DALLAS - The stars struggled, and then they disappeared. Dirk
Nowitzki, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade - three of the sport's best couldn't take control
in the fourth quarter of the NBA finals' Game 1.
Dallas Mavericks' Jason Terry (31) reacts to a
three-point shot he made against the Miami Heat in the first quarter
against the Miami Heat in game 1 of the NBA Basketball finals in Dallas,
Thursday, June 8, 2006. Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) is at
left.[AP] |
So the Dallas Mavericks climbed aboard their Jet: Jason Terry, with a soaring
grace befitting his nickname, found the basket just enough to push his
error-prone club past the erratic Miami Heat, 90-80 Thursday night to claim the
series opener.
Even Terry was humbled by a missed fourth-quarter layup attempt that he
nearly jammed between the backboard and the rim, but he recovered to match his
playoff high with 32 points.
"Jason bailed us all out," said Dallas' Jerry Stackhouse, whose wobbly jumper
with 1:02 left clinched it.
Both franchises' first appearance on the NBA's biggest stage contained all
the jitters and mistakes you might expect. Terry, the point guard who ostensibly
replaced Steve Nash two years ago, was the Mavericks' unlikely savior with 20
points in the first half and 12 in the fourth quarter.
"(I don't have) anything to prove," Terry said. "I just feel that I'm a much
better shooter than what I've shown in this season's playoffs. With me, it's all
about hard work and perseverance. ... I tried to get the big fellow involved and
spread it around, but I was there when they needed me."
Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night in Dallas, with Game 3 in
Miami on Tuesday.
The clubs' finals debut wasn't pretty: The Mavericks went nearly 7 minutes
between fourth-quarter field goals, and Dallas held the Heat to two free throws
over the final 5:13. With a sellout crowd appreciating the result more than the
method, Dallas escaped with a sloppy but satisfying victory ¡ª and just 16 points
from Nowitzki, their superstar.
"I thought we were a little frozen up," Nowitzki said. "It's a big stage.
Nobody has really been here before besides (coach) Avery (Johnson). ... We
weren't making shots. We weren't making good plays, not swinging the ball."
Wade finished with 28 points for the Heat, but managed just three in the
fourth quarter while feeling the effects of the sinus infection that's bugged
him for a week. O'Neal had 17 points and seven rebounds ¡ª and the three-time
champion went 1-for-9 at the free throw line, leading Miami's abysmal 7-for-19
performance.
"Throughout my career, I've known that for my team to win a championship, I
have to step up at the line," O'Neal said. "I will. I was probably thinking
about it too much."
Terry was the first Dallas player other than Nowitzki to lead the club in
scoring since Game 4 of the second round against the Spurs, when Terry had 32.
Though the fans love his energy and all-around game, he was inconsistent in
three opening rounds highlighted by a gritty performance in a decisive Game 7
victory over San Antonio.
After Terry hit consecutive 3-pointers, the Mavs had a 10-point lead midway
through the fourth quarter. But Terry inexplicably missed that open fast-break
layup ¡ª and the Heat scored the next seven points while holding Dallas scoreless
for 4 1/2 minutes.
