After a furious run by Bennet Cantù with two free throws cutting Montepaschi Siena’s lead to four points with just 0:50 seconds left, Siena had the ball looking to get a basket to put Bennet away for good. After 15 seconds or so of scrambling, Siena went to a quick set that I have become very fond of recently, allowing them to get a wide open three point shot, clinching the game for good:
After beating the press and getting the ball to Bo Lester McCalebb, their point guard, Montepaschi Siena’s two bigs set up around the three point line to set a staggered ball screen for McCalebb, who uses them.
Leading 2-1 in the best of seven Lega Basket Serie A finals, Montepaschi Siena found themselves up 10 points with about 5:30 left in the fourth quarter. After a delay, Siena was taking the ball from the baseline, and they were able to work a nice baseline set that resulted in an open jumper for the man inbounding the basketball that allowed them to extend their lead over Bennet Cantù.
We pick up the play after Marco Carraretto inbounds the basketball near half court. Once that happens, Rimantas Kaukėnas gets a staggered screen set for him, allowing him to get to the top of the key and make himself available for the pass.
In my preview post for SBNation, I talked about Miami’s need to go back to their pick and roll defense where they trapped the basketball after allowing 49 points on 33 pick and rolls in game five (where they really went away from their trapping pick and roll defense). Miami did just that during game six, trapping 17 of 32 pick and rolls, allowing just eight points on those pick and roll possessions:
On of the main reasons why trapping the pick and roll worked is because it kept the basketball on the perimeter. On all of those clips, you see the ball handler getting trapped and the only option they really have is to kick the ball out to a man on the outside rather than trying to penetrate or hit the roll man. The ball gets into the paint a grand total of 0 times on all of those plays. The one time they try to hit the roll man, they go from Terry to Kidd to Ian Mahinmi instead of going straight to Mahinmi. The result is a turnover.
One of the biggest plays of the game took place with about 2:30 seconds left in the game with the Dallas Mavericks leading the Miami Heat by three points. After a pick and roll for Dwyane Wade, a tremendous cut by LeBron James, and a collision in the restricted area between LeBron James and Tyson Chandler, Joey Crawford made what seemed to be the incorrect call. However, upon closer examination (and referring to a little known/used rule) we can see that Crawford made the correct call given the situation:
The play starts with Chris Bosh coming up and setting a screen for Dwyane Wade, with Wade actually using the screen. Off the ball, LeBron James sits in the corner, being covered by Jason Kidd.
Trailing by three points with 6.7 seconds left, the Miami Heat were coming out of a timeout looking to tie the game. After going for the quick two a possession earlier, the Heat needed to go for the tie with no timeouts left. The play head coach Erik Spoelstra ran was one that would have resulted in a clean look, but some poor execution resulted in a tough contested three from Mike Miller:
The play starts with the Heat players on the court starting out in bunches of twos. Mario Chalmers and Dwyane Wade are standing on the strong side block while LeBron James and Chris Bosh stand on the strong side elbow. As the ball goes to the trigger man Mike Miller, Wade turns around and curls off of a Chris Bosh screen going away from the basketball.
After Chris Bosh hit his jumper that gave the Heat a two point lead, the Dallas Mavericks came out of a timeout looking to get Dirk Nowitzki the basketball early in the clock, allowing him to get a shot off quickly that would maintain a two for one opportunity. The move Nowitzki made is a move that we have seen him make all postseason long, taking a dribble to the right, spinning, and then taking a hard dribble with his left before rising up for the shot. However, Nowitzki didn’t take the shot, instead he threw the basketball out of bounds:
Now, we have seen the Miami Heat double Dirk Nowitzki all series long, and just about every time, Nowitzki made the right play (whether it was to shoot or pass). However, this time, Nowitzki makes the wrong play, trying to throw a pass at the last second, but Nowitzki waits so long that Shawn Marion was already crashing the boards as the pass was made, leading to Nowitzki throwing it out of bounds.
After Chris Bosh’s shot along the baseline and an empty possession by each team, the Dallas Mavericks found themselves with the basketball, down two, and coming out of their final timeout with 4.4 seconds left. Mavericks’ coach Rick Carlisle ran a play using Peja Stojakovic as a decoy, trying to set up Jason Terry in the corner for a three point shot. However, with Dallas rushing and a fantastic defensive play by Dwyane Wade, they were forced to go to their second option (a damn good one) which was Dirk Nowitzki at the top of the key. With Udonis Haslem covering him, Nowitzki was forced into a miss.
The play starts with Peja Stojakovic coming off of two separate screens along the baseline, one from Dirk Nowitzki and one from Tyson Chandler. Stojakovic uses these screens as if he is flaring out towards the corner.
Instead of heading to the corner, Stojakovic curls around Chandler’s screen and starts heading back towards where he came from. As this is taking place, Jason Terry sets a pindown screen for Nowitzki in the middle of the lane. Nowitzki uses it and gets to the weakside elbow.
With 56 seconds left in game three, the Miami Heat were coming out of a timeout with the game tied. Instead of coming out of the timeout and playing “hero ball” the Heat decided to run a play, a play that got everyone involved, and resulted in an open shot for Chris Bosh, who knocked down the game winner.
The play starts with Dwyane Wade dribbling out the clock a bit at the top of the key as LeBron James gets a pindown screen set for him by Mario Chalmers.
The pindown screen set for James by Chalmers leads right into a James/Wade pick and roll. The Mavericks decide to trap this PNR with Jason Kidd going over the top of the screen and Shawn Marion leaving James to be the second defender. Not willing to leave LeBron James open at the top of the key, Tyson Chandler comes from the weakside to meet James as he rolled to the foul line after setting his screen for Wade.
Looking for a spark (and for points) late in the 4th quarter, the Dallas Mavericks were searching for a play that would work against Miami’s tough/quick defense. At some point towards the end of the game, coach Rick Carlisle started running a staggered pick and roll with Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler as the screener, a play that the Mavericks haven’t run at all during the Finals to this point. It was obvious that this play gave Miami trouble as Dallas scored 8 points on the 4 possessions they ran it while shooting 75% (including 2-2 from three). Here is the play that sparked Dallas’ comeback:
As Jason Terry brings the basketball along the wing, Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler get in position and set a staggered ball screen for Terry (with Nowitzki as the front screener and Chandler as the second screener).
What this staggered screen for Jason Terry is that it negates the Heat’s hard trap/hedge on the ball handler, especially on this first position, where the Heat seemed to look a little confused. Initially, Chris Bosh (who was defending Tyson Chandler) steps out to prevent Terry from getting to the rim.
After a big Dirk Nowitzki three gave Dallas a three point lead with 26.7 seconds left, the Miami Heat were looking to get a three pointer to tie the game in the hopes of sending the game to overtime. Miami was able to get a fantastic look off of a quick inbounds pass due to a poor defensive mistake by Jason Terry and a heads up play by LeBron James:
The play starts with LeBron James as the trigger man, getting the basketball on the side. Once he does get it, Miami’s two shooters, Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers criss cross, cutting off of Chris Bosh and heading towards corners of the opposite side they started on.
