The old saying is that in the NBA every team makes a run. Miami spent much of the first three quarters on a run building as much as a 35 point lead in the process. Despite the commanding lead by the Heat, the fourth quarter belonged to the Mavericks as they outscored the Heat 29-8 over the final 12 minutes but even that wasn't enough to undo the damage of the first three quarters as Miami cruised to a 105-94 victory.
Dallas struggled to find space to work offensively against Miami's defense and then struggled even more in transition as the Heat pushed their way to 31 fast break points. The Mavs hit just 38 percent of their shots for the game. Jason Terry led Dallas with 23 points including four buckets from beyond-the-arc. Dirk Nowitzki added 21 points but finished 6-15 from the field. Shawn Marion chipped in 12 points while Delonte West ended with 10.
LeBron James had a huge opening day finishing with 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. James had his way with the Dallas defense going 11-19 from the floor and 15-19 from the free throw line. Dwyane Wade chipped in 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Udonis Haslem did the dirty work for Miami finishing with nine points and 14 rebounds off the bench.
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