Rarely, though, has the word "hero" been attached to their work on the defensive end of the floor. The swarming defensive rotations and the frightening, at times, athleticism they bring to the fore being much more than any other team can handle.
Yet there they were Sunday night, locked in almost the exact same position they were in at the end of their crushing Game 2 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Miami. Game 3 on the line. Dirk Nowitzki with the ball. Heat up by two and just 4.4 seconds to play.
There would be no fairy tale finish this time for the Mavericks. Not with Udonis Haslem as the point man on Nowitzki in the final, rugged minute of an instant classic in Game 3 of The Finals at American Airlines Center.
Nowitzki got free. He made his move and spun into a position to get off a 17-footer that would have tied the game. It didn't fall, courtesy of a little defensive Hero Ball (and the perfect bounce), as the Heat held on for the 88-86 win that not only saved Game 3 but also preserved their championship hopes.
http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/sekou_smith/06/05/mavs-heat-game3/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1
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