The Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks 123-118 on Sunday in a highly-contested overtime matchup. The Mavericks were without Luka Doncic, who is still recovering from a wrist strain.
The Mavericks held a small lead early in the first quarter before an extended 11-0 scoring run turned the tides. With both squads scoring the same number of points in the second and third quarters, the game was close in the fourth.
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With 4.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Heat star Jimmy Butler threw down a two-handed dunk to tie the game at 114 and ultimately send the game to overtime. In the final five minutes, Miami’s offense got into a groove behind the scoring outbursts of Butler and Bam Adebayo. Dallas looked exhausted during overtime and their offense went stagnant.
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Butler had a fantastic night with 33 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 11-of-16 shooting. Adebayo also played well and finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
For the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving led the way with 27 points, four rebounds and six assists.
The loss snaps Dallas’ four-game winning streak as Doncic’s absence was felt, especially on the offensive end. They are set to travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks on Monday while the Miami Heat will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
