Nobody does premature jubilation like the Heat.
At least nobody gets killed for it publicly quite like they do when they let their hair down and unleash a primal scream or two.
Remember the public pep rally to introduce the Superfriends last July?
Oh, how Basketball America hated that night.
How about the sloppy hugfest that followed a second-round series win over the Celtics?
Celebrities: See who is courtside at the Finals
Too soon, the national media said.
The Heat’s latest crime came late Thursday night with the extended hoo-hah following Dwyane Wade’s 3-pointer with a little over seven minutes to play.
That ear-splitting sendup at AmericanAirlines Arena seemed to push the Mavericks’ buttons.
“What’s all the music and the dancing and all that kind of stuff?” Dallas center Tyson Chandler recalled thinking after his team fell behind by 15 points. “I looked up and said, ‘Is the game over?’ “
Hardly.
One of the great comebacks in NBA Finals history was just getting started.
And get this: Plenty of folks outside South Florida are blaming the Heat and their home fans for igniting that 22-5 Mavericks run to the final buzzer.
“It was a turning point in the game,” Mavericks guard Jason Terry said. “Seeing them celebrate like that, man, it really was disheartening for us.”
OK, so Wade did strike a pose with his shooting hand that made you wonder if Madame Tussauds had opened a Miami location.
And, yes, he did that directly in front of the Mavericks bench, clearly pleased with what turned out to be his 36th and final points of the night.
A Dallas timeout – and the accompanying, drawn-out call from PA man Michael Baiamonte – only added to the moment.
LeBron James rushed over to deliver a mock three-punch combination to Wade’s chest.
Again, right in the front of the visitors’ bench.
But that was it.
Really.
