After a long season, where injuries and internal strife played a major role in determining the two teams advancing to the 2011 NBA Finals, it all comes down to the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks.
Miami began their run-for-mulitple-titles process last summer, bringing on free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh to play with Dwayne Wade.
Dallas, on the other hand, has been continuously rebuilding since their 2006 championship loss, where they flubbed a 2-0 lead, marching in with a roster of veterans, including the most dominant big in the league, Dirk Nowitzki.
Along the way this year, Miami eliminated last year's Eastern Conference Champions, the Boston Celtics, in five games while Dallas snuffed the reigning NBA Champs, the Los Angeles Lakers, in four.
For their Conference title, #2 seed Miami took care of the #1 seed Chicago Bulls and 2011 MVP Derrick Rose in five games.
Dallas, the #3 seed, handled the young and talented #4 Oklahoma City Thunder and two-time NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant in five games.
Both Dallas and Miami experienced come-from-behind games during their runs to close out contests in their favor.
The stage is now set.
Through the first three rounds both teams played 15 games to eliminate their opponents.
What remains are anywhere between 4 and 7 contests, sure to be hard-fought, in quest of the NBA trophy.
It is interesting that the 2011 Championship showcases the same two teams from 2006, though each with much different line-ups and personnel. The Heat took that crown in six games, after losing the first two. Dwayne Wade remembers that. So does Dirk Nowitzki.
Can the Big 3 in Miami stop Dirk and Company from attaining the crown?
Will Dallas have the answer to stop the Heat in consecutive games?
Only time and some excellent games to come will answer that question.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
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