Dwyane Wade(notes) and the Miami Heat made it to the sixth game of the NBA Finals before succumbing to Dirk Nowitzki(notes) and the Dallas Mavericks. Now, Wade isn’t planning to take a break even if the NBA season isn’t played.

The Associated Press reports that Wade has decided to play somewhere next season, whether it’s in the NBA or not. “I’m going to play basketball this year,” Wade told the AP. “I don’t know where, but I love the game so much that I will play it. And we will figure that out.”

The 29-year-old guard also told the news service that he hasn’t received any international offers yet.

For now, Wade is preparing for the NBA season in case it somehow starts on time, the AP reports: “I’m working into things slowly. Right now I’m taking my time, doing what I do for my body, which might be different than others.”

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Source: Associated Press

Related: Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat

Gotta run!.

Dwyane Wade(notes) and the Miami Heat made it all the way to the sixth game of the NBA Finals before succumbing to Dirk Nowitzki(notes) and the Dallas Mavericks. Now, Wade isn’t planning to take a break even if the NBA season doesn’t take place.

The Associated Press reports that Wade has decided to play somewhere next season, whether it’s in the NBA or not. “I’m going to play basketball this year,” Wade told the AP. “I don’t know where, but I love the game so much that I will play it. And we will figure that out.”

The 29-year-old guard also told the news service that he hasn’t received any international offers yet.

For now, Wade is preparing for the NBA season in case it somehow starts on time, the AP reports: “I’m working into things slowly. Right now I’m taking my time, doing what I do for my body, which might be different than others.”

Don’t forget to follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: Associated Press

Related: Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat

That’s all for today.

The Miami Heat couldn’t quite get the job done last season against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals and now LeBron James(notes), Dwyane Wade(notes), and Chris Bosh(notes) get to sit around and wait till a new collective bargaining agreement is worked out before getting to try it all again.

The supporting cast to the Big Three is set to change whenever a new season gets underway. The Miami Herald reports that General Manager Pat Riley is planning to go after Shane Battier(notes), Grant Hill(notes), and Tayshaun Prince(notes) once the lockout is finally lifted.

If those three don’t work out, the Herald notes, the team will then turn its attention to Michael Redd(notes) and Tracy McGrady(notes).

Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: Miami Herald

Related: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Tayshaun Prince, Shane Battier, Grant Hill, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

MIAMI—

When it comes to the criticism LeBron James endured in the wake of the Miami Heat’s NBA Finals failure against the Dallas Mavericks, Kobe Bryant has two words:

“Back off.”

Amid reflecting on his own team’s postseason demise against Dallas, the Los Angeles Lakers guard had pointed words during an ESPN interview for those who have pointed a critical finger at the Heat forward.

“I think people need to lay off that kid, that’s what I think,” Bryant said of James. “I’ve gotten to know him pretty well, playing with the Olympic team, and I think they just need to back off him and just let him play and let him live his life and let him make his decisions and let him mature as a player.”

Bryant said he could relate to what James has had to endure in the six weeks since the Heat came up two victories shy of an NBA title in the Heat’s first season with the roster remix of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

“It’s tough to be under the microscope like that all the time,” Bryant said. “So, I would like everybody to just back off of him and just let him play.”

Bryant’s Lakers were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the Mavericks, and he said what forward Dirk Nowitzki, guard Jason Kidd and owner Mark Cuban accomplished should not be minimized.

“I’m happy for Dirk. I’m happy for Jason. I’m happy for Jason and all those guys and Mark, they’re very deserving of it,” Bryant said. “They played with a sense of desperation that we couldn’t catch up to. And when we finally figured out things that we wanted to do against them, they shot the lights out and knocked out us.

“It’s as simple as that. But we’ll be back.”

As was the case for the Heat, the Lakers simply were overwhelmed by Dallas’ 3-point shooting.

“They were unconscious,” Bryant said. “They’re definitely deserving to win.”

iwinderman@tribune.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat

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DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks closed the fourth period on a 14-3 run to beat the Miami Heat 112-103, win Game 5 Thursday night, and pull within one win of their first NBA title.

Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs with 29 points and LeBron James had a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but scored just two points in the fourth quarter.

The Mavs lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 Sunday in Miami.

Dwyane Wade, playing with a bruised left hip, led the Heat with 23 points.

Third quarter

The Dallas Mavericks used a 10-2 run to build a lead of as many as nine and lead the Miami Heat 84-79 at the end of three quarters.

Heat guard Dwyane Wade didn’t come back into the game out of the halftime break until just under four minutes remained in the quarter. He has a bruised left hip. Three Heat players, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers each have 15 points.

The Mavs are being led by Dirk Nowitzki who has 21.

Second quarter

Dirk Nowitzki scored the last six points of the quarter for Dallas Mavericks who lead the Miami Heat 60-57 at halftime.

Chris Bosh leads the Heat with 13 while Dwyane Wade, who returned to the game after a hip bruise, has 11.

Nowitzki had 16 points and Tyson Chandler 11 for the Mavs.

Dallas is shooting 66 percent from the field but is being out-rebounded 18-12.

First quarter

Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Miami Heat a 31-30 lead after one quarter.

Heat guard Dwyane Wade went to the dressing room late in the quarter after running into the Mavs’ Brian Cardinal and appearing to injury a hip or hand.

Tyson Chandler leads all scorers with nine points. LeBron James is 1 of 4 from the field with four rebounds and three assists. 

Pregame

Brendan Haywood’s sore right hip will keep him inactive for tonight’s Game 5 between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat at American Airlines Center.

Mavs Coach Rick Carlisle said before the game that guard Roddy Beaubois would be on the team’s active list.

Carlisle would not release his starting lineup for tonight’s game, as is his custom, until shortly before tip off.

Comment Below!.

Read More: 2011 nba finals, 2011 nba finals tv schedule, 2011 nba finals schedule, nba finals schedule, Chris Bosh (F – MIA), Jason Terry (G – DAL), Dirk Nowitzki (F – DAL), LeBron James (F – MIA), Dwyane Wade (G – MIA), Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat

The Dallas Mavericks absolutely can’t afford to lose Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals. The Miami Heat hold a 2-1 lead in the series and with a win Tuesday would be a virtual lock to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The task for the Mavericks is to solve the Heat defense and find a way to get some of their other scorers involved in the game and putting up points.

There’s two ways to look at the series so far if you are a Dallas fan. On the one hand, the Mavericks won a road game and were very much in Game 3 and lost by just two points. On the other hand, all the breaks (and calls) went their way in that third game and they still lost. They won the rebounding (+6) and took 12 more free throws and still didn’t win. The Heat have yet to get a big game from Chris Bosh and they essentially blew Game 2 with their own hubris after taking a big lead late in the fourth quarter.

What’s pretty clear in watching this series is that the Heat have more talent on the floor at crunch time. LeBron James hasn’t had to put up big shooting numbers because the Mavericks don’t have anyone that can guard Dwyane Wade. James has been able to focus his efforts on the defensive end where he’s shut down Jason Terry and at some point in this series, if needed, he’s going to guard Dirk Nowitzki. 

The Heat have lead the majority of this series so far and have yet to play a complete game. If they can bring the right mental focus to Game 4 (as they did in Game 3), they should be able to win Tuesday’s game and essentially end the series. For Dallas to win, their shooters will need to find some other way to get open looks and hit them when they come. Most importantly, Dallas can’t turnover the ball as they’ve done too many times in this series.

Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals tips off on Tuesday June 7, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT on ABC. Down 2-1 in the series, Dallas needs to play it’s best basketball to avoid a deep hole.

Here’s the full remaining schedule for the 2011 NBA Finals:
Game 5 Thursday June 9, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
Game 6 * Sunday June 12, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT
Game 7 * Tuesday June 14, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
*If necessary

Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, right, wait to shoot during a practice session for Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball game Monday, June 6, 2011, in Dallas. The Heat lead the Dallas Mavericks 2-1 in the series. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Feel free to leave your comments below.

By Tom Ziller

– NBA Contributor

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Jun 7, 2011 – Dirk Nowitzki has written a textbook on comebacks throughout the NBA Playoffs, but for the first time the Dallas Mavericks need a series comeback in the 2011 NBA Finals. The Mavericks, after splitting two in South Beach, fell in Game 3 against the Miami Heat on Sunday, putting Dallas in a precarious position. One more Miami win in Big D in the next two games would give the Heat two chances to close out the championship at home.

In other words, Dallas can survive losing one of the three games scheduled in Texas, but it can’t drop two and reasonably hope to survive. That makes Game 4 on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET, ABC) critical, obviously. All Finals games are critical — it’s the Finals, after all! — but this is where the series hinges on dogfight or desperation.

The Heat defense proved too much to handle for every Maverick but Dirk in Game 3; Nowitzki had a marvelous second half, but got little offensive help and missed a potential game-typing jumper in the closing seconds to hand Miami the win. On the other end, Dallas has played solid defense itself, but has no long-term solution for Dwyane Wade, who has been a killer. DeShawn Stevenson is the preferred defender on Wade, but he’s a minus offensively against normal teams, let alone Miami. That leaves Jason Terry, J.J. Barea or Jason Kidd on Wade. Good luck.

Chris Bosh hit the Game 3 winner for Miami despite a poked eye; he said Monday he feels OK and his vision hasn’t been affected. Brendan Haywood, however, may miss action due to a hip injury. That malady opened the door for seldom-used Frenchman Ian Mahinmi, who suffered the indignity of being crushed by LeBron James on a dunk.

Be sure to see our 2011 NBA Finals hub for full series coverage. For more on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier. For more on the Mavericks, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas.

Read More: Dirk Nowitzki (F – DAL), Dwyane Wade (G – MIA), Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks, Jun 7, 2011 9:00 PM EDT

Not much else going on in the NBA world today.

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

He’s doing it to them again.

Five years later, Dwyane Wade is once again becoming the Dallas Mavericks’ worst nightmare in the NBA Finals. Largely due to favorable matchups, the Heat have turned to DWade late in games to bring it home for them, and he has.

This has predictably led to some pretty awful (and wildly incorrect) assumptions from certain members of the media about Wade’s teammate, LeBron James, but the truth of the matter should be obvious to anyone who has ever watched the NBA for more than 10 minutes: both Wade and James are doing exactly what has been asked of them, which is inching them ever closer to their first title together.

In the NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade has once again taken over the familiar role of team leader both on and off the court.

NBA.com has the quotes:

Wade only got to the line four times on Sunday, but he finished with 29 points on 12-for-21 from the field, hitting two of his four attempts from 3-point range. Before Bosh’s game-winner, Wade had the Heat’s previous three buckets, one off a post-up and two pull-up jumpers (one of them a trey) from the top of the key. “We allowed him to bring us home offensively,” [LeBron] James said.

“He played spectacular basketball,” [Chris] Bosh said of Wade. “He was aggressive and took good shots. We rode the wave for a little while. He set the tone for us.” For the series, Wade is averaging 29.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He’s shooting 57 percent from the field and 6-for-15 from 3-point range. His scoring and free-throw attempts are down from the 2006 Finals (when he averaged 34.7 points), but he’s still the Heat’s go-to guy. And on Sunday, Wade wasn’t just making buckets. He was trying to get his teammates to come along for the ride. “He had every right to say what he said to me,” James admitted. “As a competitor, you love when guys challenge you. He challenged me in the locker room at halftime. He challenged me on the court. As a competitor, like I said, I respect that.” … Wade wanted this game, and he got it. “I’ve been here before,” he said.

The Miami Heat is using a tried-and-tested formula against Dallas in these Finals: play suffocating defense, and let Dwyane Wade carry the offense.

Sounds a lot like 2006, and looks like the Mavs still haven’t figured out how to overcome either obstacle.

Gotta run!.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

MIAMI  — Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks put a stunning end to their misery in Miami.

Not much else going on in the NBA world today.

Read More: nba finals, 2011 nba finals schedule, 2011 nba finals, LeBron James (F – MIA), Dwyane Wade (G – MIA), Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat

With 7:14 left in Game 2 of the 2011 NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade hit a three-point shot that put the Miami Heat up 88-73 over the Dallas Mavericks. At that point everyone thought the game was over, including the LeBron James and Wade who celebrated wildly right in front of the Mavericks bench. Unfortunately for the Heat, Dallas didn’t think the game was over and used their anger at being disrespected and Miami’s own hubris to climb back in the game and tie the series 1-1. The next three games will be in Dallas with Game 3 on Sunday, June 5 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.

Dallas outscored Miami 22-5 in those final seven minutes as they raised their game to another level and simply overwhelmed the Heat with their energy and will. It’s fitting in so many ways for the more talented Heat team to be done in by their own arrogance. 

Wade insisted the celebration in front of the Mavericks bench after hit the three-point shot to put Miami up 15 was perfectly fine.

“There was no celebration. It was a shot made going into a timeout. Every team does something. That’s the game. If it pumped them up — they won the game. Obviously it did something. That’s not the first time. It won’t be the last time that — if we do a great play that we come and our teammates and we do something,” Wade said.

Miami should be able to learn a lesson from this and dominate the rest of the series but if Dallas’ confidence is able to carryover and win them the NBA Finals it will be the fourth quarter of Game 2 that was the turning point. Up to that point, the Heat were dominating the Mavericks with their defense and athleticism which produced 30 points off 20 Dallas turnovers.

Here’s the full remaining schedule for the 2011 NBA Finals.

Game 3 Sunday June 5, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT
Game 4 Tuesday June 7, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
Game 5 * Thursday June 9, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
Game 6 * Sunday June 12, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT
Game 7 * Tuesday June 14, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
*If necessary

Miami Heat’s LeBron James (6) speaks with Dwyane Wade during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks, Thursday, June 2, 2011, in Miami. The Mavericks defeated the Heat 95-93. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

That’s all the news for today.

Read More: Jason Kidd (G – DAL), Tyson Chandler (C – DAL), Jason Terry (G – DAL), DeShawn Stevenson (G – DAL), LeBron James (F – MIA), Dwyane Wade (G – MIA), Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat

Here is the much-discussed “celebration” that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade engaged in that supposedly fired up the Dallas Mavericks and caused them to rally from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. It was a play that Tyson Chandler, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd all resented, with Chandler going as far to say that it “angered” the Mavericks. This means that everyone writing about this game has a built-in narrative that will be happily consumed by the masses thanks to all the Heat hate.

But let’s step back for a second. Really, Dallas Mavericks? That’s the celebration that you say inspired you? Weak sauce.

As Holly MacKenzie pointed out: if that’s your standard for a celebration, then Miami should be inspired every time DeShawn Stevenson does anything. If you watch the video, the only player on the Mavericks who is even responding to Wade holding his follow through is Terry, which is ironic in and of itself considering Terry’s antics when he hits big shots. As for Chandler, you can’t even really see him in the picture anyway.

Wade and James didn’t seem to think it was a big deal either. Via Dan Wetzel of Yahoo!

“It was no celebration at all,” James said, unwilling to acknowledge the comments pouring out of the Mavericks’ locker room. “I was excited about the fact that [Wade] hit a big shot, and we went up 15. The same thing we’ve done over the course of the season. There was no celebration at all. We knew we had seven minutes to go still to close out the game.”

“There was no celebration,” Wade said. “It was a shot made going into a timeout. Every team does something. That’s the game. … That’s not the first time. It won’t be the last time.”

It’s a nice little turning point that Mavericks players can turn to after the fact to explain their stunning comeback, but that’s not the same thing as saying it actually fired them up. No, what fired Dallas up was facing a 15-point deficit in what was essentially a must-win game in the NBA Finals. If the Mavericks want to say otherwise, it’s their right, but that’s closer to the truth.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Friday, June 3, 2011

Heat guard Dwyane Wade, dribbling against the Mavericks’ DeShawn Stevenson, scores 36 but none during the game’s final 7:14.
	[Getty Images]

MIAMI — The celebration was in full swing late Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

The Heat dancers were gyrating, the crowd swaying and the players, perhaps, mulling some early morning revelry. Lively Latin music pumped through the speakers, and there was nary a sweaty palm in the building.

With Miami sporting a 15-point lead — and Dallas seemingly losing interest — why should there be? At that very moment, no one could have predicted the series of events to come.

Closing the game with a 22-5 run, the Mavericks shocked the Heat with a 95-93 win that left the best-of-seven NBA Finals tied at 1 as the scene shifts to Dallas for Games 3, 4 and 5.

The story of the game starts and ends with Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki who after playing one of his most uninspired games of the postseason finished with a championship-worthy performance capped by a driving layup against Chris Bosh with 3.6 seconds left.

After making six of his first 17 shots, Nowitzki made four of his final five to score Dallas’ final nine. He finished with 24 points. But even more impressive was the fact that a couple of Nowitzki’s late shots were finished with his left hand, the hand on which he has a torn tendon in the middle finger.

“I played with (Larry) Bird for three years when he was the best player in the world,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “Guys like that don’t feel pain right now. You play, and if you’re feeling pain, you make yourself numb. You’ve got to be a warrior.”

Before Nowitzki upstaged him, Miami’s Dwyane Wade seemed intent on winning another Finals most valuable player award. His 3-pointer with 7:14 left gave Miami an 88-73 lead and him 36 points.

He would not score again. Dallas’ defense clamped down, and Miami folded.

Will the Heat recover?

“When it started to slide, it just kept on going,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’ve had our moments where we feel uncomfortable and feel like our backs are against the wall. That’s when we’ve responded and been at our best.”

Thursday, there was a stark contrast to the in-your-face, no-room-to-breathe brand of defense exhibited by both clubs in Game 1. The pace of the game was quite different, featuring many more fastbreaks.

That’s a style of play embraced by the Mavericks. Carlisle even conceded before the game they would be hard-pressed to win a series playing a halfcourt game.

The problem is Miami can play that game, too. There was no better evidence than the opening minutes of the third quarter, during which the Heat had three straight fastbreak baskets.

A Nowitzki turnover led to the first, a breakaway dunk for LeBron James. The next was one of the flashiest highlights of these playoffs, Wade grabbing the ball in the open court, racing past Nowitzki while wrapping the ball around his back and finishing with a two-handed reverse slam. Finally, Wade tossed an alley-oop to James, leaving Dallas trailing 57-52.

All night, Miami made runs, and Dallas didn’t respond — until the end.

Miami still led by 10 with 5:21 left, but Dallas kept chipping away. Jason Kidd cut the lead to 90-84 with a 3-pointer. Then after a Miami miss, Jason Terry hit a pull-up jumper to slice the deficit to four.

Then Nowitzki happened. And this series got turned upside down.

Mavericks 95, Heat 93

DALLAS (95): Marion 9-14 2-2 20, Nowitzki 10-22 3-3 24, Chandler 4-6 5-8 13, Kidd 2-7 0-0 6, Stevenson 3-6 0-0 9, Stojakovic 0-0 0-0 0, Terry 5-11 6-6 16, Haywood 1-2 0-0 2, Barea 2-7 1-2 5, Cardinal 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-75 17-21 95.

MIAMI (93): James 8-15 2-4 20, Bosh 4-16 4-4 12, Anthony 0-0 0-0 0, Bibby 5-8 0-0 14, Wade 13-20 8-12 36, Haslem 1-3 0-0 2, Chalmers 3-8 2-4 9, Miller 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 34-73 16-24 93.

Dallas28232024—95

Miami28232418—93

3-Point Goals—Dallas 6-17 (Stevenson 3-5, Kidd 2-5, Nowitzki 1-2, Terry 0-2, Barea 0-3), Miami 9-30 (Bibby 4-7, Wade 2-7, James 2-7, Chalmers 1-6, Miller 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Dallas 51 (Nowitzki 11), Miami 39 (Bosh, James 8). Assists—Dallas 18 (Kidd, Terry 5), Miami 13 (Wade 6). Total Fouls—Dallas 20, Miami 17. Technicals—Dallas Coach Carlisle, Miller. A—20,003 (19,600).

[Last modified: Jun 03, 2011 09:44 AM]

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Gotta run!.

MIAMI - Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki scored his team’s final nine points leading to a stunning 95-93 victory against the Miami Heat after they trailed by 15 with just more than six minutes remaining.

The Mavericks closed out the game on 22-5 run, hitting clutch shots to seize control. It was the Heat’s first home loss after nine consecutive victories in the playoffs.

The best-of-seven series is tied at 1, and the next three will played in Dallas, starting on Sunday night with Game 3.

Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 24 points and forward Shawn Marion had 20.   

FOURTH QUARTER

Heat is on a 13-0 run to take a 85-73 lead. Its defense pressure is leading to fastbreak opportunity. The Mavericks appear lost at this point to contend with the Heat’s athleticism. Mavericks are on a 13-2 run to cut lead 90-86.

THIRD QUARTER

The Mavericks start the quarter with a turnover that is converted for a dunk by LeBron James. The Heat is on a 6-1 run since halftime, forcing the Mavericks into committing turnovers on three of their first four possessions. Heat is taking control from its swarming defensive pressure to knocking down 3s. Miami has taken its largest lead of the game 69-61 with 3:44 remaining in the quarter. 

SECOND QUARTER

Mavericks are shooting at 59 percent and are attacking the basket and getting after rebounds. Dwyane Wade is carrying the Heat with 14 points. After Wade’s dunk that came off a steal, the Heat trail the Mavericks 40-38 with 6:33 remaining. Despite Wade’s 14 points, the Mavericks are holding a 45-40 lead. LeBron James has three fouls with 3:22 remaining in the quarter and now is on the bench. Without him, the Heat closed out the quarter on a 9-0 run to tie the score at 51 at halftime   

FIRST QUARTER

The quarter ends with the score tied at 28. The Mavericks shot 52 percent, relying on balanced scoring. DeShawn Stevenson led the Mavericks with six points. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade led the Mavericks with eight points. All of the Mavericks’ starters have scored after the opening five minutes. The Mavericks led the Heat early 12-9. Guard Dwayne Wade is off to a fast start, hitting three of his first four shots. The Heat has made its first two 3-pointers to retake the lead 14-13. The Heat is taking of mismatches like former Hornets’ forward Peja Stojakovic trying to defend Chris Bosh. Similar to Tuesday night’s loss, the Mavericks are not boxing out enough and the Heat is crashing the boards for rebounds and second-chance points.  

PREGAME

Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki had a splint on his injured left middle finger after suffering a torn tendon in Tuesday night’s Game 1.  The series shift to Dallas for the next three games, starting with Game 3 on Sunday night at the American Airlines Center.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.