Game 3 of the NBA finals may have handed the Miami Heat a 2-1 edge over the Dallas Mavericks, but from where I sit, the series looks dead even.

I’m sure some thought after the game 2 Heat meltdown that the Mavs had found Miami’s weakness. And those folks, I’m sure, were even more confident when Dallas came back in the third quarter Sunday after being down 14 in the first half.

Don’t be fooled. The Heat can go up by 30 and Dallas will always find a way to come back. Not because Miami has a weakness of collapsing, and not because Dallas is so resurgent, even though they are a resurgent team.

These games continue to be close because these two teams are evenly matched.

For example, Miami gets big leads because they score in bunches. When their scrappy, half-court defense mixes with fast breaks, it sparks scoring runs. And their two best scorers – Dwayne Wade and LeBron James -- are most efficient during scoring runs.

Dallas scores in bunches, too, but they’ve now become, as hard as it is to believe, a defensive-minded team. And since defense is responsive, Dallas responds to whatever Miami does.

On offense, Dallas has shooters who can also create big plays. Miami has scorers who can hit big shots — there is a difference, but the end result is usually the same.

On defense, Dallas slaps at the ball like the old guys at the YMCA. Miami plays the passing lanes like the young guys on the blacktop. And they both get the job done.

Miami may have finished with the win Sunday night, but all that really means is that Heat haters are a bit deflated this morning. Trust me, Sunday’s results were not suitable for predicting the rest of the series.

I know about the theory that says whoever wins game 3 will win it all. In this case, we can throw that weak theory right out the window.

Both of these teams will die for the title.

The only players who can match James’ need for a title to solidify his career are Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, and their window is closing. Nowitzki and Jason Terry want revenge on Wade, and Miami’s big three want revenge on the world.

Heat President Pat Riley needs the chip to validate his experiment. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban needs the chip to validate his existence.

In a series like this, when neither team has the upper hand psychologically, emotionally or talent-wise, the winner will be the one who survives four games.

I won’t predict a game seven, and I can’t say that Miami won’t win the next two in Dallas to wrap it up. I’ll just say what I know: Neither of these teams is likely to dominate the other. They are too evenly matched -- in every way.

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Michael Gentry is a regular contributor to Qcitymetro.com. He writes most frequently about Charlotte's faith community, but he's also an avid sports fan.

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