Inside Report: NBA Finals Game 3 preview — Miami Heat (1-1) at Dallas Mavericks (1-1)

Earl K. Sneed previews Game 3 of the NBA Finals, as the Mavericks try to build off their epic comeback in Game 2 to even the best-of-seven championship series with the Miami Heat at 1-1 with the setting shifting to Dallas for three games.

DALLAS — It’s been five years since the Dallas Mavericks last hosted an NBA Finals game.

It’s been five years since the Mavericks had a chance to redeem themselves after watching the Miami Heat celebrate a championship win on the American Airlines Center floor, when 2006 Finals MVP Dwyane Wade and his teammates were crowned champions in front of the Dallas faithful after stealing away four consecutive wins including a Game 6 on the road.

Sunday night, the Mavericks will try to get even, hoping to begin a stretch of three straight scheduled home games with a reversal of fortunes, as the 2-3-2 format shifts from Miami to Dallas with an opportunity to take the upper hand following a 95-93 comeback road win to force a split of the first two outings.

“We’re looking at Game 3. That’s the only thing on our mind right now,” sixth man Jason Terry explained. “We’re at home What does that mean? It means our building is going to be crazy. We’re going to play with a lot of energy. Some of those shots we’re missing better go down. That’s what home court is all about. … So, we’re going to have fun with it. We’re excited. Our fans are excited. We’re back in the Finals after five years. I’m ready. It’s going to be fun.”

After trailing for the first time in a playoff series this year following a 92-84 Game 1 defeat, the Mavs now look for a little home cooking thanks to the momentum of finishing Game 2 on a historic 22-5 run to come back from 15 down. Meanwhile, Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki tries to shake off any effects of an injury to his off-shooting hand, after tearing a tendon in his left middle finger swiping at Heat big man Chris Bosh while trying to force a steal in Game 1 just two nights before finishing the Heat off with a game-winning layup with the same hand that features a splint on the hurt digit.

“Definitely a huge comeback for us. And we never gave up, so that was big,” Nowitzki said after the victory to tie the series, scoring the Mavs’ final nine points to finish with 24 points on 10-of-22 shooting.

He added: “Proud of the team, how they battled. To be down 15 against a great team like that and we kept plugging. … I think in this league, you’ve gotta play till the end, especially in the Finals. You can be down 20, you gotta keep plugging. You never know what’s gonna happen in this league. And we kept on fighting and we got some lucky bounces there. … We’re not gonna approach the next three, we’re gonna approach the next one like it’s our last. I mean, you can not get a split and a huge emotional win in Game 2 and then go home and lose Game 3. So, as far as I’m concerned, the next one is the biggest game of them all, and hopefully our fans will be rocking. They’ve been great to us and carried us throughout the playoffs so far, so we’re going home to a great building and hopefully can get Game 3.”

But the Mavs didn’t leave Miami unscathed, with reserve center Brendan Haywood listed as day-to-day due to a strained right hip flexor injury. Now, the Mavericks take their home floor potentially down a man and hoping to find an answer for the Heat’s Big Three of two-time MVP LeBron James, Wade and Bosh.

However, both Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle and Terry confess that their team will have to come together to collectively combat the three superstars and to prevent the Heat’s star-studded lineup from paying the Dallas team back for its first home loss of the playoffs, with the Mavs’ home gym anything but an advantage after both squads tied for the best regular-season road record at 28-13.

But it’s the Mavs that hope to be the team continuing a trend, with the winner of Game 3 in a 1-1 series 11-0 at the end of the best-of-seven showdowns since the league switched to a 2-3-2 Finals format in 1985.

“We’re working on a mindset I think you have to have against Miami, which is you’ve got to be extremely solid at both ends and efficiency is an absolute must on offense, because they convert turnovers into baskets better than anyone in basketball,” Carlisle explained after his team surrendered 31 points on 20 turnovers in Game 2.

“Regardless of what the stats say, we know what we have to do to come out and be successful,” Terry added after scoring eight of his 16 points in Game 2′s final run. “We’re coming home. This is a homecoming for us. We really want to come out early on in the game, feel good about ourselves and come out and play Maverick basketball, which we have not done consistently for 48 minutes in this series.”

Note: The Mavericks will host Game 3 at the American Airlines Center on Sunday, in a game that tip off at 7 p.m. CT and air nationally on ABC. Tickets for the Finals are on sale now. Visit Mavs.com for details or call 214-747-MAVS (6287).

All of the Mavs¡¯ home Finals games at American Airlines Center will be a MAVS ROYAL BLUE-OUT!

Every seat at the American Airlines Center will have a MAVS ROYAL BLUE playoff T-shirt placed in it. We need for you and every Mavs fan to show their Mavs pride. So, dress ready to put on your MAVS ROYAL BLUE playoff T-shirt when you get to your seat.