Heat 105, Mavericks 94
LeBron James led the way with 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as the Miami Heat got a small measure of revenge with a 105-94 victory over the host Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
Dwyane Wade added 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Heat, who fell to the Mavericks in six games during the NBA Finals last June.
Dallas, which raised its championship banner before the game, is adjusting to several changes to its roster from last season. The biggest additions, Lamar Odom and Vince Carter, combined for just nine points on 3-of-12 shooting.
The biggest subtraction was evident as well. With former starting center and defensive anchor Tyson Chandler off to the New York Knicks as a free agent, the Mavericks were outrebounded, 51-31.
Miami came out strong from the start, using a 13-0 burst in the first quarter to grab a double-digit lead and never looking back. It was 62-41 at the half and grew to 97-65 by the end of the third quarter.
The Heat took their foot off the gas a bit at the start of the fourth, allowing the Mavericks to creep back within 102-85 with 5:56 left on Jason Terry‘s jumper. But Miami called a timeout and regrouped defensively, holding Dallas off the board for the next three minutes.
Terry finished with 23 points and Dirk Nowitzki added 21 for the Mavericks.