The Dallas Mavericks' 86-83 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals came in a intense, but ugly game. Both teams fought hard to go after every loose ball and rebound, giving the game a "playoff feel" if you're into cliches and such. The flipside is that there was some pretty awful shooting by both teams, especially from the outside.
Heat Vs. Mavericks, Game 4: Dallas’ Victory Dominated By Poor Shooting By Both Teams
Just how bad was it? The two teams combined to hit just 28 of their 88 jump shots, which is just under 32 percent. Worse, they combined to hit just 18 percent (six of 33) from beyond the three-point line. Here is that horrendous shooting in visual form, via CBS Sports:
That’s Miami’s shot chart, featuring all those Xs from behind the three-point line. But Dallas wasn’t really much better.
The shooting was especially horrendous coming down the stretch in the fourth quarter. With 5:15 remaining in the game, Jason Terry hit a layup to give the Mavericks a 79-78 lead. The two teams then combined to miss 12 shots in a row over the next five minutes. Dirk Nowitzki's driving layup with 14 seconds left to give the Mavericks a three-point lead was actually the first made field goal for either team since Terry's layup. Both teams were playing great defense, but many of those 12 field-goal attempts were open shots that simply weren't converted.
In the end, the Mavericks outlasted the Heat. Given the horrible shooting by both teams, outlasted is the right word to use.
Be sure to follow our 2011 NBA Finals hub for full championship series coverage. For more the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier. For more on the Mavericks, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas.
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