Dirk Nowitzki shines as Dallas Mavericks down Miami Heat 112-103 in Game 5 of NBA Finals
Forward Dirk Nowitzki once again smashed the Miami Heat with a game-high 29 points and clutched six rebounds, propelling Dallas Mavericks to an impressive 112-103 victory in the fifth game of the NBA finals at American Airlines Center. With this victory, the Mavericks lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 are now just one win away from their first NBA Championship trophy.
Dirk again put on a clutch show on the night and launched a go-ahead dunk with 2:45 remaining. He finished the game with a shooting 9-for-18 from the field and a perfect 10-of-10 from free throw line.
He was not alone on the offense. Dallas had five of their players in double figures. Jason Terry came off the bench with 21 points, six assist, and four rebounds. Jose Barea scored 17 points while Jason Kidd and Tyson Chandler chipped in with 13 points each.
Dwyane Wade once again led the Heat with his team-best 23 points and eight assists. LeBron James bounced back from his poor performance in the previous game and ended with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The other cog of the intimidating ‘Big Three,” Chris Bosh was not far behind as contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds.
As has been the trend throughout the series, both Miami and Dallas scrambled for every possession and point in the first half. The lead swung from one end to the other drastically, however the Mavs managed to make a surge near the end to take a 60-57 lead into the break. Nowitzki had 16 while Chandler had 11 points at the break.
The Heat made a marginal comeback in the third quarter and tied the game at 65-65 early in the quarter. However, the Mavs managed to keep their distance throughout the quarter and held an 84-79 lead going into the fourth.
Staring at a five-point deficit after three quarters, Miami reeled off a 20-11 burst in the fourth quarter to take a 99-95 advantage. The Mavs however again woke up in the clutch and mounted a fight back. With 04:23 left on the clock, Nowitzki hit a pair of free throw to put Dallas ahead by 97-99. The Mavericks maintained their hold on the game for rest of the period and walked away with the victory.
James again disappeared offensively in the crunch time and scored only two points in the fourth quarter. After the game, he admitted that it was a "now or never," until yesterday but now it is a “do or die” with the Mavs just one win away from the trophy.
Tags: