Wade turns back the clock
Veteran guard scores 22 to lead Heat past Mavs
DALLAS —Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade couldn’t go out without one last vintage moment in Dallas.
Reminiscing pregame of his grandest memory at American Airlines Center, he wrapped up a warmup with a re-enactment of the rebound of Jason Terry’s missed 3-pointer and ensuing launch of the ball in the air to celebrate his first of three NBA titles — in 2006 when he was named finals MVP.
Then the 16-year star guard, whose status was initially in doubt after he missed shootaround earlier Wednesday with an illness, led the Heat with 22 points as Miami stormed past the Dallas Mavericks for a 112-101 win to head into the All-Star break at 26-30.
While four games under .500 is not where the Heat wished to be at the break, it’s a glimpse of momentum heading into the hiatus. The Heat finished a tough five-game swing through the West 2-3 and feeling as if they played better than that would indicate.
Wade, dueling at times with 21-year Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki, was 9-for-14 from the field. While on the bench in the final minutes, he heard chants of “We Want Wade!” showered from the Dallas crowd, many of whom were in Heat jerseys.
“I just felt good,” Wade said. “Talking to Dirk at the end, he was like, ‘Man, you look good.’ So you know you have those days, right? And those are the scary days. Those are the days where you mess around and you’re like, ‘Oh, I can keep playing.’ ”
Dion Waiters scored 20 points for the Heat, while Josh Richardson had 14 with six assists. Justise Winslow had 11 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and James Johnson came off the bench to score 12 points as the Mavs cut into Miami’s 21-point, fourthquarter lead.
Luka Doncic was an assist shy of a triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for Dallas (26-31). Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Mavs with 20 points, while Nowitzki had 12.
After the break, which will involve Wade playing in his 13th All-Star Game on Sunday, the Heat go right back on the road, facing the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 21.
“It would have been very depressing going into the break without this one,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Five degrees of Heat from Wednesday’s game:
1. Wade and Dirk together: Wade and Nowitzki checked in at the same time in the middle of the first quarter at the 5:11 mark. Wade was initially met with scattered boos, but a large ovation from the Mavs faithful opened up, although much of it could’ve been for Nowitzki’s entrance.
As they stood by the scorers’ table, they shared a moment.
“He got on my case a little bit about recreating the ’06, throwing the ball up before the game, so we just had a little laugh about it,” Wade said. “It’s fun, man . ... There’s certain games that are a little bit more special.”
Dallas fans, still not too fond of Wade after the Mavericks battled the Heat in the finals in 2006 and 2011, would then boo him as he touched the ball. But on made baskets, cheers would drown out the boos.
The Mavericks did not recognize Wade with any type of tribute at the arena, as has been customary at many other road arenas during Wade’s “One Last Dance.”
2. Aggressive Dion: Waiters had been settling for 3-pointers — and shooting them well — for much of the trip and since his return last month from a yearlong absence from ankle surgery.
But on Wednesday he showed more flashes of testing the ankle on the drive. While Waiters still shot eight 3-pointers against the Mavericks, they came more naturally and in the flow of the offense to complement his drive.
“It’s getting closer and he’s getting in better shape,” Spoelstra said. “He is getting his legs under him.
“He gives us something that we need. It helps having those multiple threats out there.”
The Heat held the Mavericks to 16 points in the third quarter as the game swung in Miami’s direction.
The Heat held Dallas 4-of-22 shooting (.182) the period.
“The level of urgency [was] to treat this game like a playoff game,” Spoelstra said. “We treated it with the proper respect.
“They’re not an easy team to cover, particularly when they spread you out with Doncic’s pick-androlls and the shooters and roll guys they have.” to in
turnovers an Turnovers continue to be a prime indicator of the Heat’s success or lack thereof.
When the Heat outscored Dallas 32-16 in the third quarter, they only turned it over twice.
“When we keep our turnovers down, our record is pretty good,” Winslow said. “That’s a big point of emphasis with this team.”
5. Luka excitement: Every time Doncic touched the ball, the anticipation of a highlight-reel moment could be felt among the American Airlines Center crowd.
“He’s young, and he has so much talent,” Wade said. “What I was impressed about most was, you see all the highlights of him scoring, his ability to pass and the way he sees the floor and how he gets the ball to his teammates across the floor.
“Quote me right when I say this: It’s LeBron Jameslike, from the standpoint of how he’s able to rope that pass to shooters in corners, getting blitzed. There’s not many guys that can do that. He does an amazing job.”