HEAT AND MAVS THROUGH TO FINALS
In the East, the Heat had pretty much been running the show. First they grabbed home court advantage in Game 1 then once in Miami they forced the Pistons over a barrel. Sure, Flip Saunders's crew won Game 5 but the action then returned to Miami for Game 6 and though Dwayne Wade had the flu, it looked like the Heat were going to finish the job off.
Jason Williams opened the scoring but the Pistons were quick to react though by the middle of the first quarter the home side had opened up an edge. Detroit tried slowing things down in the second quarter but the Heat simply kept their distance, stretched the gap and despite an understandably weak performance from Wade found temselves leading 47-36 going into half time.
The second half turned out to be more of the same with the Pistons trying to slow things down again early in the third but the Heat weren't having any of it and the Pistons found themselves buried with a quarter to go. OK so their outscored the Heat in the fourth quarter. By two points. Who cares? Heat with 95-78 and take the Eastern crown after a 4-2 series win.
Out West both the Mavs and Suns had been seemingly unable to control their series. The two sides split the first pair of games in Dallas before doing likewise in Phoenix. Dallas did grab the edge in Game 5 but that was on home turf for them and Game 6 was going to be in Phoenix. Given the situation the series loooked ripe for a Game 7.
That was exactly what the Suns had in mind and though DeSagna Diop opened the scoring for the Mavs,in the first half the home side ripped the Mavs to pieces with their high speed high tempo game. The Mavs were beginning a comeback just before half time but overall their defence still looked pourous and at half time the Suns were leading 51-39.
In the second half the Mavs decided to put up an Avery Johnson-inspired brick wall! The result being a low scoring third quarter in which the Mavs nibbled away at the lead though not in a fashion that I'd have liked. Still the first cut the lead down to 66-62 by the end of the third quarter before hitting overdrive in the fourth, grabbing the lead early on in the final quarter and never looking back. Mavs win 102-93 and take the Western crown with a 4-2 series win.