Miami had another good first quarter. Shaq looked determined, even picking Jason Terry and starting a fast break. Miami led at the half, but Dallas was hanging in the game.
The Mavs went wild in the 3rd again. Dirk ended with 30 points. Howard finally scored effectively with 21 points, but he didn't have the overall game that he's accustomed to. Terry added 16 and Dampier is having the series of his life. He scored 14 and pulled down 9 missed shots.
Halfway through the 4th, it appeared that Dallas would take a 3-0 lead, up 13. Then Wade put the Heat on his shoulders. Despite a banged up knee, Wade had 42 points and 13 rebounds. The guard only had 1 turnover, a vast improvement from the first 2 games.
After a Miami miss during their run, Shaq pushed Dampier, grabbed the ball, and went up strong, drawing a foul. Shaq scored his 15th and 16th points at the line. He added 11 boards.
The key to Miami's success is how players 3 through 8 compliment Shaq and Wade. Walker added 12 points and 7 rebounds. Haslem had 8 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 steals. But former star, Gary Payton, was the hero. The Mavs' Harris drove to the basket and tied the game. With 9 seconds left, Payton took his only shot and made it. Nowitzki was then fouled. He only made 1 free throw. Wade made 1 of 2 on the other end. With 1 second left, Dirk threw Howard a lob, but Wade knocked it away to secure a 98-96 win, cutting the series to 2-1.
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