Final
Nowitzki, red-hot Mavericks visit Wade, Heat in Finals rematch
Jan 21, 2007 - 2:43 PM Dallas (33-8) at Miami (18-21) 1:00 pm ESTMIAMI (Ticker) -- A lot has changed since last June's NBA Finals, namely both teams involved.
In a rematch of last season's championship series, the Dwyane Wade and the shorthanded Miami Heat host the red-hot Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
After losing to the Heat in six games in their first appearance in the NBA finals, the Mavericks opened the 2006-07 campaign with four straight losses.
However, Dallas has righted the ship in a big way since then, winning 33 of its last 37 contests and cementing itself once again as one of the NBA's elite teams.
Led by superstar Dirk Nowitzki and rising youngster Jos Howard, the Mavericks have been nearly unbeatable for the better part of a month, winning 19-of-20 games since December 11. Dallas' only loss over that span was a 101-98 setback vs. the Los Angeles Lakers on January 7.
The Mavericks exacted a measure of revenge against Los Angeles on Thursday, racing past the Lakers in the third quarter en route to a 114-95 triumph.
Howard scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Nowitzki added 27 points and 10 rebounds for Dallas, which extended its winning streak to six games. The duo of Howard and Nowitzki have been the driving force behind Dallas' success, combining to average 44.5 points and 16.6 rebounds per game this season.
While the Mavericks have thrived since their slow start, the Heat conversely have struggled to awaken from their championship hangover, dealing with injuries to their two superstars and an illness to their Hall of Fame coach.
With superstar center Shaquille O'Neal sidelined for all but four games this season with a knee injury, Miami has relied heavily on Wade, the reigning finals MVP who also has missed time this season with a wrist ailment.
The Heat slowly have started to turn things around, winning five of their past seven contests. However, Miami looked lost in Friday's 98-95 overtime setback at Philadelphia, which owns the worst record in the Eastern Conference and the second-worst mark in the league.
Wade scored 28 points and dished out nine assists but shot just 10-of-26 for the Heat, who fell to 5-4 without coach Pat Riley, who took an indefinite leave of absence on January 3 for medical reasons.
- NBA
DALLAS 99
MIAMI 93 FINAL
Jan 21 3:29 PM - NBA
HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
DALLAS 31 20 51
MIAMI 23 17 40 HALFTIME
HIGH SCORERS AT HALFTIME
DAL - JOSH HOWARD 15, DIRK NOWITZKI 12, ERICK
DAMPIER 8
MIA - DWYANE WADE 17, JASON WILLIAMS 8, ALONZO
MOURNING 6
Jan 21 2:07 PM - NBA
DALLAS 31
MIAMI 23 END, 1ST QTR
Jan 21 1:33 PM
Related News
- Shaquille O’Neal To Be First To Have Jersey Retired by Magic Jan 4
- LeBron James Has Been At His Best for Many Birthdays Dec 29
- Stats rundown: 3 stats to know from the Dallas Mavericks’ Christmas Day win over the Phoenix Suns, 128-114 Dec 26
- 3 thoughts on a tense 128-114 Christmas win for the Mavericks over the Phoenix Suns Dec 26
- Luka Hits 10,000 Points: How Doncic reached a career Milestone Dec 25
- Mavericks vs Suns Preview: the NBA Christmas Day nightcap of Dallas against Phoenix Dec 25
- Mavericks Odds: How to bet the Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns Dec 25
- Mavericks vs Suns Preview: 3 things to know as Mavericks get Christmas Day showdown against the Suns Dec 24
- NBA Power Rankings Watch: the Mavericks navigate the injury bug Dec 24
- Bask in Dante Exum’s glow up from NBA exile to Dallas Mavericks starter Dec 24
- AJ Lawson scores career-high 17 points against the Spurs Dec 24
- Quote board: Doncic, Mavs roll over Wemby-less Spurs Dec 24