Miami Heat v Dallas Mavericks Game 4
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It was a disappointing outing for the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the 2011 NBA Finals on Sunday night. After rallying for a win on their home court in Game 2, it all came undone in the final 40 thirty seconds as the Dwyane Wade and the Heat stripped any chances for the Dirk Nowtizski’s Mavs to take command of the series.
Date/Time: Tuesday, June 7, 9:00 P.M. ET
Venue: American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas
Broadcast: ABC
Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks Betting Lines
Money Line: Dallas -145, Miami +125
Spread: Dallas -3
Over/Under: 186 ½
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However, if not for the all out epic performance by Wade, the game could have easily gone the opposite way.
Wade picked up right where he left off in Game 2, finishing the first half with 19 points in Game 3 before going on to end the game with 29 points and 11 rebounds, en route to a close 88-86 victory on Sunday night.
Now the Heat are in the driver’s seat, and will head into Game 4 in Dallas on Tuesday with a 2-1 lead in the series and history on their side. In the past, the winner of Game 3’s with the series tied 1-1 since the Finals switched to the 2-3-2 format, has gone on to win the championship a whopping 11 out of 11 times.
But there was a whole lot more meaning to Wade’s performance. Besides leading the team in points, there was his relentless driving layups, winning the loose balls, a barrage of timely shots– such as scoring seven of Miami’s final nine points–and well turned-out plays on defense that annoyed the heck out of Dallas’ Nowitzski, all game long.
Nowitzski did however break free just enough to drain 34 points, including 12 straight down the stretch—including a difficult jumper that tied the contest at 86.
As it has been in the previous two games, it would once again come down to execution, with Chris Bosh hit the winning shot with just under 40 seconds remaining.
However, the Mavericks were able to win the battle of the boards, 42-36, with Nowitzki picking up the slack for a sidelined Brendan Haywood, nabbing 11 rebounds. They were also able to win the bench battle 25-19, but lost the turnover fight, giving up 14 that turned into 19 Miami points.
Coming into this series, the Mavericks’ bench had to outplay the Heat to have a chance– they have not. In fact, it has gotten worse, as starters — Jason Terry (15 points), Shawn Marion (10), and Jason Kidd (nine) — didn’t have a single point in the fourth quarter and made a total of just 17 buckets for the game.
The odds makers have the Dallas Mavericks as a -3 point favorite with an over/under of 186.5.
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Matt’s Free Prediction: Dallas – It’s do-or-die for the Mavericks. Both defenses have been excellent up to this point and Game 4 will be no different. I have to agree with the odds makers here, and although the Heat still has more top-end talent, Dallas has a chance to gain the edge with the next two games at home. They have yet to lose back-to-back games on their home wood. I think Nowitzski gets some much-needed help from his teammates in this one. The Mavs’ bench is due for a breakout game of its own, and with a steady defensive effort, look for the home team to win another low scoring at home.
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Miami Heat Betting Trends:
- Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
- Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami’s last 7 games on the road
- Miami is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing Dallas
Dallas Mavericks Betting Trends:
- Dallas is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games
- Dallas is 17-4-1 ATS in its last 22 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas’s last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas’s last 6 games at home
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