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Posted: Monday June 12, 2006 2:22AM; Updated: Monday June 12, 2006 3:35AM
NBA Finals Fast Breaks Game 2: Mavs 99, Heat 85 Making The Grade Miami Heat 
Jason Williams, G 31 min., 11 points (3-10 FG, 1-4 3PT, 4-5 FT), 4 assists, 2 rebounds Picked up where he left off after poor second half in Game 1. Missed a slew of easy shots, including a layup on a breakaway, and failed to corral a rebound that led to Stackhouse's first three-pointer. On defense, he didn't exactly slow down Jason Terry. D 
Dwyane Wade, G 40 min., 23 points (6-19 FG, 0-0 3PT, 11-14 FT), 8 rebounds, 3 assists Is it possible that flu bug has gotten WORSE since Game 1? His dismal first half included a team-high four turnovers, several poor shots, a foul that led to a four-point play, and a technical for arguing with the refs. Somebody get him some chicken soup. C 
Antoine Walker, F 43 min., 20 points (8-16 FG, 4-7 3PT), 0 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 turnovers Heated up in second half, but it was too little too late. He couldn't make Dallas pay for double teams on Shaq early, threw a terrible entry pass to Shaq for a turnover and committed a bad foul on Howard for four-point play. C- 
Udonis Haslem, F 20 min., 6 points (3-6 FG, 0-0 3PT), 1 rebounds, 2 turnover Injured his shoulder while laying out Jason Terry with foul late in the first half, and wound up watching the second half wrapped in an ice pack. With just one rebound to that point, he might as well have played with the ice pack on. C 
Shaquille O'Neal, C 28 min., 5 points (2-5 FG, 1-7 FT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists He finished with a Finals career low in scoring on just five (!) field goal attempts as the Mavs forced him to give it up early and often. Unfortunately, his teammates converted open shots at about the same rate he made his free throws. C- 
The Bench 78 min., 20 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists Better than in Game 1, but not enough. Alonzo Mourning chipped in with 11 points (on four-of-four shooting) and four rebounds. Gary Payton had four assists (and zero turnovers) in 28 minutes. James Posey defended and hit the boards before fouling out in fourth. But they're just too thin to match the Mavs. B- 
Pat Riley, Coach After vowing to get Shaq more involved offensively, he failed once again to find a way to do it. Sure, the Diesel's supporting cast missed shots. But it's the coach's job to find ways to adjust and make better use of a 7-1, 350-pound weapon. C Dallas Mavericks 
Adrian Griffin, G 18 min., 0 points (0-0 FG), 4 rebounds Once again got the start, and produced his usual solid defense and hustle. But picked up two quick fouls and spent the rest of the first half on the bench. At least he had a nice seat to watch his replacement Stackhouse catch fire. C 
Jason Terry, G 41 min., 16 points (6-15 FG, 1-6 3PT, 3-3 FT), 3 assists, 3 rebounds The Game 1 hero was strong once again. Didn't shoot well from downtown, but used his speed to keep the Miami D on its heels all night. Also showed off his two-way game by stealing pass in backcourt and nailing jumper in third. B+ 
Josh Howard, F 29 min., 15 points (6-12 FG, 2-3 3PT), 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers Struggled early with his shot again, but got untracked after first quarter. His attack mentality and defense on Walker/Wade early on were hidden keys. Also joined Stackhouse in converting rare four-point play. B+ 
Dirk Nowitzki, F 41 min., 26 points (8-16 FG, 0-2 3PT), 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks Led the way with a solid all-around performance that included some yeoman work on the backboards and active double-teams on Shaq. Took what they gave him, and nailed a big three-point dagger to squelch the final Heat rally in the fourth quarter. A- 
DeSagana Diop, C 12 min., 1 point (0-0 FG, 1-2 FT), 4 rebounds, 1 steal Once again got the start, but gave way to Erick Dampier early and wound up not playing much due to foul trouble. But his brief stints were effective, as he altered shots, grabbed a few rebounds deflected away one entry pass to Shaq. C 
The Bench 98 min., 41 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists For the second straight game they came up huge. Jerry Stackhouse (19 points, 4-of-5 from downtown) led the way offensively, while Erick Dampier hit the boards (13 rebounds) and provided solid defense on Shaq. Meanwhile, Devin Harris shook off a bad first half to chip in 11 points and four assists. A 
Avery Johnson, Coach His team didn't look sharp early, but the reigning Coach of the Year didn't allow it to snowball. Meanwhile, his strategy of bringing double teams on Shaq and not allowing him to be force proved effective for a second straight game. A- Play Of The Night
If there was one play that illustrated the Mavs' dominance -- and the Heat's frustration -- in Game 2, it occurred late in the first half. Stackhouse had already buried a three-pointer when he took a pass from Nowitzki on top on the next possession and nailed another three-ball while drawing a foul on Wade. After an angry Wade picked up a technical for arguing the call, Stackhouse stepped to the line and hit the free throw to complete the rare four-point play (just the seventh in NBA Finals history, though Howard would later duplicate the feat). Stackhouse then capped off his Stack Attack by burying a corner three in Payton's face as the shot clock expired. Stackhouse wound up on his back as the American Airlines Center crowd roared in delight, but it was the Heat who were floored. Stackhouse's 10-point explosion capped off an 11-0 run for the Mavs that sent them into the half with a 50-34 lead and some serious momentum.
Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
-- Marty BurnsQuote Of The Night "What we'll have to change in Miami is obviously we have to play the game a hell of a lot better than we played it here in Dallas." -- Heat coach Pat Riley, after watching his team lose again by double digits in Dallas to fall into a 2-0 series hole Courtside Confidential
You can do the right thing and be wrong, and do the wrong thing and be right. In Game 1, Shaquille O'Neal made impeccable passing decisions when he was double- and triple-teamed by the Mavericks' defense, which was most of the time. But the net result was that O'Neal not only didn't dominate the game (he took only 11 shots) but wasn't much of a factor at all. Everyone knew it was on him in Game 2 to bust through and score, even if it meant ignoring open teammates. But Shaq was even more passive Sunday night, getting up only five shots for five points and the Heat went down with him.
Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images
-- Jack McCallumLooking Ahead
In Miami, talk of a tropical depression might apply to the psyche of its basketball team as well as the weather. In NBA history, only two of 27 teams that have fallen into a 2-0 hole have ever come back to win the series. Since the NBA adopted the 2-3-2 format for the Finals in 1985, the previous nine teams who won Games 1 and 2 at home went on to win the series. Only one team (the 2004 Pistons) has ever swept all three middle games at home. But if the Heat are worried heading into Tuesday's Game 3 (9 p.m. ET/ABC) back in Miami, they weren't showing it after Game 2. "You know, we'll come out ... and our crowd will be behind us and we'll play with a lot of energy," Wade said. "We've got to execute better on offense. You know, be patient and attack more." They also might want to to make some shots so the Mavs can't load up their defense on Shaq.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
-- Marty BurnsGame 2 Box Score | Complete Finals Coverage 
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