Tutu

I don't think any series that ended up tied at 2-2 in the NBA Finals has been quite as boring as this one. Talk before the series was that this would be such an interesting matchup, but in reality, the games aren't that compelling. Only Game 3 had intrigue, which was marred by horrible coaching. And the poor officiating is a stench that is not easily blown away by even the most impressive athletic winds - Hubie Brown's defense of the referees notwithstanding. Someday, HB will see a fould he doesn't agree with or something that wasn't "an easy call," but I guess it won't be soon.
Game 4 gave me nothing to talk about, so I return to Game 3's pathetic coaching by two coaches considered so ingenious.
First, Riles tells Wade to miss his second free throw when the Heat are up 2 with 1.4 seconds to go. And this makes any sense how? If, by some freak chance, you get the rebound you look like a genius, but the chances of that are slim since the other team has inside position. The Heat are extremely lucky they didn't get a pushing foul the way they were crashing in to get the rebound they knew was coming. Anyone who is being tempted to out-think oneself in this situation repeat after me: If I have a chance to make a free throw to put myself up by 3 points and thus almost completely eliminate any chance of me losing in regulation, I try to make it. If you miss, you miss, but don't miss on purpose and hope.
So the Mavs call timeout with 1 second left. That is plenty of time when you're allowed to advance the ball, which Riles knew they would be able to. Oh how I wish that the Mavs had hit a three to win the game and point out how monumentally stupid that move was. But alas, they had to play "can you top this" with the retarded-ness and do something even more monumentally stupid.
And you may say why bother with such breakdown of a game that is already ancient history in the fast-moving environment that is a finals series. Here's why dumbass: Because it's tied at 2-2 and the Heat could easily win the series. If the Mavs had put them down 3-0, they would have been deader than Hubie Brown's sense of objectivity.
Moving from Riley's ineptitude to the Little General's is sad for me because I rather like the small, strange-voiced fellow. But again, AJ decided to out-think himself rather than do what any rational person would do, which is, throw the ball to Dirk and let him get a shot off. Dirks' 7 feet tall, so even if he's closely guarded he'll get a good look. He's your horse, he got you there, give him a chance. If he makes it, you can start printing T-shirts. If he doesn't, at least you lost with your best player trying to win it for you.
But no, let's have Dirk throw it in. With only 1 second remaining, he can't get a pass back. The Heat know he's not shooting and feel roughly 1,000 times better about that fact. That was stupid move number 1.
Number 2 is that they try to throw some jackass lob to Josh Howard, which will work about once every century. The Heat are already switching everything, so the most athletic player in the series (that get up 8 times guy) manages to find his way under the rim and break up the play.
Number 3 is that on the road you go for the win in regulation. Dallas should have shot a three and seen what happened. Stackhouse was wide open in the corner for a shot he can make. If he hits it, the Heat have no heart remaining. It is obliterated. But sadly, stupidity reigned supreme.
And now we have a series, and yet no one points out this fact.
This series has been filled with bad coaching, bad officiating, bad playing and too much arguing. I haven't been impressed. But I can't help it. I still watch because I'm an NBA sucker.