BOOGEY BOB

Game 5

There was a mad scramble for tickets all day.  My friend and I searched EBay, Stub Hub and brokers everywhere to find some tickets.   Tickets that were selling really cheap prior to game 3 were now outrageously expensive.  Finally about an hour before the game, the ticket broker at least came down to a reasonable price considering what happened in Game 4.

Well, the papers in Miami had this big story about how the team had been moved to Fort Lauderdale and that Avery had locked the players inside to get serious.  The league suspended Jerry Stackhouse (what a cheap shot from Stu Jackson).  If that had been a Laker, a Celtic or even a Heat player, then Jerry would have played game 5.  My friend and I expected the Mavericks come out with fire after game 5.   After game 4, my friend and I happen to be in the hotel lobby when the players came back.  Avery and Cuban looks like they could have eat fire.  The team looked really upset.  So for Game 5, we knew that Avery would have them ready despite missing Stackhouse.

There was one really cool thing that happened before Game 5.  Mark Cuban had flown most of the staff from Dallas to Miami for Game 5.  They were flown in on a charter flight.  As my friend and I were standing in line to enter the arena, we heard "Let's Go Mavericks, Beat the Heat".   It was loud enough, that we heard it on the bottom floor when they were at the top floor.   When my friend and I get up there ( at the top of escalators), we joined them in the chant.  The Heat fans really did not like it and they had to pass through that area to get to their seats.   The Miami arena is not laid out very well.   A few Heat fans tried to yell louder than the Mavericks fans, but couldn't because there were so many of us together.  It something to see and the best memory of the trip.   I took a video of the chanting and it appears that a few TV crews did as well. 

The Mavericks started off well and their shooting was much better.  The only problem was the number of fouls that kept getting.  Still the Mavericks were right there.  At times, the Mavericks had a lead even.  Going into halftime, it looked as those the Mavericks would pull out a win.  They were ahead and my friend and I went around the arena shouting.  Heat fans could not believe it.  The foul calls where definitely one sided, but that is not an excuse.  It was just how the game went.  The third quarter started and the Mavericks inched a little bit further ahead.  The Heat made a run and pull back close to the Mavericks.  Going into the fourth quarter it was anybodies game.   Neither team had a big lead.  It stayed tight until the very end.  In fact, the Mavericks had a chance to clinch the win in the waning moments.  Josh Howard who had been perfect from the line, was on the foul line with little time left.  He missed his first free throw.  Shaw hits two free throws, imagine that.  Two consecutive free throws from Shaq.   Dirk misses a free throw.  Then I think it was Haslem or Posey hits two free throws.  It still goes down to the last play.   With Josh's missed free throw, Dwayne Wade makes two free throws to send it into OT.   In OT, neither team seem to take an advantage.  The game went back and forth.  Then the Mavericks have Dirk dump the ball down to Dampier for a slam.  Mavericks fans were ecstatic, we think it is almost over.  Miami calls a time out and they throw it in to Dwayne Wade.  He almost causes and over and back, but it is not called because you can't tell where the half court line is with the NBA Finals logo on the court.  Dwayne Wade splits a double team, then dribbles past Devin Harris and then goes in for the lay up.  As he goes in for the lay up the ball comes loose.  Dirk is called for a foul, that made like more than 50 free throw attempts for Miami in the game.  Wade hits the first and there is confusion about a timeout.  The referee gives the Mavericks the timeout saying Josh Howard called for a timeout.  Bogus.   Wade hits the second for a 1 point lead.   Mavericks rush the ball to Devin Harris who has to launch almost mid court shot.   Victory escapes the Mavericks again.  

This would be the first of three really close games that Miami would win.   In fact, Miami won by 1, by 2 and by 3 points in their 4 victories.   That is a total of 6 points.  In another, 1 more made basket or a couple of more made free throws.  Who knows.  May Dallas wins the whole thing.

My friend and I are so disappointed and disgusted.  We get back to the Hotel about 1 AM since it was a late game.  Struggling to find a place to eat, we finally order delivery from an all night sandwich shop.  By the time we get our food it was almost 4 AM.   Our flight back to Dallas was late afternoon, so we decided to call the airline to see if we could catch the 7 AM flight.  We managed to get on the 7 AM flight back home.  Neither of us wanted to stay in Miami any longer.   We watch TV for about an hour and then leave for the airport.  We get to the airport around 6 AM.  The place is packed with people every where.   It takes us about 45 minutes to get through security.  Finally we are through security and then there is another long line to check through.  Thankfully, they are letting those on the Dallas flight through first.  While waiting in line, my friend spots Dikembe Mutombo (Houston Rockets) in front of us.  Mutmbo says hello and was very polite.  We get on the plane and there were a lot of other disappointed Maverick fans.   We were all anxiously awaiting game 6 at home.  Our connecting flight was in Houston.  When we get to Houston, we get delayed for a couple of hours.   Finally we arrive back at Dallas around 1 PM.  Basically having stayed up all night.

Boogey Bob