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The NBA Finals are truly where legends are born, and after getting off to a slow start in the series Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry is starting to look like something of a legend.

After being stifled by the defense of Miami’s LeBron James in the first three games of the Finals, Terry started running his mouth, more to get himself charged up than anything else. It worked, too. After saying he didn’t believe LeBron could contain him for seven games “The Jet” scored 17 points in Game 4, including the two free throws that iced an 86-83 win for Dallas. He also scored eight of the Mavs’ final 17 points, he was just getting warmed up.

Game 5 saw more of the same from Jet, who looked to upstage LeBron at every turn. Despite James’ tough defense Jet again came up big in the fourth quarter, scoring eight of his 21 points in the final frame. None were bigger than the three he scored on a trey he somehow managed to drill while LeBron flew in his face, a shot that put Dallas up 108-101 with 33 seconds left and assured them of a 3-2 series lead as the Finals shift back to Miami.

“He played great,” said Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle after the game. “He played great. During period where Dirk was out of the game, we were going to him, and he was delivering. Those are critical stretches because it’s tough when Dirk is out of the game. But it’s the total game that we’ve been preaching to Jet really since the playoffs began and tonight he did a terrific job.”

“We all know Jet is a confident young man,” said Dirk Nowitzki. “He always has a lot to say to us in the locker room. He’s always talking, just an energetic guy. He loves to talk and loves to hear himself talk (laughing). … I think if he just stands there and looks at him, LeBron is long enough and quick enough to contest his shot late, so he’s got to attack his feet. I thought the last two games he did a great job.”

“Sometimes he puts a muzzle on me,” Terry said of his MVP teammate. “He doesn’t like me to talk to you guys too much because I give away the game plan. It’s something I grew up with, watching my idols like Gary Payton and guys like that. Being from the inner city, it’s just a part of my game.”

All joking aside, The Jet has been at his best in the clutch in Games 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals. While HEAT fans were waiting to see LeBron Jams snap out of his daze, Terry delivered big play after big down the stretch to get Dallas within one win of an NBA championship.

“It’s my job,” said Terry. “All season long, ever since I’ve been a Maverick, I’ve been the guy in the fourth quarter they depended on to either make plays or make shots. So I really relish that role. Regardless of what’s going on throughout three quarters of the game, in the fourth quarter I know I’m depended on to come through. Thank God I was able to do that again tonight.”

In truth, we’ve all been waiting for the explosion, the reaction. As Terry and his teammates repeatedly show up LeBron James both on the court and in the media, we’ve all been waiting for LeBron, called the league’s best player by some, to respond. Frankly, after ESPN said LeBron was “Caught In The Matrix,” referring to the defense of the Mavs’ Shawn Marion, I expected LeBron to go for 50 the next night.

But he didn’t. He also didn’t go off when Terry said LeBron couldn’t stop him for an entire series; he didn’t go off when DeShawn Stevenson called him a quitter; he didn’t go off when even he, himself, acknowledged Game 5 as the biggest game of his NBA career. It seems all of the talk from the Mavericks has done the opposite of firing up LeBron . . .it’s completely psyched him out. Meanwhile, the Mavericks’ second in command keeps things in perspective for his squad.

“Sounds repetitive, but Game 6 is Game 7 for us. We want to play like there’s no tomorrow. If we do that, I have no doubt in my mind we can be successful. We must come out aggressively.”

When Jason Terry talks his teammates listen, and if LeBron continues to be the passive bystander in this series Terry’s Mavericks will pay back an old debt . . .by celebrating their first NBA championship on Miami’s home court.

Isaiah Thomas Surprising In Workouts

As 2011 draft prospects make their way around the league, visiting teams that may want to draft them, fans in those cities can only hope that the meet-and-greet is really more about spending some time with the young players and getting to know them as individuals more than scouting their games. As one team official recently told HOOPSWORLD, it seems a little ludicrous to have these kids go through shooting drills with no defense around them when they’ve been scouting them and watching them in college play for months. Of course, some teams haven’t been doing that scouting, but that’s another story.

Washington Huskies point guard Isaiah Thomas is among those working out for the Toronto Raptors this week. Thomas is projected to be a high second round pick, but his ability to execute in the half-court set, which accounted for better than 80% of his offensive production this season, could make him a player of interest to the Raptors. Toronto scored 87% of their points out of a half-court set in 2010-11.

“I thought the workout went well,” Thomas said following his workout in Toronto. “I shot the ball really well and it was a lot of just shooting drills, and I’ve been working on that a lot during my off time at my gym back home. I thought I did pretty good.”

In particular, the Raptors wanted to see how the 5’10″ Thomas did against a bigger point guard in Brandon Knight, who is a likely lottery pick. Thomas understands that playing against bigger players will be his job, night in and night out in the NBA.

“Definitely,” said Thomas, who has worked out in Portland and Sacramento this week, as well. “It’s not the first time I’ve played against somebody bigger. It’s the norm. We didn’t get to go over a lot of competition stuff, mostly doing shooting drills, but I look forward to playing against great players like Brandon Knight. … You just have to play with your heart. All my life I’ve been doubted because of my size. It’s nothing new. I do feel like I can use my size to my advantage. When you see guys like (Dallas Mavericks guard) JJ Barea helping his team tremendously, he’s proving people wrong and I feel like I’m doing the same thing.”

“I wish we did more playing. That’s where you can really go at a guy, try to beat him out of his spot by doing better than him in the workout. But it’s an honor to even be invited to these workouts and the Raptors organization is just a great organization. … I have to come in with a little chip on my shoulder. I told my agent I want every workout to be against the top dudes. I want Brandon Knight, Kemba Walker, all of them. I want to show that I’m as good as them and I can compete with them.”

Like so many players in this draft, Thomas has some things to prove in his individual workouts with teams. So far, he feels he’s gained some ground.

“I’ve had some good feedback. Teams are surprised at how well I can shoot the ball. That’s one knock that they’ve had on me, other than my height, is that I can’t shoot it consistently. But I’ve shown them and I’m going to keep proving people wrong. All you need is for one team to fall in love with you and I’m working to do that.”

Thomas has been getting plenty of advice from former Huskies Brandon Roy and Nate McMillan, but it’s his grandfather whose face is tatooed on his arm and it’s his grandfather’s advice that sustains him during the tough times.

“He had a big influence on my life, really was like a second father to me. He was a big inspiration to me; he was the one who always told me not to get down on myself. He told me life is a grind itself and I should always stay positive. I take that into every workout, into every gym where I go to to work out, I just try to have fun. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”

Isaiah Thomas may not be able to work himself into the first round, but he could be one of those second round picks we look back as a steal if he lands with the right team. He certainly has the right motivation and a drive to succeed that could make him a success at the next level.

Finals Continue To Top Ratings

NBA Finals Game 5 on ABC Wins the Night with 12.6 Overnight Rating 24th Consecutive Time Finals Generate Highest-Rated Program of the Night

{AUTHOR_BOX}The NBA Finals Game 5 on ABC – in which Dallas held off Miami’s fourth quarter rally to win 112-103 – delivered a 12.6 overnight rating. Game 5 was the highest-rated program of the night in prime time (according to Nielsen), propelling ABC to win the night among households. It is the 24th consecutive time The Finals have generated the highest-rated program of the night. The 12.6 overnight rating was the second highest-rated Game 5 in the last seven years. Based on overnight ratings, the broadcast peaked with a 16.3 rating from 11:30-11:45 p.m. ET.

Last night’s Game 5 was up 25 percent compared to a 10.1 rating for Game 5 in 2006, when these same two teams met in The Finals. In the last seven years, the game only trailed last year’s 12.8 overnight rating for Game 5 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

In Miami, the game registered a 32.7 metered market rating, up 16 percent over Game 5 in 2006 (28.3 metered market rating). The game netted a 31.9 metered market rating in Dallas.

ABC’s Buick Regal NBA Countdown pregame show generated a 4.1 overnight rating, up 32 percent over a 3.1 rating for the comparable show last year.

The Finals on ABC continue with the Heat facing elimination at home against the Mavs in Game 6 Sunday, June 12, at 8 p.m. ET. Mike Breen calls The Finals on ABC with analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson and reporter Doris Burke. The Finals are also available on ESPN Radio (Mike Tirico and Hall of Famers Dr. Jack Ramsay and Hubie Brown) and ESPN 3D (Mark Jones and Bruce Bowen for Game 6). Coverage will begin with the Buick Regal NBA Countdown pregame show at 7:30 p.m., hosted by Stuart Scott with Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and analysts Jon Barry and Michael Wilbon.

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