Miami Heat Edge Dallas Mavericks 106-102
The Miami Heat hosted the Dallas Mavericks, who opened a four-game road trip in Miami, in a non-conference game on Monday. The Heat defeated the Mavericks 106-102 at the Kaseya Center. Miami improved to 12-6, while Dallas fell to 5-14.
In case you missed it, Dallas fell 102-96 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. Santi Aldama led the Grizzlies with 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Klay Thompson led the Mavericks with 22 points and one rebound.
Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers sat courtside at the Mavericks’ games vs. New York and New Orleans on Wednesday and Friday. Bueckers, 24, and Mavericks’ rookie Cooper Flagg marked the first time the City of Dallas had the first overall pick in the same year’s NBA and WNBA Drafts.
Flagg said of Bueckers, “She obviously had an incredible rookie season, and she’s gonna do amazing things with her career. So it’s kinda cool to see, for her to show up, and I was able to go to one of her games right after the draft, when I got down here. It’s cool to see the support and show up and be there for each other. I think that’s pretty cool. And hopefully, we’ll keep it going forward.”
Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks Starters
Monday’s game served as an example of a lopsided game between a playoff contender and a bottom-feeder. Miami is in the top five of the Eastern Conference, while Dallas is in the bottom five of the Western Conference.
Miami’s starting lineup featured Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Pelle Larsson, Bam Adebayo, and Kel’el Ware. Miami ruled out Terry Rozier (leave of absence), Norman Powell (groin), Andrew Wiggins (hip), and Nikola Jovic (hip).
Dallas’ starting lineup featured Brandon Williams, Max Christie, Flagg, PJ Washington, and Daniel Gafford. Dallas ruled out Kyrie Irving (knee), Dante Exum (knee), Anthony Davis (calf), and Dereck Lively II (foot).
Heat vs. Mavericks Recap
Monday’s game wasn’t a rivalry matchup, but the intense nature offers a compelling narrative. In terms of the playoffs, Dallas and Miami previously met in the 2011 NBA Finals when Dirk Nowitzki helped Dallas take down a super team in Miami.
The first quarter saw a slow start but picked up the pace. Miami opened the scoring with a bucket. Dallas responded with a three-pointer. Miami went on a 15-3 run with nine straight points. Miami applied pressure on Dallas’ defense. Dallas attempted a comeback but fell short. Miami settled for a 20-19 lead after the first.
The second quarter saw a fast start. Dallas went on a 5-0 run. Miami ended Dallas’ run with a bucket. Miami tied the game at 32 apiece midway through the second. The Heat took their largest lead of the game, 40-32. Dallas scored six straight points to cut the lead to 40-38. Miami took a 52-44 lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw effort. Dallas’ free throw and three-point shooting were superior, while Miami’s field goal shooting was superb. Flagg threw down a two-handed layup. Ware knocked a scorer’s ball into the stands. The Heat took an 80-72 lead after three quarters.
The fourth quarter saw the road team cutting the lead to seven, 83-76. Washington went coast to coast for the layup. The game went down to the wire, as Dallas capitalized on opportunities, but Miami won 106-102 in regulation.
Final Thoughts
Dallas celebrates Thanksgiving with family and friends before continuing the road trip against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Pacific. The game will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video.
The Heat host a pre-Thanksgiving game, an NBA In-Season Tournament match, against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The game will be broadcast on FDSSUN.
