MIAMI, 17 June 2006 — The Miami Heat rode a spectacular 36-point performance by guard Dwyane Wade to crush the Dallas Mavericks 98-74 and level the NBA finals at 2-2 on Thursday.
With Miami leading 59-50 early in the third quarter, Wade scored eight points and Shaquille O’Neal added five during a 13-2 streak that stretched the lead to 72-52.
Dallas’ last chance came during an 11-2 run that extended into the final quarter and cut the lead to 80-70, but Miami went on a 16-2 spurt that took the score to 94-72 with just over three minutes to play.
“It was a big game for us today,” Heat coach Pat Riley, whose team held high-scoring Dallas to just seven points in the final period, told reporters.
“I think once you start to see the possibilities — we’re both at 14 wins (in the playoffs), we’re both two wins away — it becomes as much will as it is execution.”
Wade, who scored 42 points in Game Three, hit 13 of 23 shots and eight of nine free throws. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard has been unstoppable in the series, averaging 32.3 points.
“It’s a series now,” said Wade. “It’s 2-2, the way we knew it was going to be if we came out and played the way the Miami Heat can play. A lot of people have been doubting us and we thrive off that. We’ve been doubted all year.
“Now, it’s best-of-three. Looking hard to the next game.”
The best-of-seven contest resumes tomorrow in Miami before shifting to Dallas for Game Six on Tuesday and, if necessary, Game Seven.
O’Neal had his most productive game of the series, scoring 17 points and grabbing 13 rebounds as Miami outscored the Mavericks underneath 42-26.
“We try to keep them off the paint,” O’Neal said. “They are a very, very dangerous team. You really can’t give them both. You can’t give them inside and outside.
“They really missed a lot of shots and they are probably going to come really, really hard on Sunday. We have to be prepared. And we will be.”
Jason Terry contributed 17 points and Dirk Nowitzki and Jerry Stackhouse 16 each for Dallas, who shot just 31.6 percent for the game.
Nowitzki, the Mavericks’ leading scorer, misfired all night, hitting only two of 14 shots. The Mavericks entered the game shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc but hit only three of 22 Thursday.
“They played a great all-around game and we couldn’t really get much going,” Nowitzki said. “A lot of shots were already down, came back out.
“The bottom line is, if you shoot 31 percent from the floor, you’re not going to win.” Miami hit 34 of 66 shots (52 percent) and seven of 19 (37 percent) from long range. The bench was key for the Heat, scoring 23 points, including 15 from guard James Posey.
“It’s not a supporting cast,” Riley said of his bench.
Wade showed no ill-effects from an injury to his left knee he suffered during Tuesday’s game, scoring 14 points in the opening quarter to give the Heat a 30-25 lead.
The Heat held a 34-31 lead with eight minutes left in the half before going on a 16-6 run that gave them a comfortable 50-37 advantage.
Despite seeing a variety of defenders and double-teams, Wade had 24 points by halftime while pacing Miami to a 54-44 lead. The third-year guard hit nine of 14 shots before the intermission, including two of three from beyond the arc. The Mavericks hit only 14 of 41 shots in the first two periods, and although Nowitzki had 13 points, he missed on seven of nine shots from the floor.
