Games 2 and 3 of the 2011 NBA Finals have come down to the final possession, and the way the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks have gone back-and-forth thus far there is no reason to believe that trend won't continue for the rest of the series. Game 4 is tonight in Dallas (9 p.m. ET, ABC) with Miami holding a 2-1 advantage.
With the series having a 2-3-2 format and games 6 and 7 scheduled to be in Miami it is critical for the Mavericks to win the next two games to have a realistic chance to win the NBA title.
Dwyane Wade, not LeBron James, has been Miami's best player thus far in the series. He admitted that he is looking to be the leader as the Finals unfold.
"I'm one of the three who has been able to win a championship. I've been able to understand there's a moment -- not saying our players don't understand big games. Take it upon myself at this time to be a little more vocal, to understand the moment a little more, and just you want it as well. Like I said, I've been here before. I've experienced a very weird tough series before to win the championship. I don't want none of these guys for us to walk away and say if we would have did this or would have did that. If you get beat, you get beat because you put it all out there and did everything you said you wanted to do," Wade said.
"When those moments are happening, I feel like it's my time to step up. Vice versa, if I don't do something, I expect my teammates to step up and tell me. Because I would take that from them a lot better anyway than from the outside. It's me feeling the moment and understanding this is it. We have eight days left in this entire season. You don't want to leave nothing to chance."
The series schedule and TV information are below.
- Game 1: Miami 92, Dallas 84
- Game 2: Dallas 95, Miami 93
- Game 3: Miami 88, Dallas 86 (Miami leads series, 2-1)
- Game 4: Tue., June 7 in Dallas, 9 p.m. (ABC)
- Game 5: Thu., June 9 in Dallas, 9 p.m. (ABC)
- Game 6: Sun., June 12 in Miami, 8 p.m. (ABC)
- Game 7: Tue., June 14 in Miami, 9 p.m. (ABC)
Follow SB Nation's 2011 NBA Finals hub for full series coverage. See Peninsula Is Mightier to join the discussion with Heat fans, and Mavs Moneyball to join the discussion with Mavericks fans.