The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Miami Heat on Thursday. The Mavericks had a home-court advantage. The Heat might’ve been affected by jet lag, as the Heat’s most recent game was a 115-101 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on Wednesday. The Mavericks defeated the Heat 118-113 at the American Airlines Center. Dallas improved to 30-26 and won its second straight game, while Miami fell to 25-28 and lost four in a row.
Dante Exum led the Mavericks with 27 points, three rebounds, and four assists. Max Christie followed up with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Spencer Dinwiddie added 18 points, three rebounds, and six assists. Kessler Edwards had 15 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Naji Marshall scored 12 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Brandon Williams tallied 11 points, one rebound, and three assists.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat Recap
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat game was action-packed from start to finish. The Mavericks ruled out Anthony Davis with a left adductor strain, Caleb Martin with a right hip strain, Daniel Gafford with a right knee sprain, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, Dwight Powell with a right hip strain, and Kyrie Irving with right shoulder soreness.
The Heat ruled out Andrew Wiggins with a stomach illness, Bam Adebayo with a left knee contusion, Dru Smith with a season-ending left Achilles tear, Isaiah Stevens with an undisclosed injury, Kevin Love with personal reasons, and Terry Rozier with a stomach illness. The Heat’s struggles weren’t just limited to injuries but also losses. After Wednesday’s game, Adebayo said players and coaches must change, not only rosters.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Dante Exum, Max Christie, Spencer Dinwiddie, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Kessler Edwards. The starting lineup looked fine, but Sports Illustrated recently commented the Mavericks’ trade of Quentin Grimes for Caleb Martin looks “even worse.” Martin hasn’t made his Mavericks debut yet, while Grimes had his best performance of the season with a season-high 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting on Wednesday.
The first quarter was a high-scoring affair between the two teams. Max Christie delivered with an early field goal, while Kel’el Ware shined with a late hammer. The Heat settled for a 22-21 lead at the end of the first. The second quarter saw a fast start from the Mavericks, but the Heat picked up the pace. Brandon Williams hit a corner three, while Ware’s shine stayed put with a slam. The Heat took a 56-55 lead into halftime.
The third quarter started slow, but both teams slowly sped up. Maxence Prosper showcased his hustle as he got past defenders at one point, while Tyler Herro used a turnaround to force the Mavericks to take a timeout. The Mavericks took an 84-83 lead through three quarters. The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair. Naji Marshall hit a corner three, while Nikola Jovic threw down a dunk. The Mavericks won 118-113 in regulation.
Mavericks-Heat Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat game featured multiple highlights, such as the Sports Business Journal’s recent compilation of the latest Mavericks headlines. The SBJ included the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s article about the Luka Doncic trade resulting in “horrid PR” for the Mavericks as the fans’ protests continue. Some fans chanted “fire Nico” at Mavericks GM Nico Harrison during Tuesday’s SMU men’s basketball game vs. Pittsburgh.
For the Mavericks, Sports Illustrated’s recent report about Lou Williams, a 17-year NBA veteran, has sparked discussion in the NBA world. Williams recently gave his opinion on the Mavericks ejecting fans from Monday’s game. Williams said that’s part of the fan experience, part of being a fan, that he can be displeased with decisions that a franchise makes, and that he can protest peacefully.
And, for the Heat, the Miami Herald’s recent update about a stomach bug running through the locker room has been unsettling. Jaime Jaquez Jr. missed Sunday’s practice with a stomach issue, Tyler Herro woke up on Monday feeling ill with a stomach illness, and Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier felt sick to their stomachs and missed Wednesday morning’s shootaround before the away game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Final Thoughts
The Dallas Mavericks gutted out a 111-107 win over the Golden State Warriors behind Kyrie Irving’s mastery at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday. Irving made play after play and steadied the Mavericks during a frantic finish. He won a fourth-quarter duel with Stephen Curry, who missed the second of two free throws with 37.3 seconds left and tied the game at 107. Christie made two free throws with 10.4 seconds left.
Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd and Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr sympathized with the Mavericks fans but were concerned about the lines crossed. According to Mavs.com, Kerr said that while he doesn’t comment on other teams’ player movements, he has seen some of the backlash the Mavericks have received since trading Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis and Max Christie. Kerr called death threats to Mavericks GM Nico Harrison “brutal.”
The Mavericks will host the New Orleans Pelicans at the American Airlines Center on Friday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m. Central. The Pelicans previously hosted the Sacramento Kings in a back-to-back set with a 119-111 regulation loss and a 140-133 overtime win, respectively. Thursday’s game was the last one for all three NBA teams before the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at the Chase Center on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Pacific.
