Mavs win 10th straight by topping shorthanded Heat

Miami was severely short-handed. All-Star guard Dwyane Wade could be sidelined several weeks because of a dislocated left shoulder suffered in Wednesday’s 112-102 loss at Houston.

Wade flew back to Miami on a private plane and was examined by Heat athletic trainer Ron Culp and then met with team physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick to undergo a number of tests. Wade could either have surgery or following a rehabilitation process that could take six weeks.

Jason Terry scored 21 points for the Mavericks, who have won 31 of their last 33 games overall. Jerry Stackhouse scored 18 points and Devin Harris added 17 points for the Mavericks, who opened a three-game homestand, and are an impressive 25-3 as the host this season. Dallas is scheduled to host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday and the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

Dallas, which played its first game since the All-Star break, continued to roll and are an NBA-best 45-9.

Shaquille O’Neal and James Posey both scored 17 points for Miami, which lost for only the third time in 10 games. Jason Williams and Dorell Wright both scored 13 points, and Udonis Haslem and Chris Quinn both added nine.

The Mavs got going right away on a 12-6 run midway through the first quarter, capped by a Stackhouse trey with 3:54 remaining, and led 26-21 heading into the second.

Dallas blew the game open in the second, starting the stanza on a 22-7 burst, finished by a Terry jumper with 5:28 to go. The Mavs held a comfortable 65-42 halftime advantage.

"Tonight we got off to a pretty good start and had a heck of a second quarter and third quarter," Dallas coach Avery Johnson said.

After Erick Dampier’s slam 47 seconds into the second half, Miami went on a 9-0 run, capped by an O’Neal hook shot with 7:33 left for a 67-51 deficit. However, Dallas closed the quarter on a 22-9 burst, sparked by a pair of Josh Howard jumpers midway through the stanza for a 93-63 lead heading into the fourth.

Miami finally came alive in the final 12 minutes. After Harris hit a jumper 19 seconds into the quarter, the Heat went on a 19-3 run capped by a Wright jumper midway through the stanza.

"We’ve got to go out there and perform because we know what’s at stake," Haslem said. "We understand that they might still be upset about the fact that we won last year and they’re coming out, trying every chance they get to beat us, and not just beat us but embarrass us. We’ve got to go out there and play with that same intensity."

Game Notes

Miami forward Antoine Walker was ejected in the final minute of the third, after fouling Nowitzki on a layup attempt...This was a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals when Miami defeated the Mavericks in six games to earn its first-ever world championship...On January 21st, Howard had 25 points and nine rebounds to lead the Mavericks to a 99-93 victory over the Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena...The Mavericks have won six in a row in the series. Miami has lost five straight and six of its last seven at Dallas...Miami concluded a brief two- game road trip. The Heat are just 11-18 on the road this season. Miami returns home to host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday...Howard left the game with a sprained right ankle.