The Dallas Mavericks started a four-game road trip on Monday night against the Miami Heat in what was projected to be a track meet. Both of these teams were top five in pace in the NBA, but they were also top five in defensive rating. One of those would have to win out.
And Dallas’ offense was absolutely abysmal for the first three quarters of the game. Both teams shot around 32% in the first quarter, but Miami started to pull away in the second quarter as Dallas’ offense continued to flounder. The lead would grow as large as 13 for the Heat in the third quarter, and that’s when it felt like the Heat might run away.
But Ryan Nembhard came into the game, and all of a sudden, the Mavericks’ offense started looking much smoother. And they came roaring back with threes by Klay Thompson and Max Christie. Cooper Flagg missed an alley-oop dunk that could’ve tied it with about six and a half minutes to go, but that didn’t stop the comeback.
P.J. Washington drilled a corner three, and finally, the Mavericks tied the game with a putback slam from Daniel Gafford with less than five minutes left. Miami retook the lead and led for the next three-plus minutes before Cooper Flagg tied the game at the free-throw line with just over a minute left.
With a chance to take the lead, P.J. Washington threw the ball away, and Tyler Herro went down the other end and hit a contested floater over Washington to give them the lead again. Dallas had their chances to take the lead, though. Max Christie missed a three from the corner, then they forced a turnover, and P.J. Washington missed a three at the top of the key. Bam Adebayo would ice the game at the free-throw line, and the Heat would go on to win 106-102, as the Mavs fall late in the clutch once again.
Here are three overreactions from Monday’s loss.
1. Play Ryan Nembhard, not D’Angelo Russell
