Heat Must Win

It is now or never for the Miami Heat who now face two game deficit in the NBA Finals. Their miserable play has been somewhat surprising to many. They looked pretty solid in the Pistons series. Could it be that the Mavericks are just that good or are the Heat simply underperforming? Tonight’s game 3 of the NBA Finals is in Miami and it’s the Heat’s best shot at getting back into the hunt for the championship.

The Heat, although they don’t deserve it, are a 4.5 favorite tonight. My guess is the Heat are a favorite based on the previous series. In the Pistons series, the Heat played much better in Miami—it was lights out for the Pistons. Meanwhile in the Suns series, the Mavericks did not play as hard on the road as they did in Dallas. Also Dallas initially struggled on the road. While they have proven themselves to be road warriors, there may be some initial pullback tonight in Miami.

Game 3 is the game to watch. The whole series could be decided tonight. If the Heat fail to win and Dallas goes up 3-0, this series is over. The rest would just be a formality. All the pressure is on the Heat. The Mavericks can afford to lay up a little and see how the Heat respond. I can’t see any way the Heat can win four straight games, including two in Dallas. Their season and Shaq’s promise of an NBA title rest squarely on tonight’s performance. I would say it’s win or go home, but the Heat are already home. At least there won’t be the long flight back should they lose it all.