Mavericks Lose To Heat After Fourth Quarter Struggles

Feb 18, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Monta Ellis (11) is fouled by Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers (15) during the first half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI HEAT vs DALLAS MAVERICKS Recap 

The Dallas Mavericks were poised to defeating the Miami Heat for the first time since Game 6 of the 2011 NBA Finals. Up 91-88 in the final quarter, LeBron James keyed a 14-0 run and the Heat came away with a 117-106 win in Dallas on Feb. 18.

Despite a 50-28 advantage on the glass, 10 more made free throws, and balanced scoring, the Mavs only shot 40 percent from the field compared to 57 percent from the Heat.

Stars Of The Game: Dirk Nowitzki was on his way to just his third triple-double of his career with nine points, seven rebounds and five assists at halftime, but fell short, finishing with 22 points, nine rebounds and seven dimes. It was Dirk’s most boards since grabbing 17 on Jan. 29 (9 games). Vince Carter added 15 while Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon and Brandan Wright all contributed 12. The real star came from the 4-time MVP LeBron James, who went for 42 points (first 40-point game of the year) on 16-of-23 shooting, with nine boards and six assists. James has gone for 81 points this season against Dallas. Chris Bosh and Chris Andersen added 22 and 18, respectively.

The Difference: Dallas found itself with an 85-84 lead after three quarters, but fell flat in the final 12 minutes, only scoring 21 to Miami’s 33. After a 4-point play by Carter put the Mavericks up 95-92 with 7:47 left, Dallas didn’t score for the next 5:20 when Samuel Dalembert knocked down one free throw at the 2:29 mark.

The After Affect: The Mavs entered the day as the 6th seed in the West, a mere .007 separating them and the 8th-seeded Golden State Warriors. After the loss, mixed in with the Phoenix Suns winning, Dallas has dropped to the 8th seed. The Suns sit at a .596 win percentage while the Warriors are 7th at .585 and the Mavs at .582. The Memphis Grizzlies also won, and have the same number of losses as the Mavs, but are two wins back of Dallas.

Up Next: Dallas begins a 3-game road trip in Philly on Feb. 21 followed by Detroit on Feb. 22 and the Knicks on Feb. 24. The Mavs need to take advantage and win their next four, hosting the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 26. The Mavs next four opponents have a record of 80-133. The Suns next four are at home versus the Celtics, Spurs, Rockets and T’Wolves. Golden State’s next four is against the Kings, Rockets, Nets and Pistons.