A Game of Inches

The phrase “game of inches” was used frequently, describing the game of football, in the 1999 blockbuster movie “Any Given Sunday”. Basketball can also be a game of inches. The same has applied several times in basketball during the 2011 NBA Finals.

"Inches" 1

Inches have been the difference between this series being close and the series being out of reach. Inches have been the difference between the Heat holding the 2-1 advantage and reclaiming home court advantage and the Mavericks completely taking the momentum, holding a 2-1 advantage and retaining the home court edge.

In the final seven minutes of Game 2, in which Dallas came back from a 15 point deficit to win by two points, how many inches did the Mavericks have to spare on any shot? How many inches, defensively, did the Mavericks have to yield to the Heat on any given possession? The Heat only scored five points during the Mavericks comeback run and only lost by a single basket.

How many inches separated the Heat’s Mario Chalmers’ foot from being in the backcourt, invalidating his three point shot at the end of the first quarter? Replay demonstrated that the officials PROBABLY should have called a backcourt violation. The play was close enough for Chlamers to receive the benefit of the doubt from the officials. An inch or two more in the other direction…there is probably no 3 point basket. The Heat won by two last night.

Maron Chalmers: inches 2



How many inches (if even one inch) was the Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki’s potential game tying shot off by in the final seconds? Could the Heat have held the Mavericks off in overtime in Dallas, with the momentum having shifted to the Mavericks? Could Udonis Haslem of the Heat have yielded a single inch more to Nowitzki as Nowtizki shot, without the ball going into the basket?

A few more inches for the Heat in Game 2, and they would hold a historically insurmountable 3-0 series lead. A few more inches for the Mavericks in Game 3, and they would hold a 2-1 series lead with the next two games being played in Dallas. A few inches in the direction of either team, and this series could have a completely different face that it has.

However, the inches fell where they did. The Heat lead the series 2 games to 1 and do not have to win another game in Dallas if they can successfully defend their home floor, going forward. The Mavericks need to win 3 of their next 4 games to keep their championship hopes alive, and three straight if they want to avoid a Game 7 on the road, historically very difficult to win in NBA. If the first three games of this series are an indicator…well…get your tape measures ready!

Dirk Nowitzki: inches 3

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1) Image from bigbluemachine.blog.friendster.com 

2) Image from NBC Sports

3) Image from espn.com