Dante Exum scored a season high 27 points to lead seven Dallas players in double figures when Mavericks beat the visiting Miami Heat 118-113 on Thursday in the last game before the All-Star break for both teams.
In a game containing 32 lead changes and 15 bands, Dallas used a 12-0 run to move on 110-102 with 2:39 left.
Miami fought back and pulled within 116-113 after Alec Burks made one of two free throw with 52.6 seconds left. Tyler Herro missed a game-binding 3-pointer with 16 seconds left before Spencer Dinwiddie made two foul shots to secure the victory.
Max Christie scored 19 points, Dinwiddie added 18 and Kessler Edwards had a seasonal 15 for Mavericks, who won for the fourth time in his last five matches. Naji Marshall scored 12 points, Brandon Williams had 11 and Olivier-Maxence Prosper Netted 10.
The short -handed Mavericks were without eight injured players, including Kyrie Irving (right shoulder’s tenderness) and Kyy Thompson (left foot destruction).
Herro matched her season high with 40 points for Miami, who lost his fourth straight. Kel’el Ware got 17 points, Kyle Anderson added 15 points and 10 returns and Burks had 12 points from the bench.
Playing without Bam Adebayo (left knee contusion), Andrew Wiggins (illness) and Terry Rozier (illness), Miami fell three matches during .500 for the first time this season at 25-28.
The heat held a pipe of 22-21 at the end of a period after the team shot a combined 3-AV-19 (15.8 percent) from 3-point intervals.
Herro scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half during the second quarter, including a layout of 3.8 seconds left to give the heat a lead of 56-55 at the break.
Herro wore speed in the second half and hit a couple of 3 points during a 10-0 run that put Miami forward 72-65 with 5:55 left in the third quarter.
Dallas responded with a 13-0 driving and carried a lead of 84-83 into the fourth period.
Exum returned after missing a game with left Achilles density and shot 11-AV-13 for Mavericks, who shot 51.1 percent from the field and 36.1 percent (13-AV-36) from 3-point intervals.
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