Dwyane Wade vowed to be healthy enough to play in Game 6 tonight. LeBron James insisted his team would be better. Erik Spoelstra sounded like someone already embracing an ultimate challenge.
Down, yes.
Beaten, no.
After seeing another chance to take control of the NBA finals slip away, all the Miami Heat could do was start prepping for a win-or-else game on their home floor tomorrow night. Miami's first back-to-back losses in three months could not have come at a worse time, as the Heat now trail the best-of-seven series 3-2.
"White Hot," Wade tweeted yesterday morning in a message to fans, a nod to the Heat post-season marketing campaign. "See you Sunday."
They will be there, but history is against the Heat. In the 26 previous finals that were tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner has won 19 of them.
"We fought hard all season for home-court advantage. We're down 3-2," Chris Bosh said. "We protect home court, we win the series, so we just have to keep that in mind."
Miami's downfall on Thursday was Dallas's 15-3 run at the end. It was the third time in this series the Heat have not been able to hold on to a fourth-quarter lead.
LeBron James finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the first triple-double in Heat play-off history, but said: "A triple-double means absolutely nothing, you know, in a loss."
According to the NBA and Stats LLC, James's was the 29th triple-double in finals history.
Wade was hurt in a first-quarter collision with Brian Cardinal. He was in obvious pain, grabbing at the outside of the hip repeatedly, but eventually returned to play.
Mike Miller is on stand-by should Wade stiffen up on the flight home to Miami and during whatever down time Wade has before the team returns to the court.
"We, as a team, we played good enough to win again," James said.
"[We] put ourselves in position to win down the stretch. Everyone. Guys made plays.
"They just made a few more than we did. That's what it came down to."
"It cannot be that way on Sunday, or else this chase of a first ring will last at least another year. We'll be better in Game 6."
Spoelstra, the Miami coach, showed his cards in his post-game news conference, laying out what he will be telling the Heat until game time.
To him, this team has gone through a whirlwind of issues all season, from the 9-8 start to the five-game slide in March and countless questions along the way about how their trio of stars - Wade, James and Bosh - would play together.
Spoelstra says that process has steeled the Heat. No better preparation than that before facing a must-win game with an NBA title at stake.
"We're going home, and we wouldn't have it any other way than the hard way," Spoelstra said. "This is an opportunity for us. That's why you play a seven-game series. You've got to play it out.
"And this is where we feel comfortable."
