Game Six: Now We ALL have to wait 'til next year

I'm not sure why, but I'm feeling a little disappointed. Even though I thought all along it would probably be the Heat in six, I was still kinda hoping for a seven game series and all of the excitement a showdown like that brings with it. Instead now all I have to look forward to Thursday night is watching some scantily-dressed contortionist shoot a bow and arrow with her feet. Or maybe it's time to shift to the World Cup. Don't really have that much "analysis" to offer of the game either. It was actually kinda nice to see Antoine Walker play a little better, even though he still struggled (0-6) from beyond the arc. But he knocked down his first shot in rhythm, didn't seem to force things or to shy away from putting up good open looks either (even though they still weren't falling for him), took the ball strong to the hole for his 14 points and 2 assists...plus (count 'em) 11 rebounds! - 3 on the offensive boards. And Udonis Haslem - 17 points on 8-13 shooting to burn Nowitzki (almost) every time Dirk went to double team D-Wade -- plus 10 rebounds (4 on the offensive end). The Heat rebounding in general was truly superb: 12 for Shaq, 10 for Wade, 5 for Posey and 6 for Zo, who also contributed 5 blocked shots. Almost enough to make me forget the image of GP turning his back to the ball to give an earful to the ref, and then having the return pass bounce off his back for a turnover.

Mark Cuban's quarter-of-a-million dollar fine (putting his cumulative total to within $50k of $1.5 million) and his practice of donating an equal amount to charity (I guess to prove to David Stern that the money means nothing to him) has me wondering whether I ought to be setting up my own 501(c)(3) not-for-profit just to see whether I can draw a little of that Cuban-cash my way. Maybe something like The Foundation for the Funding of Clergy Sabbaticals. Two things I'm sure of: the Mavs will be back in the play-off mix next year, and Cuban will continue to be fined for shooting off his mouth. Meanwhile, all this business about one-sided officiating and how "Dallas has a great team while Miami only has a great player" has me a little annoyed. The officiating ALWAYS looks one-sided when you're on the short end of the whistles...and I've certainly been on both sides of that equation many times. Often it's just superior hustle that puts officials in the position of making close calls one way rather than the other -- and "Flash" certainly has a knack for forcing the issue.

But more to the point, these are both great teams loaded with great players...you simply don't make it to the Finals any other way. D-Wade was certainly the MVP of this series -- a spectacular performance, worthy of all the praise you can give it. Yet he is also a much less selfish player than Jordan was this early in his career -- and still I think it's WAY too early to assume that he is going to dominate the league the way MJ did in his era. These other guys: Shaq and Payton and Zo, Haslem, Posey, Jason Williams, Shandon Anderson and yes, even my favorite whipping boy, Antoine Walker...all had plenty to contribute to the Heat's success. And for the Mavs, watching players like Jason Terry and Josh Howard come into their own alongside more "established" personalities like Nowitzki, Stackhouse and Van Horne was a joy to watch as well. Living on the East Coast, I just don't see that many of the late games out west during the regular season -- so it's a little strange to watch teams like the Mavs and the Suns starting to play defense like the Spurs, or to see the Clippers eclipse the Lakers in LA LA land.

As for the Celtics...what a mess. Talk about living on memories and daydreams. And I sure would have liked to have seen more out of the Sonics and the Trailblazers...especially the former. The Pistons are missing their Hall of Fame Coach...as are the Pacers (and even the Sixers, for that matter)...and who knows where Larry Brown will be able to take the Knicks? Which brings me back to Pat Riley and Avery Johnson -- Riles has been there before, he knows the drill, he put together this team of young talent, declining veterans, and the most dominant big man in the league right now, helped them gel as they fought through injury and adversity, and brought the Heat their first (and what may well turn out to be their only) championship. He's no Larry Brown or even a Phil Jackson. But he's still shown himself now to be more than just Showtime. Meanwhile, Avery Johnson has now shown that he has the right stuff as a coach as well as a player. He could easily become the next Lenny Wilkens...something people like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, or even Larry Bird were never really able to accomplish.

So, congratulations Miami; better luck next time Dallas, and best wishes to Phoenix, Sacramento, Seattle - I'll be watching. Detroit and San Antonio will always be in the running so long as Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan (and their FANTASTIC "supporting cast") are on those rosters; while New York and LA are, well, New York and LA. Denver and Cleveland...who cares? And once-proud Boston? Don't get me started. Hell, I wouldn't even know where to begin.