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HEAT 105 - Mavericks 96 Game Recap

The Miami HEAT defeated the Dallas Mavericks 105-96 Sunday night at American Airlines Center. Luol Deng led the way for the HEAT with 30 points, five rebounds and four assists.

 

Impact Performance of the Night: You could tell from the last few games that Luol Deng has been getting more comfortable in the HEAT’s offense. The comfort level on Sunday night was at an all-time high.

 

Deng simply couldn’t miss against the Mavericks, as he hit his first three shots and finished 13-of-19 shooting for his 30 points.  As usual, he never stopped moving and fought to get open early and often. Deng also created for himself at times and showed all the work he has put in on his jumper.

 

The Deciding Run: Miami went on a 12-2 run that spanned from the end of the third quarter into the fourth to give it a 88-67 lead with about 11 minutes left in the game. Chris Bosh got the HEAT started on the run and Luol Deng finished it.

 

Earlier, the HEAT went on an 11-2 run to go up 51-37 late in the second quarter. The two-man game between Wade and Bosh was really effective against the Mavericks in the first half.

 

Play of the Game: With 5:36 left in the third quarter, Luol Deng found Dwyane Wade on the left block backing down Monta Ellis. Wade took one dribble and spun right by Ellis for the gorgeous finish to put the HEAT up 70-59.

 

Another great play came with 6:58 left in the second quarter. Shabazz Napier knocked the ball away from Monta Ellis as he was driving into the lane. Chalmers came up with the ball and passed it ahead to Dwyane Wade in transition. Wade then finished the nice, high-arching floater over Al-Farouq Aminu to put Miami up 38-30.

 

Efficiency Rating: Offensive Efficiency: 111.9; Defensive Efficiency: 104.8

 

Trend to Watch: After a few quiet games, Mario Chalmers had a nice bounce-back performance against the Mavericks. Chalmers hit plenty of tough shots and was aggressive the second he checked in the game. He connected on his first five shot attempts and was on-point from downtown. In all, Chalmers had 18 points, four assists and two steals.

 

The Takeaway: Miami’s defense absolutely stifled what was the most efficient offensive team entering the night. The HEAT held the Mavericks to just 42.2 percent shooting and remained disciplined on the defensive end all game. There were some points early on where Dallas got some easy looks inside, but Miami clamped down quickly and that really changed the complexion of the game.  

 

On the offensive end, the HEAT gave the Mavericks problems with a balanced attack thanks to great ball movement for the second-consecutive night. Miami had 19 assists on 24 field goals in the first half against Dallas. Four players scored in double-figures for Miami, including 20 apiece for both Wade and Bosh. Bosh hit some timely buckets in the end to make sure Dallas wouldn’t make a comeback. Wade, meanwhile, continued to facilitate, but also remained aggressive.

 

Notes: Josh McRoberts had his best outing on Sunday night. He showed his play-making ability with some very nice passes. In his 17 minutes of play, McRoberts tallied four points, eight rebounds and two assists. 

 

Game Highlights: