking life and limb by taking on the Diesel.
O’Neal didn’t have a problem with Stackhouse’s blindside.
“My daughters tackle me harder when I come home,” he said. “I’m one of the last players from the old school, you just have to take a hard foul like that and keep on moving. It actually felt pretty good to get hit like that. Thanks, Jerry.”
Face first on the floor, O’Neal attempted to get up, but if he had any thoughts about retaliating Wade made sure he didn’t. Wade pushed down on his teammate as players on both teams exchanged dirty looks and dirtier words.
O’Neal made two free throws – he finished 5 of 10 from the line – and two by Wade gave Miami a 20-point lead with 6:23 left in the period.
The Mavericks used an 8-0 run to close within 78-67 entering the fourth, but Miami finally put Dallas away with seven straight points, the last coming on Antoine Walker’s 3-pointer with 4:21 left that made it 92-72.
That’s when Heat fans began stripping the white covers off their seat cushions and celebrated Miami’s 100th playoff game in style. Less than a minute later, Wade came out of the game to a thundering ovation.
Wade picked up where he left off in Game 3, scoring 24 points in the first half as the Heat opened a 54-44 lead. He wasn’t Flash – the superhero nickname he got from O’Neal – as much as he was Finesse, choosing to shoot jumpers rather than go airborne to the hole.
Wade didn’t appear to be slowed by the knee injury in the first quarter, scoring 14 points – nine on jump shots – as the Heat opened a 30-25 lead despite playing most of the period with O’Neal sitting on the bench with two fouls.
Only twice did Wade, wearing pads over both knees, dare drive to the basket on Dallas’ defense. Instead, he hung around the perimeter and took aim from the outside.
Heat coach Pat Riley, who has been effusive in praising O’Neal despite the big man’s un-Shaq-like numbers, came to his defense again before the game.
“If he’s one-on-one against anybody, c’mon,” Riley said. “He’s either going to score or get fouled.”