MIAMI – For whatever reason, unless there’s an NBA title at stake, the Miami Heat simply cannot beat the Dallas Mavericks.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 points, Jason Terry hit two big 3-pointers in the final 2½ minutes, and the Mavericks ended Miami’s 12-game winning streak by beating the Heat 98-96 on Monday night.
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It was Dallas’ 14th straight regular-season win over the Heat, and the Mavericks were the last team to beat Miami this season, too. Dallas has now snapped six opponent winning streaks of at least five games this season — including a pair of 12-gamers, against San Antonio on Nov. 26 and now against the Heat.
Terry had the biggest blow, a 3-pointer with 1:25 left to put Dallas up 89-85.
Miami got within 91-90 on a three-point play by LeBron James with 56 seconds left, before Shawn Marion hit three free throws in the next 37 seconds to extend the margin back to a somewhat-comfortable one for the Mavs.
Terry finished with 19 and Caron Butler scored 13 for Dallas, which won despite giving up a 17-0 run in the first half and a 13-0 run in the third quarter.
Dwyane Wade scored 22 points, while James and Chris Bosh each scored 19 for Miami. the time Wade hit a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining, James was already tugging off his jersey and making the walk off the floor.
JAZZ 101, CAVALIERS 90: C.J. Miles scored 22 points, Paul Millsap and Raja Bell added 19 apiece and Utah won in Cleveland, moving Coach Jerry Sloan into a tie with Pat Riley for the third-most wins in NBA history.
Deron Williams had 17 points and 10 assists as the Jazz improved to 11-1 against the Eastern Conference.
PACERS 94, HORNETS 93: Mike Dunleavy’s tip-in at the buzzer gave Indiana a win at home. New Orleans had taken the lead on a jumper by David West with 3.9 seconds left. Indiana’s Danny Granger’s long shot rattled around the rim, and Dunleavy was uncontested for the rebound under the hoop. The officials reviewed the play and the basket stood.
HAWKS 91, MAGIC 81: Al Horford scored 24 points and Atlanta rolled to a home win over Dwight Howard and rebuilt Orlando.
WIZARDS 108, BOBCATS 75: The Wizards limited the Bobcats to one field goal in the third quarter and cruised to a home win that snapped a seven-game losing streak.
NOTES
The sister and cousin of New Orleans player Willie Green were killed early Monday when their sport utility vehicle sped from a Detroit area freeway and slammed into a tree a few hours after the Hornets lost to the Pistons in overtime at the Palace of Auburn Hills. … Milwaukee point guard Brandon Jennings, 21, will miss four to six weeks as he recovers from surgery to repair a fracture in his left foot. GM John Hammond said that Jennings was examined after Saturday’s 95-86 loss to Utah.
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