Finals- Mavs vs Heat: Game 4

The Mavs hoped to win Game 4 to avoid falling in a 1-3 hole, and with Nowitzki battling a 102 fever, their supporting cast stepped up and managed to get the 86-83 victory after an outstanding comeback with a 21-9 run tie up the series, 2-2.



Carlisle made a game time decision of starting JJ Barea in place of DeShawn Stevenson.

Brendan Haywood was also back after sitting Game 3 with a strained right hip flexor.

In the first quarter, Dirk scored the first 6 points followed by Bosh's 6-0 run of his own. Terry then stepped up off the bench but turnovers became a problem again for Dallas as Carlisle's expressed frustration got him a technical. Despite the drama, both teams headed into the second quarter tied at 21.

Dallas outshot the Heat 50% to 29% in the first quarter but Miami was able to gather 9 offensive rebounds which kept them in the game.

Barea continued to have trouble finishing in the second quarter while the Heat took advantage of the Mavs' missed shots and went on a 7-0 run in the early minutes. But Stevenson's handful of 3-pointers kept the Mavs close behind before Dirk tied the game at 34 halfway through the quarter. Wade and Bosh led a Miami run to put the Heat up, 47-45 at the end of the second quarter.

At the half, Bosh led all scorers with 16 points while Wade added 13. Stevenson had 11 points in the first while Dirk and Terry combined for 17. Lebron was held to just 4 points. The Heat outshot the Mavs, 45.2% to 43.2% as well as out-rebounded them 24-18.

With Nowitzki feeling a little under the weather, Barea and Marion stepped up to keep Dallas in the game as Barea broke down Miami's defense while Marion scored a few buckets. Once again, the Heat battled back and an alley-oop from Lebron to Wade gave the Heat the 69-65 lead before entering the final quarter.

Miami started the fourth quarter off on a 5-0 run that gave them their largest lead of the game, 74-65 with 10 minutes left for the Mavs to make a comeback. Dirk awoken and got into attack mode, but it would be Terry who would fuel a comeback after a few buckets and defensive stops that would eventually give the Mavs a 79-78 lead with 5 minutes to go. Their run continued but concluded at 17-4 with a trip to the line by Dirk with under 3 minutes left. Wade then took a trip to the line of his own in an attempt to tie the game with 30 ticks on the clock, but missed his second free throw. On the next possession, Dirk drove to the basket and put the Mavs up by 3 with 14 seconds remaining. Wade answered with a dunk with 9 seconds on the clock forcing a Dallas timeout. On the inbound, Terry got fouled and took a 2 for 2 trip to the line with 6 seconds left. The Heat had an opportunity to tie but Wade fumbled the ball into the backcourt before saving it and passing it to Miller for their final chance but his 3-pointer air-balled as time expired to give the Mavs the 86-83 victory to tie up the series.

Despite the fever, Dirk finished with a team-high 21 points and 11 rebounds. Marion added 15 points while Chandler also had a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Off the bench, Terry had 17 points while Stevenson had 11 points, including three 3-pointers.

Wade finished with 32 points while Bosh pitched in 24 of his own. They were the only 2 heat players to score in double figures including Lebron who had a career playoff-low of 8 points despite his 9 rebounds and 7 assists.

Despite the loss, Miami outshot the Mavs, 42.7% to 39.7% while also out-rebounding them 44-41. Dallas was able to convert 15 Miami turnovers into 18 points while the Heat converted 11 turnovers into just 12 points. The Mavs' bench also outscored Miami's, 28-15.

The Mavs will now hope to bring this momentum into Game 5 at home Thursday night as they look to take a 3-2 series lead before going back to Miami.

**Game 5 will air on ABC on Thursday, June 9th at 9pm ET.