Padding myself on the back

(it wasn\'t easy because of my flexibility or better to say lacking thereof), I did pick Mavs in 6. Although pick was a pick/prediction against the Heat, coz to me, this could be just the starting of a dominant team in years of coming.

Dirk has earned my respect throughout this playoffs. The way he\'s been able to focus on the sole goal of that championship, and the way he\'s been able to elevate his game to an even higher level from a very high standard is incredible. His stat sheet tonight wasn\'t too bad if you only look at the points and rebounds; however, he was really cold, just like German beer (could be Warsteiner:)) in a Bosch refrigerator. After all, it\'s still a team game. Dirk carried his team in all those games, and tonight, his teammates, especially Terry and JJ carried him to the finish line. What an incredible night for Dallas, Dirk, Kidd, and Cuban.

Terry used to annoy the hell out of me, and he still does. But man, he stepped up big time tonight, in such a cold-blooded way. Jason Kidd, the old fox, what can i say. His leadership is no longer showing on those stats sheets with easy triple-doubles, but his leadership is felt on the court and in the locker room. Dallas used to melt under pressure. But now, fourth quarter big time come back becomes norm for them. You just don\'t see them get rattled at all. Be it unfortunate missed shots, unfavorable calls, stupid turnovers/mistakes, or super plays by opponents. They\'ve been down big, and they rallied back bigger. That\'s what veteran true leadership gives you - confidence and poise.

Tyson Chandler was a big sign-on by Mavs. Again, hats off to Cuban, who might be annoying at times, but he truly cares and is willing to spend with a deep pocket. Man, what else can you wish for from an owner? Tyson Chandler gave Dallas a fierce battlefield passion, which they never had. Chandler does make mistakes, and he\'s not the best on-man defender or team defender. But his willingness to fight on every inch, his length, and strength just made up everything he\'s lacking.

Again, it\'s still a team game. With unbelievable talent like Wade and LeBron, Miami heat was never a well-lubricated machine running on all cylinders. Their offensive schema is still Wade ISO plus LeBron ISO plus some PnR for Bosh. Facing Dallas, where their 4th or 5th option could go off and score 20 on you, 80 points from big 3 is not enough. They need a more balanced attack, and they need support from others. Yes, they choked big time, but if they didn\'t need to carry the offensive load from minute one, MAYBE they wouldn\'t had choked that much on the end.

This wasn\'t a very pretty game, and it was more of a mind game. But Dallas was the one in driver\'s seat in most of the time, in Miami. With Dirk starting 1-13, this win just shows how deep this Dallas team is. Totally deserved title for this team. What\'s next for Miami? I think they need to get a better coach, maybe Rick Adelman,who\'s a big fan of balanced motion offense. Also, they need to get some veteran supporting cast, and some interior presence.

This is the best year to beat Miami, for they are not ready yet, as a team. Dallas just did that. Good job!