Dallas shocks Heat

Mavericks 95, Heat 93

June 03, 2011|By Gary Washburn, Globe Staff

Dirk Nowitzkis layup with 3.6 seconds left beat the Heat and the Mavericks… (DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images )

MIAMI — Those who despise how the Miami Heat were assembled, the runway-style introduction after LeBron James’s decision, the confidence bordering on arrogance, and their championship-like celebration after disposing the Celtics are snickering after Miami’s historic collapse last night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Partying like it was a three games to none series lead, James and Dwyane Wade showboated after Wade’s 3-pointer directly in front of the Mavericks bench extended Miami’s lead to 15 points with 7:14 left. The Heat obviously forgot that the Dallas Mavericks are perhaps at their best when the boot is on their neck.

Behind brilliant play from Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks stunned not only the sellout crowd, but millions of observers with a game-ending 22-5 run for a 95-93 victory, tying the NBA Finals at one game apiece. The rally was similar to Dallas’s Game 4 win over Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals, a game they trailed by 15 with less than five minutes to play.

“We told ourselves there’s no way we’re going out like this,’’ said Mavericks guard Jason Terry, who scored 8 points in the final run. “And for us to go out in a blowout-type fashion with them dunking on us, shooting threes on us, it would have been disheartening. Each experience, each Finals there’s going to be a turning point. There’s going to be a moment, so to speak. And tonight the moment was ours.’’

The Mavericks methodically erased the Heat’s big lead, and Nowitzki gave them a 93-90 lead with an open 3-pointer with 26.7 seconds left. And to counter the Heat’s display of braggadocio, Nowitzki raised his hand toward the Miami crowd after each down-the-stretch basket.

“I’m so proud of the team, being down 15,’’ Nowitzki said. “We finally got some stops. Our defense got us into the running game. In this league, you have to play until the end, especially the Finals. And we got some lucky bounces there. That was definitely a little hole we got ourselves in, but we kept believing, kept playing off each other, and that was big.’’

After the Nowitzki go-ahead 3-pointer, Dallas left Miami’s Mario Chalmers open for an uncontested 3-pointer just 2.2 seconds later, leaving the Mavericks with a full shot clock for Nowitzki to go to work.

Nowitzki, who struggled most of the evening, took Chris Bosh one-on-one for a streaking lefthanded layup with 3.6 left, and the disheveled Heat, with no timeouts, were relegated to a Wade 30-footer that missed, turning the series in Dallas’s favor. The Mavericks now have home-court advantage for three consecutive games beginning Sunday.

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