The 2011 NBA Finals have certainly been exciting with the Game 4 win by the Dallas Mavericks being right up there.The Mavericks can withstand a great game from Dwyane Wade.Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle made a few extremely important rotation changes prior to Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals, most notably putting J. J. Barea into the starting lineup in place of DeShawn Stevenson.The Mavs made another gritty comeback win in Maverick fashion. Their consistent comebacks have made me wonder whether destroying an opponent's morale by snatching victory in the final quarter is not a part of their official game plan.However, the biggest change in the Mavs' rotation may have came when Carlisle decided to close out the game with freshly benched Stevenson rather than starter Shawn Marion.Marion had his minutes matched with LeBron James' thus far, and he was obviously a bit fatigued. Stevenson, a defensive specialist, nonetheless turned up big on offense, leading the team in three pointers made with three. While he bricked a few in the clutch he made a few very timely plays in the third and fourth quarters, sparking the Mavs' comeback.He also played excellent defense on Dwyane Wade and James in that last quarter, holding them to extremely low numbers. By that measure only, Carlisle proved to be one of the best coaches in the game once again.While the previous games were plagued by numerous periods when the Heat made runs while the Mavs struggled to score, Barea contributed a few nice stretches running the offense. Had he hit a few open layups he somehow missed, this game wouldn't have been so close coming into the fourth quarter.With Dirk Nowitzki struggling, someone had to step up, and the Mavericks, now with more beneficial matchups, went to work, giving Dirk some room for error. While not all of this can be attributed to the adjustments Carlisle made, I would say that the new rotation had a big impact on the result of this game.Whether changing things around was a desperate move by Carlisle, or a brilliant thought out adjustment, could probably be a topic for a long debate.Regardless of that, the changes worked, and every single player who was involved should be praised. Marion excelled in reduced minutes as he got more rest, and Stevenson hit some big shots and finished with 11 points off the bench. Finally, Terry, running the point at times, made a few beautiful pick and rolls with Tyson Chandler, opening the floor for the Mavs and allowing the team to win.Sometimes, the smallest of changes can win you a pivotal game. While the rotation was not the only factor in Game 4, it was one of many factors that allowed the Mavs to keep their hopes alive, and regain some much needed momentum, in what has been an extraordinary series.
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