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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 4:06 p.m., Saturday, January 31, 2009

NBA: Mavericks shoot past Heat with ease, 111-96

By TIM REYNOLDS
Associated Press

MIAMI — Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points on 12-for-14 shooting, Jason Terry scored 20 and Jason Kidd finished with 11 assists as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat for the ninth straight time in the regular season, 111-96 tonight.

The Mavericks shot a season-best 60 percent against a Heat team that came in allowing a 44 percent clip this season.

Dwyane Wade scored 30 points for Miami, which lost for the second straight night. Wade was honored at halftime, along with Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning, for winning Olympic gold. Banners in their honor were uncovered next to the one commemorating the 2006 NBA title, when Miami beat the Mavericks in six games.

The Heat still haven't beaten Dallas in a regular season game since March 26, 2004.

Michael Beasley finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for Miami, which also got 17 points from Mario Chalmers and 10 from Udonis Haslem.

Josh Howard finished with 15, while Jose Barea and Brandon Bass each added 11 for the Mavericks.

Dallas made more than 50 percent of its shots only seven times in 45 games this season, but knocked down a dizzying array of shots, regardless of whether its players were covered or left wide open.

And the Mavericks used a 16-5 run, going 6-for-7 from the floor during the stretch, to put the game away midway through the second half.

Wade hit a jumper to get Miami within 75-65, but any comeback thoughts quickly were stomped out by Dallas. Terry had six points in the game-sealing spurt, including a jumper with 10:43 left that gave the Mavs what was their biggest lead to that point, 91-70.

Adding injury to insult, Heat guard Daequan Cook limped into the locker room with 4:05 left, suffering a left thigh injury after a hit from Dallas' James Singleton.

Miami led only once, and it was for a mere 17 seconds of the opening quarter. Other than that, Dallas did whatever it wanted, with Kidd slicing through the Heat defense off the dribble time and again, setting up teammates for easy layups or open looks from the outside.

Down by nine after the first quarter, Miami tried to rally with a 34-point outburst in the second.

Problem was, that only shaved one point off Dallas' lead, since the Mavericks shot 77 percent — 13-for-17 — in the period, with Nowitzki making all four of his attempts to finish a 7-for-8, 17-point first-half effort.

Wade scored to open the second half and get Miami within six, but the Heat got no closer. Nowitzki made a 3-pointer early in the third to push Dallas' lead back to 12, and the Mavs held the double-digit cushion for the game's final 20 minutes.