Riley outcoached as Heat trounced in Game 2

DALLAS -- If Miami was disgusted by what it saw in the Game 1 tape, somebody had better keep a trash can nearby in case anyone needs to vomit after Game 2.

Solid coaching and a deep bench helps Dallas take a 2-0 Finals lead. (Getty Images)

The Heat's effort was revolting. Dallas dominated every facet of the game, going up 2-0 with a 99-85 victory. It was even uglier than the score indicated.

Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade, the famed dynamic duo, were outsuperstarred by Dirk Nowitzki's solitary effort.

Check the numbers: Shaq and Flash had just two more points and two fewer boards than their German conqueror. Come to think of it, they were even outdone by reserves Erick Dampier and Jerry Stackhouse.

The Heat's supporting cast was again embarrassed. The Heat bench, although far more productive than in Game 1, still can't hang with the Mavs reserves. They've now been outscored 65-22 through the first two games.

You can't call Game 2 anything other than a massacre. The outcome was decided on the third Stackhouse 3-pointer of the first half's final minute, which put the Heat down 16. Anyone that expected a second-half comeback had either a rooting interest or reads too many fairy tales.

All you heard from the Heat was how they had seen the light and now knew what had to be done to be successful. But three days of watching video and diagramming adjustments wasn't enough to mount a comeback and stop the Dallas offense in the second half.

Things got so bad that O'Neal was held out the entire fourth quarter. It was one of the few bright moves Pat Riley made.

If you can't see that Riley is getting totally outcoached through two games this series, you need to dial up your optometrist, stat. Riley has no idea how to solve the curveballs Avery Johnson keeps throwing at him, whiffing on nearly every supposed adjustment he pledged to make following the 90-80 loss in the opener.

Some things that went unfixed:

O'Neal's touches:
He got the ball early, and then all of a sudden, was phased out. What happened to letting him be the center point?

He finished with five points on five shots and went a disastrous 1-for-7 from the free-throw line. Obviously, he never got going, but was it entirely his fault?

How come he sat so long to start the second quarter despite having only one foul? It was clear he could never get his rhythm back after that, and he had just two shots the rest of the way in the most disappointing playoff outing of his career.