After three losses in a row, the Dallas Mavericks ensured a clear balance of power against the Miami Heat early on and won the game 115:90. Luka Doncic was the best man in the game and made Jimmy Butler look old.
Dallas Mavericks (25-22) – Miami Heat (25-22) 115:90 (BOXSCORE)
Doncic scored 34 points against the Heat at 12/24 from field and 5/8 from range, along with 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Despite the course of the game, he was on the floor for 38 minutes, and Mavs coach Jason Kidd apparently did not want to risk a comeback from Miami. Miami hardly posed any danger throughout the game, Jimmy Butler (12, 3/7 FG) and Kyle Lowry (5, 2/3) acted very passively.
Kidd had been asking for better defense after the Mavs’ recent loss, and he saw that on Friday. Dallas led by double digits from the middle of the third quarter, the entire last section was actually garbage time. While Miami was completely lacking in long-distance success (4/20), Dallas’ Reggie Bullock (15, 5/6 3P) scored even better than Luka coming off the bench. Spencer Dinwiddie contributed with 19 points.
For Miami, the best scorer in Victor Oladipo (20, 9/12 FG) came off the bench, among the starters only Bam Adebayo (18, 11 rebounds) and Tyler Herro (16, 6/11 FG) scored quite well. The Heat had advantages in the zone (52:34 points). However, that was also because the Mavs settled in just behind the three-point line and hit there 6/10 in the first quarter.
Mavs decide game in third quarter
Miami, on the other hand, had to wait until the second quarter for their first successful long-range shot, and almost nothing came from the middle distance either. With a deficit of only nine points at half time, the Heat were still well served.
With a 19:4 run in the third quarter, Dallas then secured a lead of more than 20 points for the first time in the game and held it until the end of the game. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra put his best players on the bench just under six minutes from time and thus raised the white flag, Kidd followed suit a little later.
NBA: Die Stats-Leader bei Mavs vs. Heat
| Category | Mavs | Heat |
| Points | Luka Doncic (34) | Victor Oladipo (20) |
| Rebounds | Luka Doncic (12) | Bam Adebayo (11) |
| Assists | Luka Doncic (7) | Bam Adebayo (4) |
| Steals | Powell, Bullock (2) | Jimmy Butler (2) |
| Blocks | Reggie Bullock (1) | Caleb Martin (1) |
