Dallas Mavericks | featured news

The Miami Heat have struck first in the NBA finals.  LeBron James scored 24 points for his first win in five finals-game appearances, Dwyane Wade added 22 points and 10 rebounds and the Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks 92-84 in Game 1 of the title series Tuesday night.

This was how LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh envisioned it when they decided to unite in Miami, and now that a championship is in sight, they're not offering any apologies.

After all the incredible shots Dirk Nowitzki has hit this postseason, it was his vintage stuff - a straightaway 3-pointer and a pair of free throws - that put the Dallas Mavericks back in the NBA finals.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 40 points, Jason Kidd hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds left in overtime and the Dallas Mavericks pushed the Thunder to the brink of elimination.

Even when he is off his game, Dirk Nowitzki can still get the job done as the Dallas Mavericks' closer. Nowitzki shrugged off a rough start and made a few key jumpers in the fourth quarter, helping the Mavericks hold off the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 93-87 victory Saturday night and a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

James Harden, Eric Maynor, Nick Collison and Daequan Cook did something Kobe Bryant and the Lakers couldn't do — make big plays down the stretch to hold off Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas, the oldest team in the N.B.A. playoffs, got a game-high 48 points from Dirk Nowitzki to overshadow a 40-point performance by the Thunder’s Kevin Durant.

So long, chances for another Lakers three-peat. Hello, Western Conference finals for Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. Jason Terry tied an NBA postseason record with nine 3-pointers and the Mavericks matched a league playoff mark with 20 3s on their way to a 122-86 victory over the Lakers on Sunday and a sweep of their second-round series against the most successful coach in NBA history and the two-time defending champions.

The Mavericks shoved Phil Jackson one loss further toward retirement and the two-time defending champion Lakers one loss closer to playoff elimination.

As if things weren't already looking bleak for the Lakers, there's a good chance they will have to play Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals series against the Mavericks without forward Ron Artest.