NBA finals.... Heats blazed their way to the first ever NBA Championship... otherwise known as World Champion

NBA finals was played on Tueday, 6/20/06...... This year's playoffs has been a memorable one for me... more becoz of the fact that I managed to catch a good 70% of the matches, than the fact the my fav team, Miami Heats won the title.

Backgrd: Most pple know that I am an avid football fan... but actually I am a great spectator sports fan... and NBA is one of the more followed after sports that i watch even back when i was in Singapore. It has been a sport that I used to watch more when i was younger... due to the reduction in coverage in Singapore (Starhub sux!!), we can only get games on Friday and Saturday morning... impossible..

As we all know, NBA is huge in America... like all American sports (how in the world can they not watch FOOTBALL... the biggest game in the world!! This is America after all)... And one of the most delightful thing that has happened to me since I am here, in terms of spectator sports, is the telecast of NBA playoffs. EVERY SINGLE GAME is telecast live on TV. If you have the time to watch it, it is there!

And this year's playoff is one of the most exciting ever... many series went to the full 7 game... and there was a record number of games that went to OT... the thrill and excitement generated by the game is unrivalled... (except football of coz!)

As a Heats fan... I was plotting my way all the way to the NBA finals, even at the start of the playoffs. I do expect Heats to go all the way to the finals.. for the simple reason that they have some excellent stars.. past and present... Gary Payton, Alonoso Mourning, Antoine Walker, Shaq.... and of coz the biggest star, and the finals MVP... Dwayne Wade...

A few interesting note on the road to the Finals

1) San Antonio LOSE!!!

Spurs, actually it's more Tim Duncan, has been the achilles heel of Shaq... and lakers of late... the team always, imho, raise their games against shaq's team... him being my fav player for a while... makes Spurs my least fav team... it is an excellent team... if only they play with shaq, more than against him...

I didnt want Spurs to go to the finals... and they were duely disposed by Dallas Mavericks... actually single handedly destroyed by Dirk Nowitzki... simply the most brilliant guy I ever seen play the game since Michael Jordan... he simply shoots from any awkward position, and SCORES.... simply simply brilliant!!

Most games in the series were decided by a couple of points... and a couple went into OT... seriously exciting... in the end, it went to game 7... AGAIN! And at the home court of Spurs... they lost the series in their home court... For the first time in a long time!!

2) Detroit in the conference finals...

The funny thing abt NBA teams... they want to meet the team that beat them the year before... and BEAT THEM! Pistons beat Heats last year when Heats was the favourite...(from 3-2 down) this year, with 4 all-stars in their team... they had the favourites tag... until of coz King James pushed them to game 7... thanks James.. you are the best... (Heats won their series in 5... thanks to Vince Carter)

Imagine a team of 4 all-star, and the fifth is tayshuan price who can play 48 minutes per game. Super team.... who plays very much like a team... like a commentator said before... the sum of the team is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

But Heats has traded Antonie Walker to square off against Rashid Wallace, and I know they want to play Pistons and beat them!

When the conference finals came... they were not up to it... and lost in 6.... quite easily done.

3) 7 game series...

Lotsa 7-game series this year... many by Phoenix Suns... one of the most exciting teams to watch... love them...

4) Dirk Nowitzki

Simply brilliant... If Heats didnt make it to the finals.. I would have supported him. The impossible shots made... the 50 pt game against Spurs... the almost perfect FT... the humility and passion... he was everything I want to see in a professional athlete.

The reason why Heats should win

Last chance for Gary Payton... a 7 or 8 time All Star... excellent player... who went to Lakers to win a ring, but becoz of Kobrat Bratyant... didnt... (at least he has got it now... Karl Malone should beat up Kobrat when he sees him)

Alonoso Mourning... a soon-to-be hall of famer... no NBA ring like GP... super humble guy... came back from kidney disease... such a role model for pple... 16th season in NBA

Antoine Walker.... was a key player in his former teams... came here to win the ring...

Shaq... my fav player... this is good enough reason for him to win a ring

Wade... next up coming fav player... even better reason for him to win the ring.

The FINALS itself...

Lost first 2 games in Dallas.... only 2 teams in NBA HISTORY has won after being 2-0 down in NBA finals!!

3rd game... with 6 min plus to go... trailing by 13 pts... I gave up... went to prepare my following day's lunch... No teams have come back from 3-0 down... they wont. Heat pull up a good run... suddenly within distance...

Closing min... took lead... and won!

5th game... once again... it looked like Mavs will steal one game at Miami...

Somehow pushed to OT!! And Heats won! Lead 3-2

6th game... close again... last seconds... 93-90.. Wade (80%+ FT shooter) took 2 Ft... MISSED BOTH!!! WTF!!!!

Jason Terry took the last s3-pt shot.... MISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSED!!!

MIAMI HEATS.... WORLD CHAMPION......... FIRST TIME in franchise history...

What a game... i am totally NBA fan... of coz for the rest of last night... now? Back to Football.. and world cup..