A New Hope: Dallas squares the NBA Finals after snatching Game 2

Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat stumble in the endgame of Game 2
(image by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Have you ever lost something and tried to find it knowing it’s probably gone anyway?

Like maybe your wallet, the one you probably left in the mall and will probably never see again.

You look in your bag, under the table, in your closet, under the pillows, in the cupboard, under the car seats, but you can’t seem to find it. Almost every part of you has bitterly accepted its disappearance and the prospect of having to go through life without it.

But you look some more. You put in a little more effort because there’s also a small part of you saying that it’s not over yet. That there’s still hope.

Not over yet. Hope.

And then when you open the glove compartment, it’s sitting there, all alone for you to find.

Ripe for the picking.

Not over yet. Hope.

Jason Terry sparked the Mavs' fightback
late in the 4th period
(image by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Dallas Mavericks roared back with nothing but hope after falling behind by 15 late in Game 2. And who wouldn’t? They were up against the Miami Heat after all – the big, bad boys who wanted the title on a silver platter. The Evil Empire.

Good thing the Mavericks were made of sterner stuff.

And, well, good thing the Heat played “not to lose” in the final 7 minutes. Hardly any drives, just milking the clock and settling for jumpers. Miami strayed from what earned them that lead in the first place.

Complacency?

Immaturity?

Hubris?

Take your pick and pick on the Heat.

As for those embattled Mavs? They just snapped a 5-game NBA Finals losing streak to the Heat. They neutralized Miami’s home-court edge, and gave them their first home loss in the postseason. They’ve turned things around.