By J. Michael Falgoust, USA TODAY
DALLAS � So far, the Miami Heat's trio has been greater than the Dallas Mavericks' solo act in the NBA Finals.
By Ronald Martinez, Getty Images
Dirk Nowitzki, left, has been solid for the Mavericks, but he hasn't gotten as much help as LeBron James has for the Heat.
By Ronald Martinez, Getty Images
Dirk Nowitzki, left, has been solid for the Mavericks, but he hasn't gotten as much help as LeBron James has for the Heat.
Since Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki's sub-par opening game, in which he missed 11 of 18 shots, he has hovered around 50% shooting.
He hit the winning shot for the Mavericks in Game 2 but was off at the buzzer in Game 3 on Sunday, when the Heat's LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh combined for 64 points in the 88-86 victory to take a 2-1 series lead.
Other than Shawn Marion (15.3 points a game) and an occasional burst from sixth man Jason Terry (14.3), the Mavericks' offense has been anemic:
? Point guard Jason Kidd is shooting 34.8%, averaging 1.6 fewer assists than he did in the previous round and a playoff-high 4.0 turnovers.
? Backup point J.J. Barea has hit rock bottom with playoff lows of 4.3 points (a seven-point drop from the previous round), 21.7% field goal shooting (down from 47.8%) and 12.5% three-point shooting (down from 46.2%).
? Backup shooting guard Peja Stojakovic has plummeted to playoff lows of 0.7 points, 20% field goal shooting and 0% three-point shooting.
Terry helped lead the Game 2 comeback for Dallas, but in key fourth-quarter stretches in Games 1 and 3 he has been bothered by James.
Although James has taken heat for not scoring in the last 11 minutes of Sunday's victory, it was his defense that made the difference.
He blanketed Terry, who went 0-of-4. That made it easier for Miami to key on Nowitzki with double-teams, forcing him into a turnover in the last 30 seconds and then a misfire on a shot that could have sent the game into overtime.
"They keep sticking him on 'Jet' (Terry) in the fourth quarters, and he's been doing a good job," Nowitzki said of James' defense Monday. "Jet hasn't really been a crunchtime, clutch player for us the way we need him to."
Terry pointed out that, despite Wade, James and Bosh accounting for 73% of the Heat's offense, reserve Mario Chalmers was the one who got them over the hump.
Chalmers has had 12 points in each of the Heat's two wins. He also has made a total of seven three-pointers in those games.
The Mavericks can provide similar help for Nowitzki, but the Heat have a unique defense that hasn't allowed it.
"They got guys that can score the ball. Saying they don't have other guys to score, I don't believe that," said Heat forward Udonis Haslem, who guards Nowitzki most of the time. "We just have the ability and the strength, the speed, the athleticism to protect the paint and still close out the shooters."
Limiting Barea's penetration and Terry's shot-making ability is paramount for Miami.
"You can't leave Jason Terry wide open. It's damn near a 100% shot," Bosh said. "We're closing up their shooters, we're containing as best as possible and we're trying to keep them uncomfortable."
Terry promised he would play better and almost guaranteed that Dallas would even the series at 2-2 Tuesday.
"It's a call to arms. One man is not going to win it for us. Three men are not going to win it for them. They needed some help," Terry said. "We will be there in Game 4, ready for the challenge."
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