Mavs Roll to Big Early Lead to Rout Heat

[March 17, 2008]  MIAMI (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points before sitting out most of the second half, and the Dallas Mavericks stormed out to a huge early lead on the way to beating the hapless Miami Heat 98-73 Sunday night.

Josh Howard added 15 for the Mavericks, who led by 20 points midway through the opening quarter and have beaten the Heat in each of the teams' past eight regular-season meetings. Brandon Bass and Jason Terry each scored 14 and Jerry Stackhouse had 12 for Dallas, which snapped a three-game road losing skid and won their fifth straight overall.

During that streak, the Mavericks -- who are in seventh place in the loaded West, yet only 2 1/2 games behind surging Houston for the conference lead -- have won by an average of 23.6 points.

Earl Barron scored a career-high 21 for Miami, which set a season-low in points and is a league-worst 11-54. It was Miami's 10th loss by at least 20 points this season, and the Heat have lost a mindboggling 35 times in their past 38 games. Daequan Cook added 11 for Miami.

It was a matchup of the teams who met for the NBA title just two seasons ago, when Miami captured the championship in six games.

But this was far from playoff-caliber.

Of the 12 players who were in uniform for Miami in the 2006 finals, only one -- Jason Williams -- played for Miami on Sunday. Trades, roster moves and a rash of injuries have completely transformed the Heat since they hoisted that championship banner, while Dallas still very much looks the part of a title-contending team.

And the Mavericks had it all working Sunday.

They scored the game's first nine points, made nine of their first 10 shots and had a 24-4 lead with 5:35 left in the opening quarter. Nowitzki and Stackhouse each scored eight points in that 6 1/2-minute burst, while no Miami player had more than seven points in the entire first half.

Miami -- which played without starting forwards Shawn Marion (back) and Udonis Haslem (ankle) -- didn't have a player in double figures until Barron hit a 16-foot jumper midway through the third quarter, giving him 11 points and drawing the Heat within 67-43.

With the outcome not in doubt, Nowitzki and Stackhouse soon exited, and the rest of the Dallas starters quickly followed.

Miami fell to 6-28 at home, meaning it must go 5-2 on its own floor the rest of the way just to match the worst home record in franchise history, set in 1989-90, the team's second season.

Notes: The Heat are 0-8 in March, their third-worst start to a month this season. Miami started 0-11 in January and 0-9 in February. ... Heat forward Alexander Johnson left in the second quarter with a bone bruise on his right knee and didn't return. ... Mavs guard Tyronn Lue visited Miami's arena for the fourth time this season, with his third different club. He was also with Atlanta and Sacramento. ... Mavs forward Devean George returned after missing three games with back stiffness. ... From the like-it-matters department: According to the NBA, the Heat were officially eliminated from the playoff picture Saturday. Minnesota, Memphis, Seattle and the Los Angeles Clippers were already out of the postseason hunt.

[Associated Press; By TIM REYNOLDS]

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