Cooper Flagg scored 29 points, handed out 11 assists and added five steals and three blocks as the Dallas Mavericks held off the Miami Heat 113-109 on Monday night at Kaseya Center. The Mavericks improved to 2-2, while Miami fell to 0-4 to open the season.
Dallas erased a double-digit deficit by outscoring Miami 30-25 in the third quarter and 30-25 in the fourth after trailing by as many as 12 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Heat with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in the loss, but Miami shot just 56% from the free-throw line and could not hold its first-half cushion.
Key Moments And How Dallas Pulled Away
Miami built its largest lead at 12 points in the second quarter, fueled by three straight three-pointers from Bobby Portis and a 25-foot triple from Dru Smith that pushed the score to 30-39. The Heat extended the margin to 40-50 by the end of the first half behind Antetokounmpo’s inside scoring and Andrew Wiggins’ perimeter jumpers.
Dallas answered with its two best quarters of the night, scoring 30 points in both the third and fourth to turn the deficit into a four-point victory. The Mavericks finished plus-6 in rebounding margin, 51-42, and outscored Miami 11-7 in fast-break points, a sign of the pace Dallas controlled once it settled in after halftime.
Free-throw shooting proved decisive. Dallas made 13 of 14 attempts (93%) while Miami converted just 14 of 25 (56%), a gap of nearly 11 points on equal attempts that the Heat could not overcome despite outscoring Dallas in the paint 48-44.
Player Of The Game: Cooper Flagg
Flagg’s line of 29 points, six rebounds, 11 assists, five steals and three blocks in 40 minutes was the most complete performance on either roster. He shot 12 of 23 from the field and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line, finishing plus-8 for the game. P.J. Washington backed him with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Kyrie Irving added 18 points and six assists.
Dallas Vs Miami By The Numbers
Dallas shot 46% from the field compared to Miami’s 45%, a near-even split that made the free-throw disparity the clearest separator in the box score. The Mavericks also out-rebounded the Heat 51-42, including a 13-10 edge on the offensive glass that generated extra possessions down the stretch.
Miami’s Davion Mitchell scored 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting off the bench, and Bobby Portis added 10 points with 12 rebounds, but neither could offset Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo combining for just six free-throw makes on 11 attempts. Dallas finished with 11 steals and 10 blocks as a team, well ahead of Miami’s nine steals and five blocks, reflecting the defensive pressure the Mavericks applied in the second half.
What It Means
The win keeps Dallas 1.5 games behind the Southwest Division-leading Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, both 3-0. Miami’s loss leaves the Heat last in the Southeast at 0-4, three games behind Charlotte.
What’s Next
Dallas continues its road trip. Miami looks to snap its four-game losing streak.
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