Game 3 was a nailbiter the whole way through, with Miami securing the win with an 18 foot jumper by Chris Bosh under one minute left. The final score was 88-86, although Dirk Nowitzki barely missed a good look that would have been a buzzer beater tie. It is evident that Miami reviewed the game tape, and stepped up defensively, especially on the last play where Nowitzki caught the ball 28 feet from the basket with four seconds left. The Heat also kept their three point shooting up in this game, coming out with 42% from behind the arc. The much younger Miami team did a nice job of stealing the ball and running the court, with ten steals and many fast break points. Lebron James realized very quickly that he was not performing well, and gave up the ball to Dwayne Wade more, allowing Wade to make 29 points on 12-21 shooting. The Dallas Mavericks did a nice job of rebounding in game three, which was a major issue for them in their game one loss. As always, Nowitzki was a crutch for his team, scoring 34 of the teams 86 points. He was also nine for nine from the line.
In order to win Game 4, the Mavericks need to continue grabbing rebounds, both offensive and defensive. They are the bigger team, and they need to get second chance points and defensive rebounds, which will prevent Miami from beating them on the fast break. They also need to continue getting to the line, as 22 of their points came from there. Jason Terry needs to continue providing key points and big shots. Lastly, Dirk Nowitzki needs to stay hot and produce for his team.
In order for Miami to win Game 4, they need to continue to play aggressive defense, which will give Nowitzki and the Mavericks a harder time when trying to score. Tighter defense will also give Miami easy baskets, because when Miami runs the fastbreak, they are normally much faster than any Mavs player on the court. These fastbreaks end in flashy dunks or alley-oops, which can swing the momentum in their favor, or bury the Mavs even further. This will also silence the crowd, which helps the away team in many ways. If Miami is able to foul less, they will give the Mavs less easy points, so they should have an easier time scoring. As long as Dwayne Wade, Lebron James and Chris Bosh are on the same page, scoring should not be a problem.
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