Here is the link: http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_174100206.html

I’ve been waiting my whole life to witness The Miami Heat win one and we got it tonight.

I feel so good for everyone on the team. All the vets, all the unsung heroes, and for our young star who clearly deserves everything he got.

Dwayne Wade is the MVP for the 2006 finals and the decision was not even close. The absolute clear and obvious winner.

Tonight may have been The Heat’s best team basketball, not seen since the Detroit series and regular season.

Udonis had his best game of the series. Since game 3 Haslem’s defense has been great on Dirk. Tonight it was steady as well, except he was able to knock down his famous jumper and collect a double double by being tenacious on the glass. He was really great in that department for us.

Another spark was Alonzo Mourning’s play. This guy, and I’ve been saying it all season, has given us, the fans, everything he has. Zo may have had his best season this year. His limited minutes have almost always been chock full of stats and have helped this team over many a hump.

The Heat were down as much as 14 when Zo, The Minister of Defense, as Eric Reid likes to often put it, stepped onto the court. Miami could do nothing right. No defense, no ball control, and Dallas was dropping points in the paint like it was going out of style. I immediately call my brother saying Zo has to come in. I don’t care if Shaq deserves his minutes, I don’t want to lose this game because of policy. We need defense, rebounds, and paint protection and Alonzo Mourning delivered big time.

Zo comes in and immediately blocks shots, rebounds, and makes two dunks. The guy got 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Zo brought us back from being down 11 points to being up 1 at the half. The Mavericks never really took it to the hoop and settled for jump shots for the rest of the game.

I can’t say how happy I am for Zo. Not just for what he went through with his transplant, but I’ve been watching Zo play for The Heat since he got here from Charlotte. Heck, I’ve been watching him since Charlotte. Don’t forget Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson were teammates in NBA Jam. They were always my team in that game.

I’m happy for the players who have chased rings and have gotten close like, Gary Payton, Shanden Andersen, Derek Andersen, and Antoine Walker.

So congratulations Heat. I watched every regular game this season and you guys made it worth it.

Tonight could be it. Tonight we could win the NBA Finals. I’m prepared for game 7 though as we go into a very very hostile environment. One where if it comes down to Shaq making freethrows, I’m concerned.

However, after Game 2 the Mavs were getting their parade map ready to paint the town. Oh, I’m not kidding.

Check out the Mavs parade plans HERE.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban took a shot at Miami coach Pat Riley during an appearance Wednesday night on CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman.”

Cuban, wearing a Ben Roethlisberger jersey, brought up Riley’s coaching tactics when he was with the New York Knicks after Letterman asked about the Dallas owner’s contributions to the NBA.

“I’ve tried to make it more fun, but we’ve changed the rules around some,” Cuban said. “I mean, the game got to a point where it really, it slowed down, and then they went through a whole set of rules changes, which really helped, and then these past couple years, I really got involved to outlaw all the handchecking and all the beating up of guys on the perimeter, so now the game’s gotten a lot smoother, so you’ve got superstars like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki who can take the ball to the hoop without all of that old Knicks ball, the old Pat Riley stuff, where they’d just beat up on people. So, we changed it up some.”

Cuban’s Mavericks lead Riley’s Heat 2-1 in the NBA finals. Game 4 is Thursday night in Miami.

Source

–How does 3-2 taste?

For putting in Shandon Andersen and matching the Mavs. Thanks for listening to us. Ok you may have never seen Letsgoheat.com, but what we wanted to see, you did, and its working.

Dwayne Wade was simply amazing tonight. Lets not forget about Haslem’s steal, Shaq’s two huge free throws, and Gary Payton’s BIG jumper, after doing jack $hit all game, within 6 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Unbelieveable! The Heat were down 13 in the fourth and managed to pull off one of the best NBA Finals game ever.

We got confidence now. Look out.

Its not working. During the season when the vets sucked, they brought Shandon Andersen, Derek Anderson, Wayne Simien, and sometimes Jason Kapono. Get some fresh legs on the court. If the vets earned the right to be there, fine, they got their chance, but don’t let the game go down the tubes because of it. Get fresh legs on the court–we need DEFENSE!

Good analysis on both sides of the court from the Ramsay family over at ESPN.

I don’t know if Dr. Jack really thinks the Mavs will win in 6. Is the quickness of the Mavs a bigger problem than Rip Hamilton’s, Reggie Milleresque manuevering and excellent mid range jumpers? Or are the egregious mismatches of Rasheed Wallace and Chauncy Billups more of an issue when you replace those players with Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard? I don’t think so. Not by a long shot.

Ok Dirk is going to be tough real tough to match with. Hes a much better shooter than Sheed is and more talented as well taking it to the rim. However, I agree that Haslem will be key, but possibly Wayne Simien will be as well. I think the Heat are working Simien now. The guy is strong and an inch taller than Udonis.

If the Mavs go small and pull Shaq out of the paint we can always bring in Zo who can block a shot from across the key. Not worried about the Mavs going small at all.

Ok, so two of my friends I play ball with think the Mavs are going to sweep the Heat. They think the matchup problems will be too big of a problem for us and that the transition game will kill the Heat. “If the Heat can slow the game down they will have a chance,” so says my wise friend.

BTW they despise Antoine Walker, mostly because of his antics while in Dallas, but they never liked his 3 point shot either. However, I hope Antoine brings a thundering rain storm of 3’s and takes Dirk to the rack night after night. That would make a win a little sweeter.

The only item they see as an advantage for the Miami Heat, and they give this some weight, is Pat Riley.

I can’t wait for Thursday. This will be different than the regular season, just like nobody thought we would beat Detroit. Just like everyone thought Miami would have tough matchups against the Pistons. Just like everyone thinks Dallas has all these advantages, we’ll see how we look Thursday. Good luck to us Heat Fans.

Our Miami Heat are the Eastern Conference champions!!!! One of the most concentrated efforts I’ve seen all season long from top to bottom. The stand out performance has to be J Williams. O’Neal was awesome as well and did an incredible job soaking up the paint. Williams kept us ahead and kept Detroit on the ground all game long. Suprisingly he only missed one shot and it was a layup. He went 10-11.

Walker had a great game as well, kicking where he needed to and scoring and drawing fouls at the right spots.

I know fans had to be worried when Detroit cut the lead from 21 to 13 with 8 minutes+ left, but this is where J Williams and great rebounding by pretty much everyone on the glass, made the difference.

Congrats to the fans and the Heat baby!

Who should we face next? The Mavs or the Suns?

Here comes Detroit. Miami is clashing with Detroit for a second time in 2 years in the Eastern Conference Finals.

What’s different this year?

-The bench of the Miami Heat is stacked with veterans as opposed to untested playoff first timers.
-Two first rate, albeit old, but veteran, point guards as opposed to Damon Jones and an unfamiliar and injured Dwayne Wade bringing up the ball.
-A slimmer quicker Shaq.
-Multiple deep three threats in James Posey, Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, Gary Payton, and now Wade as opposed to just Damon Jones.
-Defensively, they might be slightly better due to veteran wiles and the ability to take more charges. Udonis Haslem has improved his defense tremendously over last year.
-Chemistry with Shaq is better. Especially between Shaq and Haslem/Wade.
-Big time shooting Robert Horry style with Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, and Dwayne Wade as opposed to just Wade last year.
-The ability to get to the basket more with Williams, Wade, Shaq, Haslem, Payton, and Walker. Last year it was Wade, Shaq, and sometimes Haslem. None of the perimeter players could really get to the basket last year (aside from that hellacious dunk on The Franchise by Keeyon Dooling last year).
-Lets not forget coaching. The coaching staff has naturally gotten better with some more experience under their belt. Oh yeh they added Pat Riley too.
-Announcers. Yes The Coach, Tony Fiorentino got better at calling the games and doing color. Eric Reid, like Coach Rothstein, had no way of improving after so many years. They just maintained their greatness.