DALLAS — Dante Exum delivered a standout performance, scoring a season-best 27 points, just shy of his career high, as the Dallas Mavericks secured a 118-113 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday night.
Max Christie contributed 19 points, while Spencer Dinwiddie added 17. Kessler Edwards also shined, posting season highs with 15 points and nine rebounds. Despite facing numerous challenges with injuries, the Mavericks managed to claim their fourth win in five games, completing a successful home back-to-back.
The Heat’s Tyler Herro was exceptional, tallying 40 points, but his team suffered its fourth consecutive loss and was swept in their back-to-back road games. Rookie Kel’el Ware added 17 points, and Kyle Anderson contributed 15 points along with 10 rebounds to the team’s efforts.
The Mavericks were notably shorthanded, with eight players listed on the injury report. Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson were sidelined due to injuries sustained after long minutes in the previous game.
The Mavericks’ tallest players were Kessler Edwards and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, both standing at 6-foot-8.
Important observations from the game include the absence of starting forwards Bam Adebayo (knee contusion) and Andrew Wiggins (illness) for the Heat, and a slow start for Herro, who scored only two points in the first quarter after hitting just one of his first seven shots.
This game marked the first instance in 62 regular-season games over two seasons that Exum led the Mavericks in scoring. Edwards, on a two-way contract, logged a career-high 40 minutes on the court.
A pivotal moment occurred in the closing seconds of the game, as the Heat trailed 116-113 and brought the ball up the court with just 28 seconds to go. Herro attempted a three-pointer to tie the game from the right corner but fell short, finishing the night with a disappointing 3-of-14 from beyond the arc. Christie seized the rebound, effectively sealing the victory for Dallas.
An interesting statistic from the game showed that despite the Heat’s lineup, which included the 7-foot Ware and 6-10 Nikola Jovic, the Mavericks managed to equalize on points in the paint, both teams scoring 25 points in that area.
Looking ahead, both teams will resume play after the break on February 21. The Heat are set to embark on three more road games starting with a matchup in Toronto, while the Mavericks will play their fifth consecutive home game, welcoming the New Orleans Pelicans.
