MIAMI — With Shane Battier draining nine 3-pointers through two games, it seems like an odd time to bring it up. But it is worth discussing: Zone defense. As the NBA Finals shift to Miami, I can’t help but remember last season: The Dallas Mavericks utilized all their parts and all of their schemes in an attempt to slow down the fast and powerful offense of the Miami Heat. If even for a string of possessions at a time, the Mavs made
The unrelenting schedule is about to backpick the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have to be feeling pretty good about themselves after Monday’s road win over previously unbeaten Miami. That is, if they had time to feel good about themselves. After the win, the Hawks boarded a plane for a three-hour flight to Chicago. They probably got into their hotel around 3 a.m. local time, grabbed some Z’s and awoke for a morning walkthrough before returning their hotel rooms, likely to nap until the