The ticket may have been a tough sell considering these are two teams many loved to watch just because of the rosters. However both are far from the glory days today.
The Miami Heat have won two in a row and for the second straight game they outscored their opponent in the paint.
Goran Dragic filled the stat sheet with 32 points, Tyler Johnson scored 10 of his 23 in the fourth quarter and the Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks 99-95, snapping Dallas’ season-high three-game winning streak.
Hassan Whiteside scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
“Like an old-school Miami-Dallas game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Did I say this was a tough ticket to sell?
Lets start with Dallas.
“It’s not exactly 2011,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s two franchises that are competitive, and that are playing a little better in recent games. It’s a competitive game. We’ve had health issues. They’ve obviously had health issues.”
Dirk Nowitzki is proving again father time remains undefeated. The future Hall of Famer had 19 points for Dallas, which went 1 for 8 from the field during a late stretch of the fourth quarter and never got the lead again.
Wesley Matthews added 18 for the Mavericks.
For the Heat, well several ex-Heat players did not walk out of that locker room. Miami improved to 3-21 when trailing at halftime. Dallas led 53-44 at the break. Okaro White made his NBA debut, who by the way is using Dwyane Wade’s old locker. He was signed to a 10-day deal earlier this week. Wayne Ellington got his 1,000th career rebound and is one 3-pointer shy of 500.
The beat goes on as the Mavericks host the Utah Jazz on Friday. Dallas is 0-7 on the second night of back-to-backs this season.
The Heat host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. Miami is 1-1 against the Bucks, with both teams winning at home.
Photo/RomanGaray/WORLDWIDEWEST
