NBA Playoffs When the Hunter becomes the Hunted! By Joe Gavazzi
NBA Playoffs When the Hunter becomes the Hunted!
By Joe Gavazzi Winning Sports Advice
For those of you who did not heretofore believe in the situational concepts of Letdowns and Bouncebacks, the NBA put it right in your face last night. Whether you believe it was Miami arrogance or the spirited resolve of the Mavs, the fact is that Miami suffered an inevitable 4th quarter Letdown in Game #2 of the NBA Playoffs.
No one can deny that Miami had played incredible basketball in their recent 4th quarter efforts against Chicago and Dallas. In the NBA Playoffs, they had been holding opponents to just 17 PPG in the 4th quarter of their recent hot streaks. They made numerous circus shots, mostly by Wade and James, and intensified their defensive presence. The key to that success was that in most every instance they were trailing in the game. To simplify it, they have a psychological makeup of being the “Hunter” rather than the “Hunted”.
Last night, Miami was home leading 1-0 in the Series. They played a lethargic 1st half defensively. With 3 minutes remaining, they had allowed 51 points. Yet just as they had done so many times in the recent past, they turned on the faucet to score the last 9 points of the half and tie the game at 51. It was more of the same in the 2nd half. With 6 minutes remaining in the game, they held a comfortable 88-73 lead. This means that they had outscored the Mavs by 24 points in the last 21 minutes. Clearly they felt the inevitable over confidence that results when any team dominates another and feels comfortable they have won the game.
At this point, they become the “Hunted” rather than the “Hunter” and fall into psychological Letdown mode. The rest, as they say, is history with the Mavs outscoring the Heat 22-5 to end the game and steal a 2 point victory to even the Series at 1-1.
If you have followed my history of handicapping the NBA Playoffs since 1979, you may have an idea of who the winner will be on Sunday.
