Short-handed Mavericks push past Heat, 118-113, despite Herro's 40

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel on Feb 13, 2025

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DALLAS — A night earlier the Miami Heat faced the best team in the NBA. The result was ultimately predictable against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

A night after that loss, Erik Spoelstra’s team on Thursday night faced arguably the shakiest NBA game roster put together this season, with the Dallas Mavericks sitting anybody and everybody, from Anthony Davis to Kyrie Irving to Klay Thompson.

Calling this the Mavericks B Team might actually have been a disservice to the Mavericks’ actual B Team.

But in this never-easy season, it of course was never easy, with the Heat having to go without ailing Bam Adebayo and ill Andrew Wiggins.

In the end, the Heat could not find a way, despite the 40 points of Tyler Herro, in a 118-113 loss at American Airlines Center, taking a 25-28 record into their weeklong All-Star break.

The Heat also got 17 points and nine rebounds from center Kel’el Ware and 15 points and 10 rebounds from newcomer Kyle Anderson.

Five Degrees of Heat from Thursday night’s game:

— 1. Closing time: The Heat led 22-21 after the first quarter and 56-55 at halftime, before the Mavericks took an 84-83 lead into the fourth.

That is when Herro got his first rest of the second half. Herro then returned with 7:21 to play and the Heat up 98-94.

From there, Dallas moved to a 106-102 lead with 3:42 to play on a Naji Marshall, with the Mavericks eventually going up 110-102.

Then with 1:41 to play, Herro completed a four-point play to pull the Heat within 112-108, with a Duncan Robinson 3-pointer pulling the Heat within 114-111 with 1:26 to play.

The Heat again got it to a three-point game with 52.6 seconds to play, forcing a 24-second violation on Dallas’ next possession, with 28.6 second remaining.

But with Herro off on a 3-point attempt, it effectively was over.

— 2. Rare absence: It was just the second absence of the season for Adebayo, who played through a knee contusion to the conclusion of Wednesday night’s loss to the Thunder.

Adebayo’s previous absence was the Jan. 13 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, with a lower-back contusion.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the only prudent approach was to sit Adebayo.

“Yeah, he was able to finish the game, the adrenaline,” Spoelstra said of Wednesday night, when Adebayo moved with a pronounced limp at one point. “I thought he was really good last night. It stiffened up on him a little bit on the plane. Then this morning, it got worse. So, he’ll have time to rest it.”

Wiggins sat out with the stomach flu that again also had Terry Rozier sidelined.

— 3. No one home: Not only were the Mavericks without sidelined Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, Dwight Powell, P.J. Washington and Caleb Martin, the decision then was made to sit Irving and Thompson after a grueling Wednesday night victory over Jimmy Butler and the Golden State Warriors.

That had Dallas starting the highly unlikely lineup of Max Christie, Oliver-Maxence Prosper, Kessler Edwards, Dante Exum and Spencer Dinwiddie.

— 4. Next big thing: It took a while before Ware recognized he was the only big man available for either team.

He took off from there, making six of his first seven shots for 11 of the Heat’s first 28 points, including a sweeping windmill dunk.

That boost was needed, with Herro opening 1 of 7 from the field, including 0 for 5 on 3-pointers.

Eventually, when Herro came around, Ware moved back into a supporting role.

— 5. Time off: The Heat next will regroup for practice next Thursday at Kaseya Center before flying that — afternoon for the resumption of their schedule next Friday against the Toronto Raptors at the start of a three-game trip.

Three Heat players jetted off to San Francisco for All-Star Weekend after the game, with Jaquez in Friday night’s Rising Stars competition, Herro in Saturday’s 3-point contest and Sunday’s All-Star Game, and guard Josh Christopher, who is on a two-way contract, in Sunday’s G League Next Up All-Star Game.