Was 2005 the only finals with 2 evenly matched teams?

[picc84]

Of this decade?

Every other finals had one team clearly superior to the other. This one was the only one to go to crunch time, game 7, with single plays determining the winner.

[JamStone]

Probably make a case for 2006 and 2008, talent wise.

But to answer the question, yeah probably.

[Blake]

Probably make a case for 2006 and 2008, talent wise.


Fail.

The Mavs in 06 were clearly superior to the heat.

[Leetonidas]

Fail.

The Mavs in 06 were clearly superior to the heat.

This. The Mavs in 2006 were a good ass team, I mean they took down the defending champs in 7 games in their building, so yeah. They just choked massively, and Wade took advantage of a shit load of free throws, much like Dirk did in the semis.

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:cry :cry :cry the officiating was so bad in the mavs/spurs series even though the mavs had more fouls called against them :cry :cry :cry

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KROFL @ spurs shooting 235 FTs as opposed to 223 FTs for the Mavs (including more in the deciding game 7), yet somehow the officiating was sooooooooooooo lopsided in favor of the Mavs.

[Leetonidas]

That doesn't really matter. What matters is how many free throws Dirk shot in that series. And LMAO @ Dirk stepping on Tim Duncan's foot and #21 getting his 6th foul for it, thus deciding the game.

[stretch]

That doesn't really matter. What matters is how many free throws Dirk shot in that series. And LMAO @ Dirk stepping on Tim Duncan's foot and #21 getting his 6th foul for it, thus deciding the game.

KROFL @ Tim Duncan slamming his shoulder into Dirk/Damp/Diop repeatedly, resulting in fouls called being against them, or Tim Duncan using his hand to hold opponents at the hip as they go up with their shots so that he can block them more easily.

quit crying. there was a lot of "superstar" calls that went both ways.

[icem]

lol @ the turn this thread has taken

this years finals should be pretty even no matter who gets in

[stretch]

unless its the bobcats and lakers

guaranteed sweep by the bobcats

[hitmanyr2k]

Fail.

The Mavs in 06 were clearly superior to the heat.

I don't see it that way. Clearly superior teams don't lose 4 games in a row to the lesser team. They don't blow a double digit lead in the last few minutes of a Game 3 that would have locked up the series for them. The lesser team shouldn't be annihilating the superior team in Game 4. The superior team shouldn't be missing three clutch free throws in the final minute that could have wrapped up Game 5 for them. And finally after losing three in a row the superior team should not be blowing a 16 point lead on their home floor and allowing the other team to celebrate their first championship in front of their deflated fans. Superior teams find a way to win. They don't find a way to lose.

[koriwhat]

KROFL @ Tim Duncan slamming his shoulder into Dirk/Damp/Diop repeatedly, resulting in fouls called being against them, or Tim Duncan using his hand to hold opponents at the hip as they go up with their shots so that he can block them more easily.

quit crying. there was a lot of "superstar" calls that went both ways.

who cares... in the end it's always fun to watch the mavs lose especially after being up 2-0 in the finals. haha!

[badfish22]

bitches & blunts!

[JamStone]

Fail.

The Mavs in 06 were clearly superior to the heat.

Disagree. I think the Mavs were the superior team but not by a lot and not clearly. I do think Shaq once again coasted during the regular season. He missed something like 20 games that regular season and the Heat played pretty much .500 basketball during that stretch, so their regular season record probably should have been several wins better.

By the time playoffs arrived, Dwyane Wade was playing at such a spectacular level, that even though the Mavs had the better balanced team, I believe the two teams were fairly evenly matched. Miami had the best player on the court and the more dominant front court in terms of interior presence. That offset the better talent and depth the Mavs had.

You can still go conspiracy theory on the Finals and the ridiculous amount of free throws and calls Wade got. I wouldn't argue with you on that. I wouldn't even argue someone claiming the Mavs should have or deserved to win the Finals. I just think those two teams were fairly evenly matched, especially considering the level at which Wade was playing at that time.

[Killakobe81]

I don't see it that way. Clearly superior teams don't lose 4 games in a row to the lesser team. They don't blow a double digit lead in the last few minutes of a Game 3 that would have locked up the series for them. The lesser team shouldn't be annihilating the superior team in Game 4. The superior team shouldn't be missing three clutch free throws in the final minute that could have wrapped up Game 5 for them. And finally after losing three in a row the superior team should not be blowing a 16 point lead on their home floor and allowing the other team to celebrate their first championship in front of their deflated fans. Superior teams find a way to win. They don't find a way to lose.


agree. Same with lakers Celts finals a few years back the better team won period.

[InRareForm]

mavs '06 were soft as shit.

[poop]

the entire 2006 playoffs were tampered with.

no other playoffs had the kind of anomalies that year had.

* for 2006.

btw the spurs were by far the best team that year and under normal circumstances it would have been the 2nd title of a 3-peat.

[spurs10]

Yes, the 2005 was the only Finals with two evenly matched teams.
Yes, the 2006 Finals was the biggest choke job in NBA history.

[Muser]

2005 was beast, even if the Spurs lost that would still be a damn great finals IMO.

[venitian navigator]

Also the 2004 finals were "even"...thought the supposed best team (lakers) losto the to supposedly worst one (pistons) because the latter was better coached, more hungry...and cause Karl malone (who played like a beast agsist us) was injured.

However, maybe I have some prejudice 'cause I am a Spurs fan, but I really think that the 2005 finals were the absolutely best of the lot...great basketball games from two teams incredibly experienced and well coached and making very very little mistakes in executing, and an intensity I rarely have seen in a basketball court.

On the contrary, still maybe I am prejudiced 'cause I am a spurs fan, but to me 2006 games were the Stern's answer to NBA owners about the little money the finals made for a lot of years because of spurs fault.
He clearly showed that, through referees, he could control the games...

No one in this world, in my not so humble opinion, could otherwise explain the difference between the way Dallas has been treated against the Spurs and against then Heat. And please, nobody can say that the Posey/Haslem defense on Dirk was better, in any way, of the Bowen/others spurs Duncan included defense on him...simply, the Spurs have seen referees blowing their whistles all game long in any kind of contact or non contact with Dirk while, on the other side, referees, a lot of times (not always, naturally) were not whistling also if Spus players where pulled off the court when doing screens (one play of Parker in game six screening and being pushed off the court with two hands from a Dallas Player and having no whistle was illuminating), while the Heat simply had the right to do to Dirk all (and more than all) that is usually colled a good defense, or maybe a hard defense... in a week, Dirk changed from "the untouchable god" to a human being, and maybe less, (while Wade becoming the "untauchable God").

[BRHornet45]

son WrestleMania 12 was historic. the Iron Man match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels was probably the most evenly matched I have seen in a long time.