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Mavs snap Heat's 12-game win streak

Dec 21, 2010 - 6:01 AM Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Jason Terry scored all 19 of his points in the fourth quarter and was the driving force as Dallas pulled out a 98-96 victory over Miami and snapped the Heat's 12-game win streak.

Mavericks star forward Dirk Nowitzki scored a team-high 26 points, while the Heat's trio of stars combined for 60 points, 22 rebounds and 14 assists.

But it was Terry, coming off the bench, who led the Mavericks to their third consecutive victory and 15th in their last 16 games.

Dallas has also won 14 in a row against Miami -- a streak that includes the Heat's last loss, a 106-95 decision on November 27.

The Mavericks extended that streak again despite trailing at halftime and at the end of the third quarter, and after blowing a double-digit lead.

"At halftime we were a little frustrated because we had a lead and lost it, and we kind of battled back," said Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle. "I told them, 'We're within one point and [Terry] hasn't even scored a point yet.' So I said, 'We're in good shape. He's gonna get going -- we're gonna get him going.'"

Did they ever. Terry punctuated his performance with key three-pointers, draining his first from beyond the arc with 8:06 left to end a seven-point burst and give Dallas a 72-70 edge.

Neither team held a lead larger than three over the next four minutes, and with 4:02 on the clock Terry's 19-footer made it an 81-77 game.

Miami stayed close when Wade drove toward the lane on the right side and tossed up a floater. The shot was slightly awkward, but worked, and had the Heat within a possession.

But Miami never pulled even because it didn't get a defensive stop or rebound in several situations.

Terry missed his initial attempt from the right corner, but the rebound bounced right back to him. The 6-foot-2 guard, who was defended by the 6- foot-9 Joel Anthony, quickly rose for another three-point attempt and drained it for an 86-81 lead.

Chris Bosh's acrobatic layup and two free throws from Mario Chalmers had Miami within a point with 1:53 on the clock, but the Heat were again unable to stop Terry.

Nowitzki missed two three-point tries -- one from the left corner and one from the top of the arc. He air-balled the second, and Shawn Marion was under the basket to gather the ball. Marion kicked out to the left wing for Terry, who sank a wide-open trey to make it an 89-85 contest.

Though Miami continued to score, Dallas made 9-of-10 from the line in the final 64 seconds to secure the victory.

"At the end of the day, if you look at it, they have a lot more experience than us together," Bosh said of the Mavericks. "They've been through a lot more, so you just keep that in mind. It's a very long season, we're still going to see these teams down the road, and we're still going to get better."

Free throw shooting made a big difference over the course of the game. The Mavericks made 24-of-28 from the line, compared to a 17-of-25 performance by the Heat.

LeBron James nearly posted a triple-double, going for 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Wade finished with 22 points and seven assists and Bosh pulled down eight boards to go with his 19 points.

Dallas opened the game on a 14-2 run and held a 23-10 lead after Jason Kidd sank a layup with 3:14 left in the first quarter. But the Heat ended the frame on a 12-0 run, and took the lead when Chalmers drilled a three to start the second quarter.

Miami got a boost late in the half when sharpshooter Mike Miller made his return. Miller had not played this season because of a thumb injury suffered in the preseason, and entered the game with 3:52 remaining. He played for the rest of the half and missed four shots.

Several of his attempts came during a bizarre possession late in the quarter. Miami held the ball for nearly a minute and missed seven shots before Chalmers got a three to drop for a 42-39 edge.

The Heat carried a 44-43 lead into the break and a 68-65 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Game Notes

Caron Butler had 13 points for the Mavericks, while Marion ended with a game- high 13 rebounds...Chalmers ended with 13 points off the bench for the Heat...Miami set a franchise record for most consecutive games with a blocked shot (239).