Heat-Mavericks Preview

By JUSTIN EINHORN
Posted Dec 24 2011 5:48PM

As if the Miami Heat weren't motivated enough to win it all, their season begins by having to watch the title banner get raised by the team that beat them to claim it.

The lockout is over and Christmas is here, so it's time for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to kick off the Heat's quest to dethrone the Dallas Mavericks as NBA champions with an NBA finals rematch.

Before the game gets underway in Dallas, the Mavericks' championship banner will be raised to the rafters at American Airlines Center. However, it seems the Mavs are a virtual afterthought as the season begins. Most oddsmakers do not have them among the top few picks to win the 2012 title, whereas Miami is generally the odds-on favorite.

"We didn't come together to make the playoffs or come together to win a playoff series, we came together to win the NBA finals and that's what it's about," said James, whose 23.7 scoring average in the 2011 playoffs was 3.0 below his regular-season mark. "We know how long of a journey it was to get there, so we know what it takes to get there. We just try to have a better result if we happen to get back to that point."

Dallas (57-25) knocked off the Heat in six games in the championship round, spoiling the first season of James and Chris Bosh joining Wade in Miami (58-24). The Heat didn't make any major changes this offseason other than adding Shane Battier, but are hopeful another year of their superstar trio playing together will be enough to get James and Bosh their first rings and a second for Wade.

"For us, getting better is not necessarily going to show in our numbers," said Wade, who scored 25.5 per game last season. "It's going to show in our leadership. It's going to show in those moments where we get in those games like the finals where we're up 10 in the fourth quarter, how do we help our team get that win no matter what's going on in the game."

That's what Dirk Nowitzki and company did in last season's playoffs when they stunned the Los Angeles Lakers in a second-round sweep before beating Oklahoma City in the conference finals and knocking off the Heat.

Nowitzki turned 33 this summer and most of the Mavs' top players are in their 30s, plus Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and J.J. Barea have all departed. Those are big reasons many aren't picking them to repeat as champions.

"We weren't the favorites to win it last year, so nobody really knows what's going to happen," said Nowitzki, the finals MVP after averaging 26.0 points - 3.0 above a season average that was his lowest in seven years.

"Last year, it just worked out. The chemistry was great, guys wanted to win and play with each other. To me, the team is set up kind of the same again with a bunch of older guys that want to win."

One of those guys is Lamar Odom, who may have newfound motivation after his surprising departure from the Lakers. He didn't realize they were trying to get rid of him until being part of the Chris Paul deal that never went through, then felt further disrespected when he went to Dallas in a trade that involved no other players.

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year may play a key role - as could newcomer Vince Carter - for a team needing to make up for the loss of Chandler's defense and rebounding, Barea's spark off the bench and Butler's scoring. Odom, who averaged 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds last season, does bring the experience of having won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.

"If they thought winning a championship was hard, defending it is going to be ... it's tough," Odom said. "It changes the mindset of teams, and of your team. It's tough. But if a team can do it, this one can."

Miami was expected to win multiple championships when its trio of stars came together but doubts will continue to linger until it wins one. The Heat surely are expecting to get off to a better start after opening 9-8 last season.

Battier should be a big help defensively and in 3-point shooting, but Miami is still considered fairly weak at point guard - Mario Chalmers should get the bulk of those minutes - and in the frontcourt other than Bosh.

Coach Erik Spoelstra, who received a contract extension during the offseason, feels the James-Wade partnership - and growing bond - should be enough to get the Heat over the top.

"Those guys like to be challenged," Spoelstra said. "They do not accept the success that they've had and where they are right now. They're always trying to push to go to the next level."

LeBron's 37 lifts Heat past Mavs 105-94

By JAIME ARON
Posted Dec 25 2011 8:39PM

DALLAS (AP) While Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks were on the court celebrating the championship they won over LeBron James and Dwyane Wade last season, the Miami Heat were gathered in another part of the building.

It wasn't because they dreaded watching the ceremony, they insisted.

They were simply getting ready to show everyone why they are favored to win it all this season.

James and Wade led a series of scoring waves that put Miami ahead by 35 points midway through the third quarter, the lead peaking when James soared to the rim and tipped an alley-oop pass to Wade so he could have the dunk instead. The game was essentially over then, although the Mavs reserves fueled a late rally that made the final score look close, 105-94.

"We tried to play aggressive," James said. "We're a focused team. We had a great training camp. We came in with the same mindset we had at practice, use our speed and play with mental focus."

James finished with 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Wade had 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Miami scored at least 30 points in each of the first three quarters.

"Celebration or not, we had a game plan and implemented it," Wade said. "We came out and played a good game."

Maybe the pregame festivities left the Mavs emotionally drained because they were down by 15 after one quarter and 21 at halftime. They then gave up 14 straight points early in the third quarter.

The blowout had less to do with an emotional hangover and more to do with exposing the slow process of breaking in a new rotation. Dallas lost center Tyson Chandler and backup point guard J.J. Barea and added guard Vince Carter, do-it-all Lamar Odom and backup guard Delonte West.

"We're going to have to forge an identity with this team; it's a different team," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "That's work, and it's going to take honesty, and it's not going to be easy."

Carter took Dallas' first two shots, an 18-footer and a layup. Both missed. West started the second half in his place and finished with 10 points. Carter had five points, two rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes.

Odom - the NBA's reigning Sixth Man of the Year, who was acquired from the Lakers a few weeks ago for merely a trade exception - entered to a standing ovation, and got fans roaring again when he made a 3-pointer that tied the game at 11. He missed his next five shots before getting ejected midway through the third quarter, but still left to loud cheers. He had four points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.

"We've got to get better and it will take a little time to get better," Odom said.

Jason Terry sparked a Dallas rally, that started after Odom was tossed, and wound up leading Dallas with 23 points. Nowitzki scored 21 in three quarters. Shawn Marion scored 12 and broke the pinky finger on his left hand.

NBA Commissioner David Stern attended the game and took part in the banner raising ceremony. Fans greeted him with boos, perhaps showing disgust over the lockout that delayed the start of the season from Nov. 1 and shrunk the season by 16 games.

Fans had plenty more to cheer, such as Terry proclaiming, "Thirty-one years you waited - 31 years! - to call your team a champion, ladies and gentlemen. A champion!"

Nowitzki, Terry, Jason Kidd and many more players, coaches and staff each got a strand to yank as part of the unveiling of the banner at court level. Nowitzki and Kidd seemed awed as they watched it rise to the rafters. They couldn't take their eyes off it - or didn't want to.

Championship tie-ins were everywhere, from the Mavs' warmup jackets proclaiming them the 2011 NBA Champions to jerseys featuring a patch of the championship trophy, with the words on the front and back of their jerseys all outlined in gold. Terry even wore gold high-tops.

But Dallas was more style than substance, especially compared to a Miami team that returns the core of its rotation.

The Heat scored 18 points in the paint in the first quarter, while the Mavs scored a total of 17 that period - none in the paint. Both Miami's 18 and Dallas' 0 are an indication of how badly the Mavs will miss Chandler.

Miami went on a 12-0 run late in the first quarter, a 15-1 spurt in the second quarter, then the 14-0 binge in the third period. At the end of that final surge, James made a spin move to free himself for a 17-foot jumper off the glass, then followed with his alley-oop tip to Wade.

"It was showtime," said Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, who had the initial pass to James. "That comes from playing a whole season together last year and working out during the offseason with each other."

NOTES: Miami had lost 14 straight regular-season games to the Mavericks and nine straight in Dallas, dating to March 2004. ... The Mavericks were sold out for the 400th straight regular-season game, extending their NBA record. ... The championship-defense-opening rout might seem familiar for Heat fans. After Miami beat Dallas in the 2006 finals, the Heat were clobbered 108-66 at home by the Bulls in the 2006-07 opener. ... The Mavericks had fun connecting Christmas and their championship, such as a parody of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" that kept coming back to the line "and a Larry O'Brien tro-phy." ... The Heat showed their holiday spirit by wearing green laces with their red shoes.

Heat-Mavericks Notebook

By Dave Ivey, for NBA.com
Posted Sunday December 25, 2011 6:18PM

THE FACTS: Dallas received a championship banner for Christmas. Miami, the team it defeated to win last season's NBA Finals, received a dose of revenge. LeBron James scored 37 points and Dwyane Wade added 26 as the Heat soured Sunday's season-opening celebration in Dallas and snapped a long regular-season losing streak to the Mavericks with a wire-to-wire 105-94 victory. Dallas, led by Jason Terry (23 points) and Dirk Nowitzki (21), had won 14 straight regular-season meetings against Miami dating back to 2004.

QUOTABLE: "It's not about last year's storyline. It's not about anything else other than trying to establish our season on the right note. And obviously I think we did that for the most part."
--Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra

THE STAT: James broke the Heat record for points in a season opener, set by Tim Hardaway with 32 in a double-overtime victory against Detroit on Nov. 2, 1999. James was 11-for-19 from the field and 15-for-19 at the line with 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks.

TURNING POINT: Pick a run, any run. Dallas came out flat after an emotional pregame ceremony and Miami maintained control with a 21-4 surge in the first period, a 17-1 spurt in the second and a 16-2 run in the third. The latter, capped by James' alley-oop tip pass to Wade for a dunk, gave the Heat its biggest lead at 78-43.

HOT: The Heat shot 57.1 percent from the field through the first three quarters, including 4-for-5 behind the arc. Miami led 97-65 entering the fourth, then emptied its bench and was outscored 29-8 during the final quarter.

NOT: Dallas newcomers Lamar Odom and Vince Carter made less-than-favorable first impressions. Odom was ejected at the 5:06 mark of the third quarter after picking up his second technical foul arguing a call, exiting the game with four points (1-of-6 shooting), four rebounds and four fouls. Carter started and contributed five points and three assists in 20:41.

NOTABLE: Miami improved to 6-2 all-time on Christmas Day and 12-12 in season openers, while Dallas lost for the first time on Dec. 25 (2-1) and dropped to 18-14 in openers. ... Heat rookie guard Norris Cole tallied seven points and four turnovers in his NBA debut. ... Miami outscored Dallas 44-28 in the paint and 31-10 in fastbreak points. ... The Heat outrebounded the Mavs 51-31. ... There were a combined 40 turnovers in the game, 23 by Miami. ... NBA Commissioner David Stern participated in the banner-raising ceremony. ... This was the 400th straight regular-season sellout (20,421) at the American Airlines Center.

UP NEXT: For the Mavericks, Monday vs. Denver, Thursday @ Oklahoma City, Friday vs. Toronto. For the Heat, Tuesday vs. Boston, Wednesday @ Charlotte, Friday @ Minnesota.

• Heat: Curry, Miller
• Mavericks: Williams

• Heat: --
• Mavericks: Odom, Odom, West

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
• Officials: #48 Scott Foster, #71 Rodney Mott, #58 Josh Tiven
• Attendance: 20421
• Duration: 2:44