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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
DALLAS (AP) -- This is how far the Dallas Mavericks have come
this season: Not only can they finally beat the Miami Heat, they can do it without point guard Steve Nash and with Dirk Nowitzki having a horrible game.
|  | | With 26 points and 11 rebounds, Michael Finley helped the Mavs end 10 years of futility against Miami. |
Michael Finley helped Dallas end a 16-game losing streak to Miami, scoring 26 points and hitting spectacular shots in key
situations as the Mavericks recovered from a fourth-quarter
collapse to beat the Heat 95-91 in overtime Thursday night.
"This was a big win for our team and for our organization," said Finley, who also had 11 rebounds in his first game since making a second straight All-Star game. "It was an ugly win, but we'll take it."
Wins over a team like Miami are what Dallas needs to build confidence and credibility. The Mavs, who are in a 10-year playoff drought, last beat the Heat in December 1991. The victory ended the longest winning streak of one team over another in any of the four
major pro sports.
Miami also had been playing well, winning five straight, all by
at least 10 points. The Heat are an especially good measuring stick
because their half-court, defense-first style is the opposite of
Dallas' wide-open approach.
Both streaks seemed likely to continue considering Nash left after one quarter with an aggravation of his strained left hamstring and Nowitzki, who averages 21.5 points, scored 10 points on 5-of-20 shooting.
Finley took over for both, usually running the offense and
hitting lots of clutch jumpers. The Mavericks also were
surprisingly effective inside, getting 13 points from Christian
Laettner and 10 from Gary Trent.
Dallas' lead peaked at 81-67 with 9:17 to play, but Tim Hardaway
led Miami's comeback by scoring the next 13 points, including three
3-pointers.
The Heat could've gone ahead with 11 seconds left, but Eddie
Jones only tied it by making one of two free throws. Finley missed
a long, off-balanced shot at the end of the fourth quarter.
Finley then opened overtime with a 3-pointer and Nowitzki scored
his first basket since the third quarter to put Dallas up 92-87.
"Maybe it was time to get scared, but we didn't," Nowitzki
said. "We stepped up and hit big shots."
Miami never recovered, partly because Hardaway was stuck on the
bench the final 1:49. Heat coach Pat Riley had taken him out for
defensive purposes, then was never able to put him back in.
"It's very frustrating when your go-to guy is not there at the
end," said Hardaway, who had 21 points. "It hurts me. I know I
can play defense, I know I can rebound and make plays that my team
needs."
Said Riley: "It's probably my fault I didn't take the timeout
on the last possession."
The game ended with Hardaway's replacement, Anthony Carter,
shooting an air ball that fittingly was caught by Finley. Carter
made only one of nine shots.
Anthony Mason led Miami with 23 points, but only two came in the
last 24 minutes. Brian Grant had nine points and 15 rebounds.
"They played well and hit shots, but we hurt ourselves at the end," Mason said. "We took ourselves out of the game."
Finley hit a 3-pointer late in the first quarter to put Dallas
ahead for the first time and regained the lead just before halftime
with a left-handed finger roll around three defenders and a jumper
over Jones.
Finley hit another last-second jumper to close the third
quarter, then opened the fourth with two free throws to cap a 10-0
Dallas run that opened a 74-65 lead. He also had Dallas' last
points in regulation, a jumper that made it 87-80.
Nash was playing his fourth game since missing six with the
hamstring problem.
"He had a little hot spot in his hamstring and we didn't want to push it," acting coach Donnie Nelson said. "He is too important in the long haul.
Game notes
The Heat had won four straight on the road. ... Miami
allowed its most points in 14 games, since a 110-102 victory over
Detroit on Dec. 30. ... Dallas is 2-0 in overtime, Miami 3-1. ...
The game featured a matchup of the NBA's top two iron men: Miami's
A.C. Green, playing his record 1,157th straight game, and Finley. ... Technically, the second- and third-winningest coaches in NBA history also squared off: Miami's Pat Riley and Dallas' Don Nelson. Donnie Nelson is filling in for his father, who is recovering from prostate cancer surgery.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Miami Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
RECAPS
Minnesota 90
Cleveland 81
Dallas 95
Miami 91
Philadelphia 87
New York 80
LA Clippers 101
Houston 84
Utah 87
Charlotte 76
Portland 100
Phoenix 92
Seattle 97
Chicago 91
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