Four Js deliver big for Mavs in Game 5

DALLAS — Game 5 was all about The Four Js.

Three Mavericks. Four Js.

That is Mavs guards Jason Terry, Jason Kidd and J.J. Barea, for all of you scoring along at home. And that unlikely trio, at least in this series before Thursday, has this Mavs team a victory away from an NBA Championship.

All of them had been under heavy criticism, JKidd for seemingly retiring, JJ for failing to hit seemingly a single shot all series and JTerry for his mouth delivering more than him. And all of them were decisively clutch in Thursday’s 112-103 at a rocking AAC.

“It’s my job,” JTerry said. “All season, ever since I’ve been a Mav, I’ve been the guy they depended on to make plays or make shots. So I really relish that role. I am depended on to come through.”

The Big German’s little friends finally showed up.

All of them. Together.

Big time.

And in the fourth quarter, with everybody expecting LeBron to go all beast on this game after calling this “biggest game of his life” and some such nonsense, J.J. Barea and JKidd and JTerry were the ones knocking down the big shots.

Do not mistake this as saying they were alone because a rather large German again led this team in yet another fourth-quarter counterpunch. They simply joined what had for long portions of this series been a lone scoring march by Dirk, with gutty defensive help from Tyson Chandler and Shawn Marion.

And even better they sealed this game, JTerry specifically with his 3-pointer with 33.8 seconds remaining.

“He played great,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “During periods where Dirk was out of the game, we were going to him and he was delivering. It is the total game we have all been preaching to Jet since the playoffs began and he just did a terrific job.”

JTerry had solicited raised national eyebrows by poking LeBron with verbal jabs leading up to Games 4 and 5. Media types were aghast that he’d dare to poke what many believed to be a sleeping dog.

Or maybe, he is just a guy, not a clutch MJ follower as advertised.

OK, that was a cheap shot against King James. And I promise to keep those to a minimum because, really, I like to focus on players who have an impact in the fourth quarter.

Jet talked about LeBron possibly not being able to hang with him defensively through seven games. He promised to join what had until Tuesday been a Dirk party. And he backed up that talk not simply with walk but swagger.

“Jet is a confident young man,” Dirk said. “He always has stuff to say. He’s an energetic guy. He loves to talk and he loves to hear himself talk.”

Said Jet: “It’s just something I grew up with … being from the inner city it is just a part of my game.”

He backed it up. All of those littler dudes did.

Maybe, the biggest and best stretch for The Four Js came at a critical juncture in the fourth quarter.

Miami had just gone on a 9-0 run with 4:37 remaining, Carlisle calling a timeout after Dwyane Wade nailed a 3. This whole thing felt like 2006 again.

Then Dirk hit two free throws. We had seen that all series.

What came next was refreshingly new, a nasty JTerry 3-pointer and then a nastier running slam dunk by Dirk from Terry, then a JKidd 3-pointer.

Good defense was mixed in, so was a little LeBron fail.

Chandler drew a wise charge against LeBron. Again, for all of y’all scoring at home, LeBron finished with two points in the fourth quarter. He had four Mavs do better — Dirk and The Four Js.

Maybe, my favorite turn of this entire Finals so far was J.J. hitting this crazy-pants 3-pointer with eight minutes remaining in the fourth and then watching LeBron miss his hero shot at the other end. It was a 30-second snapshot of why this Mavs team has reached this point against an infinitely more talented Heat team.

They always have been the sum of their parts, a true team and The Four Js’ contributions in Game 5 perfectly underlined that point. Nor was it just the points.

All of them were attacking.

And playing defense.

And just rallying.

And, OK, there was the scoring.

When JTerry nailed that long 3 with 33.8 seconds remaining, it officially gave Dallas this game and possibly a championship. And with LeBron guarding him.

“He’s a tough cover,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s a big key to the team. That’s why we have treated him with due respect.”

Anything Jet can do, LeBron can’t. Guard. Or do.

And if The Four Js keep doing this or anything close, go ahead and plan that parade route because The Trophy is coming to Texas.