NBA Heat, Mavs reach final with faith

Both teams have shown belief in a system and in their teammates.
DALLAS (AP) -- The NBA finals are a new phenomenon in this part of Texas and in Pat Riley's part of Florida.
The Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat have never been this far in the postseason, and there's plenty of rafter room for the banner to be won in the next two weeks.
Yet Riley knows how teams get this far, and it isn't just with the buzzer-beating shots and star-making performances that have run rampant in the most exciting postseason in recent memory.
Dallas and Miami have a wealth of talent, but they became finalists on faith -- in a system, in teammates, in a collective will to topple previous champions and shake up the NBA.
"They believe, like we do," said Riley, back for his ninth finals appearance with his third club -- the first one he built himself. "They believe in something a lot stronger. That's why teams come together. They believe in each other, and believe in something."
Dallas coach Avery Johnson has spoken of the same belief, but it will be tested on both sidelines when Game 1 tips off tonight.
Different teams
Not much is similar about these two teams, apart from a hunger for victory and a remarkable endurance through their playoff struggles.
The Heat have peaked in the postseason with impressive efforts from Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal and their eclectic cast of supporting players.
The Mavericks used their versatility and a breakout performance from Dirk Nowitzki, who stole O'Neal's mantle as the game's most dominant 7-footer during a wonderful postseason.
But while Shaq has the experience of five previous trips to the finals, Nowitzki already has imagined the pressure of his first step on basketball's biggest stage. Though the German forward has met every challenge he faced this postseason, everything now is in Shaq's shadow.
"There's nothing compared to this," Nowitzki said. "I played in the world championships, I played in the European championships, I played in Germany, but this is as big as it gets. I think that the pressure is going to be equal on everybody to perform, so I'm not going to even worry about that. I know once the tip is up, it's still basketball.
"It's an exciting time. It's probably the most exciting time of my life."
Motivation
For O'Neal, it's a chance to win his first championship without Kobe Bryant by his side -- and a chance to make his late-career move to Miami into the success he predicted nearly two years ago, when he guaranteed a championship to the fans of South Florida.
"Right now as a player, I have three, but I'm not satisfied with three," O'Neal said of his ring collection. "You want more, and I have the opportunity right now to get more.
"Personally, it just adds to my book."
The series also allows fans in the league's growing television audience to become acquainted with a few of the sport's next big things.
The NBA has produced stars, set cultural trends and become a global economic force in the last quarter-century, but its top winners' circle includes just the most elite company. Only seven franchises have won championships since 1979, fewer than in any major sport.
An eighth will be added when Dallas or Miami wins its first title. The Mavericks have been in the league since 1980, while the Heat joined in 1988 -- and through good seasons and bad, with a few stars and many more schlubs, neither club ever got this far.
Two teams without prior championships are in the finals for the first time since 1971.
"It's just two classy organizations, first time being here, and it's going to be a fun, fun series," O'Neal said.
New experience
The finals have never been to this part of Texas, where a regular-guy owner became larger than life. Mark Cuban wrote the checks and led the cheers as the Mav-wrecks were transformed into a perennial winner despite annual personnel changes.
And Dallas improved more quickly than anyone expected this seasons, with Nowitzki's incandescence and Johnson's alchemy getting them into the finals with impressive series victories over the NBA's top two defenses (Memphis and San Antonio) and its top offense (Phoenix).
The Mavericks' sense of destiny has grown with each of Nowitzki's amazing achievements in the postseason. He tied Game 7 of their second-round series against the defending champion Spurs with a stunning three-point play that many call the biggest shot in franchise history, and he followed it up with a superb conference finals against the Suns, highlighted by a 50-point game.
But the hunger for a title is equal on the other sideline, where Riley assembled a cast around O'Neal and Wade, then hoped everything would blend in time.