The Miami Heat have been known for their less-than-clutch play in the fourth quarter of some of their biggest games in the LeBron James/Dwyane Wade/Chris Bosh era. Against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, the Heat made that argument moot for a night with a fantastic fourth quarter that led to a 106-85 victory.
James, Bosh, and Wade had 54 combined points, with no player scoring more than 19, but the story of the night was Miami's fourth quarter: the Heat doubled up their 2011 NBA Finals foes in the period 26-13, turning a close game into a laugher by the game's final moments. James had a typically brilliant all-around game as well, adding nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Dirk Nowitzki's 25 points paced the Mavs, but he got little help from the rest of Dallas' roster. The other four Mavs starters combined to go 11-for-28 from the field, scoring just 27 points.
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