featured-image

Mavericks 104 - HEAT 110 Game Recap

The Miami HEAT wrapped up their four-game homestand with a 110-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Friday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. The HEAT put up another efficient offensive night to grab their fifth straight win over the Mavericks.

 

Impact Performance of the Night: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined to cause all kinds of problems for the Dallas Mavericks. James scored 39 points on 14-of-18 shooting, a remarkably efficiency night against a defense that tends to send regular double teams his way. James had his jumper working well, and his back to back turnaround jumpers late helped put the game away. Wade scored 17 points, but also added eight assists and eight steals. The steals were a career high and the HEAT scoring 24 points off of Mavericks turnovers was largely due to Wade’s activity. His play on both ends of the floor was pivotal in the victory.

 

The Deciding Run: Miami held decent leads for most of the night, but the Mavericks closed late, narrowing the margin to just one point with just 2:31 left in the game. LeBron James responded with a fadeaway jumper that looked an awful lot like the vintage Dirk Nowitzki jumper, the one with one leg serving as a buffer. The HEAT reeled off six straight free throws after that, capping an 8-0 run and giving Miami the cushion for a six-point win.

 

Play of the Game: It has to be LeBron James’ jumper late. He backed his defender, Monta Ellis down before turning and draining the fadeaway jumper. It’s a shot that James has worked on relentlessly and it has paid off. It wasn’t exactly a game winner since it came with two minutes left on the game clock, but Dallas was never able to close the gap again.

 

Efficiency Rating: Offensive Efficiency: 110.9; Defensive Efficiency: 102.7

 

Trend to Watch: When the HEAT defense is clicking, it’s forcing lots of live ball turnovers. Against the Mavericks, the HEAT finished with 19 steals, the second highest mark in franchise history. Miami was jumping passing lanes and aggressively trapping and attacking ball handlers. Dallas entered the night as the fourth best offense in the NBA, and they still scored efficiently, but the HEAT were able to keep the offense at bay because they didn’t allow Dallas to get shots to the rim. As the HEAT’s defensive intensity ratchets up, so too will the steals. Tonight was just a glimpse of what is to come down the line. When the hyper-active ball swarming defense is activated, there isn’t much opponents can do.

 

The Takeaway: This was a solid win against a good opponent. As mentioned, Dallas has an elite offense, so being able to keep it under wraps for large chunks of the night bodes well for Miami. There were too many turnovers and sloppy decisions on the HEAT’s part, but they were able to battle through them and get big scores whenever needed. Also, the emergence of Rashard Lewis and Michael Beasley as solid rotation players continues. Both played well tonight, filling their designated roles. Offensively, both pack an obvious punch, but on the defensive end is where they did their most impressive work. Showings like tonight highlight just how deep the HEAT bench is.

 

Notes: Chris Bosh finished with 14 points and four rebounds. Rashard Lewis and Norris Cole each scored 11 points. Greg Oden and Ray Allen were inactive.