People were talking about Dirk after game 3, no matter how great he was pulling the Mavs back in the game with 12 straight points, that some media folks would just remember Dirk's game for a turnover and missing the potential game tying shot? (Side note: how many turnovers have there been this series where Marion cuts right as the passer, Dirk or Kidd most prominently, tries to swing it to the spot he WAS at?)

Well as great as Wade was all game, how come no one mentions that he missed the game tying free throw and fumbled the inbounds pass to basically give them no chance to tie the game? How come no one is mentioning this when it's a near identical situation to Dirk's game three finish? I understand LeBron's single triple and sick Dirk are the big stories, but not one mention of this anywhere...

Just a difference in how they are percieved by the media. Despite all Dirk has done this year to prove otherwise, he is still seen as not clutch, and will be seen that way until he wins it all. Wade's already been there, done that, so he's given a pass with a few situations like this.

Just like I thought Dirk shouldn't be blamed for the game 3 loss (no supporting cast, kept them in it on his own), Wade shouldn't be blamed for the heat's game 4 loss

Oh absolutely agree with you about neither guy being the reason their team lost. This series is so evenly matched that you really cant point to just one player for any blame, the team's are picking each other so much, it's the sum of the parts and not the individuals, but Dirk and Wade have certainly proven themselves as the Alpha Dogs.

I do have to disagree, I think the national media has really started to figure out that Dirk hasn't ever been the problem here. There have been more references to how well he played against Denver in the second round 2 years ago, and a ton of mention to him being one of 4 players in playoff history to average 25 points and 10 boards per game of their playoff careers. There are some that just look back at 2007 against GS and the fact that the Mavs didnt win in '06 despite having a 2-0 lead.

There wasnt A LOT of talk about Dirk's last 30 seconds in game 3, but there was some, yet none about Wade's finish.

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Despite all Dirk has done this year to prove otherwise, he is still seen as not clutch

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Go look at his fourth quarter #'s this series and the WCF and get back to me on that.

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How come no one is mentioning this when it's a near identical situation to Dirk's game three finish?

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i honestly think it is because d-wade has a ring and dirk's trying to get his first

same for lebron though...if he'd missed that FT and misplayed that last pass, the media would be all over him too

I just spent 15 minutes sitting in a barber shop watching ESPN show the replay of Wade fumbling that ball over and over and over and over.

Wade has a ring and I don't think there is any dispute that if Wade wasn't there, Miami would have been bounced in 5 by the Mavs.

Dirk doesn't have a ring and the last decade the Mavs have been known as playoff chokers.


That is the difference.

I don't know what everyone was watching, but I have only heard how wade missed the last free throw and fumbled the inbounds pass yesterday. The only thing I heard about Dirk's shot in game three was it was a good shot and he needed help. No one was hating on him. The winners of game 3 and 4 had more help for their Alpha dog (wade/dirk)

I wasn't saying I think Dirk isn't clutch. He is. I tried to make that clear in my post. However, several national media bigwigs still can't get past 06 and propagate a perception that he isn't clutch

the media has absolutely moved beyond 2006 in terms of perceiving Dirk as soft and not being clutch