Cavaliers Kyrie Irving Returns

Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving will make his season debut on Sunday against Philadelphia, his first game since breaking his left kneecap in the NBA Finals.

Irving posted “I’m back” on his Twitter account Saturday and later said following the team’s practice that he’s excited to play. Irving hasn’t been on the floor since getting hurt in Game 1 of the Finals against Golden State.

“I’m pretty F’ing excited,” Irving said Saturday. “There were a few things I had to clear, but there was no rush on it. ... I’ve been ready to play, but biomechanically we just wanted to make sure everything was good so I wouldn’t put myself at risk.”

The 23-year-old has gone through extensive rehab over the past six months. He said he wouldn’t wish his injury on anyone.

The Cavs and Irving have exercised patience during his long recovery. He had been expected to make his return earlier this week, but Irving said there were still some medical hurdles to overcome.

Irving said his minutes will be restricted and he’ll ease his way back before his playing time increases in the coming weeks.

“The emotions and thoughts, that’s hardest thing,” Irving said. “A lot has changed on the basketball court and in my life.”

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Miami Creating Heat for Thunder

Oklahoma delivered a performance from Russell Westbrook and ran out to a huge early lead. But somehow, it still wasn't enough for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Their hopes in these NBA Finals took a massive hit on Tuesday night, even after getting 43 points from Westbrook, 28 more from Kevin Durant and staking itself to a 17-point lead by the time the first quarter was over.

But now Oklahoma City is now officially on the brink. 

LeBron James finished with 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers each scored 25 points and the Miami Heat beat the Thunder 104-98 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven title series.

"I can guarantee this," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "We have fight in us."

Game 5 is in Miami on Thursday night, where James and the Heat can capture the NBA title that they were assembled to get two years ago.

History says the Thunder are now in deep, deep trouble. No team in NBA history has rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the finals. No team has even forced a Game 7 when faced with that scenario.

Westbrook took 32 shots, as many as James and Chris Bosh tried combined. He made 20 -- half of Oklahoma City's field goals on the night -- and finished with seven rebounds and five assists as well. For a guard who struggled so much so many times against Miami, it was a breakout night that the Thunder desperately needed.

"I thought Russell was terrific tonight," Brooks said. "The guy played relentless. He was aggressive. He kept us in this game and he gave us a chance to win."

Said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra: "He was tremendous tonight."

What they also needed was to take advantage of that tremendous night -- and that didn't happen, largely because Miami made sure Oklahoma City only had two options by night's end.

Durant's mother grabbed him by both arms as he walked off the floor, hugging him and then using her right hand to turn his face back toward her, trying her best to console the scoring champion.

For the final 16-plus minutes, the Thunder were reduced to playing 2-on-5 basketball. Serge Ibaka made a jumper with 4:46 left in the third quarter, cutting Miami's lead to 68-66.

After that, it was either all Westbrook or all Durant, all the time.

And they were superb, again, just not superb enough to take down Miami. After that Ibaka jumper, no other Thunder player besides the team's two superstars scored a point.

"It's not disappointing. It's just, it happens that way," Brooks said. "Russell had a great game. We were going. We were going with him. He was making terrific plays at the basket. He was attacking, he was getting into the teeth of their defense and made basketball plays."

James Harden struggled yet again, shooting 2 for 10 for the second straight game, though he did finish with 10 rebounds. Nick Collison scored six points, but the other three Oklahoma City starters -- Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha -- combined for a mere 13 on 6-for-16 shooting.

Westbrook was amazing. Durant was great. Everyone else was nearly nonexistent.

And if the Thunder don't figure out a way to do something no NBA team has ever done throughout the rest of this series, James will finally get that ring he's spent nine seasons chasing.

Not OK for Thunder in GamesThree

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LeBron James had 29 points and 14 rebounds, and the Miami Heat took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals with a 91-85 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunderon Sunday night. Dwyane Wade had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who were in this same position through three games last year, then didn't win again against the Dallas Mavericks.

"We carry that pain with us," the Heat's Chris Bosh said. "We think about it every day and that really helps us to succeed in this series."

James' poor performance was part of the problem then, but he seems on top of his game this time. His 3-pointer sent the Heat to the fourth quarter with the lead, and he scored five straight Miami points when the Heat were building just enough cushion to hold off another late flurry by the Thunder.

"Big time player makes big time plays on the big stage," Heat reserve James Jones said.

Game 4 is Tuesday night.

Kevin Durant had 25 points for the Thunder, but picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter and had to go to the bench when they had seemed to have control of the game.

"It was frustrating," Durant said. "Of course we had a good lead and they came back and made some shots. We fouled shooters on the 3-point line twice. It's a tough break for us, man. You know, I hate sitting on the bench, especially with fouls."

The Heat survived their own fourth-quarter sloppiness -- nine turnovers -- by getting enough big plays from their Big Three.

James scored 30 and 32 points in the first two games, his two best Finals performances. He fell just shy of another 30-point effort but reached his 20 points for the 20th time this postseason, two shy of Wade's franchise record set in 2006.

Gone is the player who seemed so tentative down the stretch last year in his second Finals failure. He's constantly on the attack now, all while defending Durant in key situations.

"He was great. He's been great for us all playoffs," Heat forward Udonis Haslem said. "I don't know if he looks up at the clock or scoresheet, but he knows when we need him to make big plays and come through for us, and he comes through."

Bosh had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who can win a second title by winning the next two games at home. That's what they did in 2006, one of just two home teams to sweep the middle three games in the 2-3-2 format.

They seemed out of it when Oklahoma City opened a 10-point lead midway through the third. But Durant had just gone out with 5:41 left on Wade's baseline drive, though there appeared to be little or no contact. Thunder coach Scott Brooks decided to sit Russell Westbrook with him, and the Heat charged into the lead by the end of the period.

Westbrook looked angry going to the bench, but denied any frustration afterward.

"Nah, man. I mean, coach's decision," Westbrook said. "Got to live with it."

The Thunder had grabbed their last lead at 77-76 on James Harden's basket with 7:32 left. James answered with two free throws about 20 seconds later, and the teams would trade turnovers and stops over the next couple of tense minutes.

Wade then converted a three-point play, and another minute went by before James powered to the basket, Durant trying to get in position to draw a charge but watching helplessly as he picked up his fifth foul. James made the free throw for an 84-77 advantage with 3:47 to play.

After another basket by James, the Thunder had one last burst -- haven't they always in this series? -- ripping off six straight points to get within one before Bosh made a pair of free throws with 1:19 to play. Durant missed badly on a wild shot attempt, and the Thunder missed another chance when Westbrook was off from behind the arc.

James hit a free throw for a four-point lead with 16 seconds to go and Wade added two to close it out.

"It's very hard," James said. "Both teams are very active defensively and both teams make it hard on one another in the half court so when you get stops you try to get early offense, it always helps and we were able to do that a little bit."

The Thunder were just 4 of 18 on 3-pointers and hit only 15 of 24 free throws, unusually awful numbers for one of the league's best offensive teams. Harden, the Sixth Man of the Year, shot 2 of 10 for his nine points. Westbrook finished with 19 points.

After a split of the first two games, the series made its way from Oklahoma City, where fans in blue shirts filled every seat, to Miami, where white shirts hung on empty chairs just minutes before the tip. The late arrivals in Oklahoma City had been the Thunder players, who fell into big early deficits and acknowledged some first-time Finals jitters in Game 1. Brooks said he heard the cries to change his starting lineup but said it never crossed his mind.

The Thunder quickly fell behind 10-4 in this one after spotting the Heat a 13-point lead in Game 1 and getting clubbed into an 18-2 hole in the opening minutes of Game 2. They didn't let things get any worse this time, playing the Heat even from there and trailing 26-20 after one. James, Wade and Bosh combined for Miami's first 18 points.

James and Wade had some dazzling drives in the second and Shane Battier got free for a pair of 3-pointers in the final 2 minutes, but the Thunder stayed with them the entire way, briefly holding a three-point lead. Westbrook's 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left cut Miami's lead to 47-46.

Oklahoma City started to take control with a 14-2 run early in the third. Durant had the first four points, Westbrook fooled the Heat with a fake behind the back pass before in for a layup, then Durant leaped over James for a follow dunk before nailing a jumper for a 60-51 lead with 6:55 left in the period.

But it was barely a minute later when he drew his fourth foul. The Thunder pushed the lead to 10 on Derek Fisher's four-point play, but the Heat got right back in it when Battier and then Jones made all six free throws after being fouled behind the arc.

Brooks also pulled Westbrook with 5 minutes left and left him out the remainder of the period, leaving the Thunder without their two best players as they tried to hang onto the lead.

The Heat scored the final seven of the period, Wade making a turnaround jumper and two free throws before setting up James for a 3-pointer that made it 69-67 headed to the final quarter.

Mavericks Seal NBA Title in Game Six

Dirk Nowitzki celebrates win [Getty Images]

For Dirk Nowitzki, the resume is complete. He's an NBA champion. For LeBron James, the agonizing wait continues for at least one more year.

Avenging what happened five years ago in perfect turnabout style, the Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA title by winning Game 6 of these finals in Miami 105-95 on Sunday night -- celebrating on the Heat's home floor, just as Dwyane Wade and his team did to them in the 2006 title series. The Mavericks won four of the series' last five games, a turnabout that could not have been sweeter.

"I really still can't believe it," said Nowitzki, who had 21 points and took home finals MVP honors.

"Tonight," Jason Terry said after leading Dallas with 27 points, "we got vindication."

James did not. Not even close, and a year unlike any other ended they way they all have so far -- with him still waiting for an NBA title.

He scored 21 points for Miami, shook a few hands afterward, and departed before most of the Mavs tugged on their championship hats and T-shirts. Chris Bosh had 19,Mario Chalmers 18 and Dwyane Wade 17 for the Heat.

"We worked so hard and so long for it," Nowitzki said. "The team has had an unbelievable ride."

So did the Heat. Unlike Dallas, theirs wasn't a joyride.

"It goes without saying," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You're never really prepared for a moment like this. ... Neither team deserved this championship more than the other, but Dallas earned it."

Make no mistake: Miami lost the finals, but the blame will be directed at James. Even he knew that after the way he left Cleveland with "The Decision" and all the animus that generated not just in Ohio but around the entire league, the only way he could silence some critics was with a title.

"It doesn't weigh on me," James said. "At all."

Still, he got even more criticism -- and a thinly veiled jab from his former owner with the Cavaliers, Dan Gilbert, who reveled in the moment on Twitter.

"Mavs NEVER stopped & now entire franchise gets rings," Gilbert wrote. "Old Lesson for all: There are NO SHORTCUTS. NONE."

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle joined a highly elite group, those with NBA titles as both a player and a head coach. Only 10 other men are on that list, including the presumably retired-for-good Phil Jackson, one of Carlisle's mentors in K.C. Jones, and Heat President Pat Riley -- who led Miami past Dallas in 2006, and was the mastermind of what the Heat did last summer by getting James, Wade and Bosh on the same team with an eye on becoming a dynasty.

It might still happen, of course.

But even after 72 wins this season, including playoffs, the Heat lost the last game. And that means this year was a disappointment -- except to just about everyone else in the NBA, or so it would seem.

"This is a true team," Carlisle said. "This is an old bunch. We don't run fast or jump high. These guys had each other's backs. We played the right way. We trusted the pass. This is a phenomenal thing for the city of Dallas."

Hating the Heat became the NBA's craze this season, and the team knew it had no shortage of critics, everyone from Cleveland (where "Cavs for Mavs" shirts were popular during these finals) to Chicago (the city James and Wade both flirted with last summer) and just about every place in between lining up to take shots at Miami.

"We could feel it," Carlisle said, noting he was repeatedly told during the finals that "billions" of people wanted to see Dallas topple Miami.

Given their newfound popularity, meet the new America's Team.

Sorry, Cowboys -- your long-held moniker might have to be ceded to your city's NBA club. When it was over, Mavs owner Mark Cuban ran onto the court to hug Carlisle, then punched the air and whooped.

"I'm so happy for him. I'm so happy for Dirk," Carlisle said.

Carlisle said Riley came down to congratulate the Mavericks after the game, showing "unbelievable class."

"Their time will come," Carlisle said. "But now, it's our time."

When the Mavericks took a 2-0 lead in Dallas during the '06 finals, plans for their victory parade were announced. The Mavs didn't win another game in that series.

Now, that parade will finally happen. And when it's over, then the league's uncertainty will truly begin. Labor strife likely awaits, and although more talks geared toward movement on a new deal are scheduled for this week, both owners and players are bracing for a lockout to begin once the current collective bargaining agreement expires June 30.

Late Sunday night, the CBA was the last thing on the mind of the new champions of the NBA, whom Carlisle called "the most special team I've ever been around."

Jason Kidd, at 38 years old, got his first championship. Nowitzki got his at 32, Terry at 33. They were featured on the video screen in their building in Dallas during this series on what seemed like a constant loop, each posing with the NBA trophy and looking longingly at it, standing mere inches from it, as if to say "so close, yet so far away."

No more. It's theirs. And for the second time, James went to the finals, only to see the other team celebrate. San Antonio won in Cleveland in 2007, and four years later, he saw the Mavs party on his new floor.

"It was a failure in '07 when we lost to the Spurs when I was in Cleveland," James said. "It's a failure now."

Nowitzki sealed it with 2:27 left, hitting a jumper near the Miami bench to put Dallas up 99-89, and some fans actually began leaving. Nowitzki walked to the Mavs' side slowly, right fist clenched and aloft.

He knew it. Everyone did.

"We feel it," Wade said. "We'll feel it even more tomorrow."

Spoelstra implored his team to foul in the final minute, and even then, they couldn't catch the Mavericks.

"All I remember is telling those guys that they deserved it," Bosh said. "Hands down, they were the better team in this series. ... All we can do is just admit it and move forward."

What happens with the next deal may affect the Heat more than anyone. Some owners will insist on a hard cap, rolled-back salaries and, potentially, trying to bust some current deals -- which could break up the Big 3 before get another chance to win a title together.

A gloomy end to the season may bring an even gloomier offseason for Miami.

"Every situation has felt like it was an our-back-against-the-wall situation," James said Sunday morning, hours before Game 6 began. "We've been able to figure it out and find our way through and scratch our way through. This is the last test. This is the last pop quiz for us that we need to pass in order to make it all worth it."

They didn't pass.

So therefore, it wasn't all worth it.

"We give credit to the Dallas Mavericks," Wade said. "They're a helluva team. ... We ran into a team that at this time is obviously better than us."

Miami had chances to take command and wasted them all. The Heat missed 13 of their 33 free throws, let the Mavericks score 27 points off turnovers and simply could not get a rebound in the final minutes.

Nowitzki finished 9 for 27, and the Mavs still won. He was 1 for 12 in the first half, and they were still ahead, 53-51, thanks largely to Terry's 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

"Was he unbelievable tonight or what?" marveled Nowitzki.

Down the stretch, Terry made another contribution. He grabbed Nowitzki during a time-out, telling him, "Remember '06." The final minutes belonged to Dirk and the Mavs, and a few German flags waved in Miami's arena during the postgame celebration.

"This feeling, to be on the best team in the world, it's just undescribable," Nowitzki said.

After James got off to such a fast start, he had two points in the final 19-plus minutes of the half.

James didn't score in the second half until a layup with 1:49 remained in the third -- his first field-goal attempt since 1:05 remained in the half. Kidd made a 3-pointer late in the period, pushing the Dallas lead to 79-71, and it seemed like the only people standing in the arena were the players, referees, Cuban and a few guys around the Dallas bench.

Dallas took control in the second half after some wild back-and-forths in the opening two quarters. Miami took its last lead of the game -- the season -- just 64 seconds into the second half, lost it 16 seconds later and chased the Mavericks the rest of the way.

They never caught them.

"I can't believe the journey," said Kidd, who lost two previous finals trips with the New Jersey Nets. "The journey, the character of my teammates telling me they wanted to get me a championship. Tonight they came out and played well. I came here twice, this being my third time so third time was the lucky charm."

It was 81-72 entering the fourth, after Ian Mahinmi made a foul-line jumper as time expired in the third, just his third basket of the entire series.

None were bigger. The Mavs could taste a title.

"We had no champions on this team," Mavs center Tyson Chandler said. "And we walked away with a team full of champions."

Of the principal characters from the 2006 series, only Cuban, Nowitzki and Terry remain from the Mavericks' side, and for them, the beginning of this championship celebration seemed sweeter than even they could have imagined. Terry won't have to get his tattoo -- the one of the NBA championship trophy -- removed, which he vowed to have done if Miami won this series. Nowitzki will never be in the conversation of 'Best player without a title' again.

James is clearly the one with that most-unwanted label now.

"It hurts," James said. "Of course. I'm not going to hang my head low. I know how much work as a team we put into it."

Miami Now Need Heat in Game 6

Dwayne Wade and LeBron James in game 5

Dirk Nowitzki thrust both arms in the air, a sea of blue screaming around him and the Dallas Mavericks finally ahead in these ultra-close NBA Finals.

Now it really is "now or never" for LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Nowitzki scored 29 points, driving for the go-ahead dunk with 2:45 remaining, and the Mavericks beat the Heat 112-103 on Thursday night to take a 3-2 lead.

Five years after going up 2-0 on the Heat, the Mavs finally got that elusive third victory, and can wrap up their first championship in Game 6 at Miami on Sunday night.

"We didn't want to go to Miami and give them basically two shots to close us out. So we kept plugging there in the fourth. So definitely a big win for us," Nowitzki said. "And now we have to go down there and basically approach Sunday's game as Game 7."

James, who called this game "now or never," responded from his worst playoff performance with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and Dwyane Wade battled through a sore left hip after a first-quarter collision to finish with 23 points.

"I could have made a couple of more plays for my team," James said. "But at the end of the day, all it's about is a win or a loss. Triple-double means absolutely nothing in a loss. So we will be better in Game 6 on Sunday."

Chris Bosh had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who get the final two games at home with history against them as they try to win a title in their first season together: In the 26 previous finals that were tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner won 19 of them.

"We fought hard all season for home-court advantage. We're down 3-2," Bosh said. "We protect home court, we win the series, so we just have to keep that in mind."

The Mavs shot 60 percent through three quarters, briefly gave up the lead in the fourth, then outscored Miami 17-4 in the final 4:23, controlling the final few minutes just as they had in thrilling comebacks in Games 2 and 4.

Dallas shot 56.5 percent from the field, including 13 of 19 (68 percent) from 3-point range.

"We made more shots," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "We did a lot of good things defensively, which led to good offense. ... You never know when the games are going to go that way. The thing we've got to do is we've got to make sure our defense is consistent."

Terry scored 21 points and J.J. Barea had 17 for the Mavs, who insisted at some point their shots would start falling even against the Heat's stingy defense. Jason Kidd and Tyson Chandler both finished with 13 points.

"We are getting the same looks we knew we would get," Terry said. "After Games 1 and 2, you watch it on film, you see it and then you realize you're going to have the opportunities. I said to myself, I said to my teammates, we're not going to continue to miss those open shots that we're getting."

Their offense was simply too good, despite a good bounceback for James.

James scored eight points, going just 3 of 11 in Game 4, the first time in 90 postseason games he didn't hit double figures. Trying to pump himself during a rough first finals in Miami in which he's been accused of everything from "shrinking" to "checking out" in the fourth quarters, he wrote "Now or Never!!" on his Twitter page early Thursday morning, later calling this the biggest game of his career.

But they feel the same urgency in Dallas, where the slogan "The Time is Now" is printed on those blue T-shirts that surround the court, and where the Mavs are loaded with 30-somethings -- late 30s, in Kidd's case -- who could be on their last shot at an NBA title.

Nowitzki said early Thursday he felt "great," having shaken the fever that rose to 101 degrees in Game 4. This time, the health concern was Wade, who banged his hip in the first quarter and appeared to be limping at various points from there.

"I don't talk about injuries," Wade said. "It was unfortunate I had to leave the game, but I came back and finished it."

He remained in the locker room to start the second half, coming back onto the court about the midway point of the period. By then, the Mavs seemed in too good a groove to be cooled off no matter who Miami had out there.

A disgusted Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was already walking onto the court to call time by the time Chandler went up to dunk after catching the ball all alone under the basket, giving Dallas a nine-point lead that matched its largest of the series. Miami stormed into the lead midway through the fourth with a 9-0 run, all layups, dunks and free throws until Wade's 3-pointer made it 99-95 with 4:38 to play.

The Mavs tied it at 100 on Terry's 3-pointer with 3:23 left, and after James missed, Nowitzki drove for a baseline dunk and a 102-100 lead. James was called for an offensive foul and missed a 3-pointer on Miami's next two possessions before Kidd drilled a 3-pointer to make it 105-100, sending the crowd into a delirious chant of "Beat the Heat! Beat the Heat!"

The teams were at the same point as their 2006 matchup after four games, but that one was already in the midst of a massive swing by then. Miami won the final four games behind Wade, the MVP of that series.

This one has been developing into one of the closest finals the NBA has ever seen. Games 2-4 were decided by three points or fewer. That hadn't happened in the championship round since 1948, according to STATS, LLC, when the Baltimore Bullets and Philadelphia Warriors played Games 2-4 within a three-point margin during the Basketball Association of America finals, a year before that league merged with the National Basketball League to become the NBA.

The first four games were determined by 15 total points, the fewest since a 12-game difference between the Celtics and Lakers in the 1969 finals.

And all eyes were on James, just as they have been since he bolted Cleveland for a better shot at a championship in Miami.

He vowed to be more aggressive after his puzzling Game 4. He caught the ball in the post more frequently, but his jumper was still off for much of the game.

James threw up an airball with his left hand on his first shot, and when he did finally score, the Mavs quickly came back with six straight points for an early 13-6 lead, a promising start for a team that had been playing from behind nearly all series.

Wade walked gingerly to the locker room with a left hip contusion with about 3 minutes left in the period after colliding with Mavs reserve Brian Cardinal on a drive to the basket, and didn't return to the bench until more than 3 minutes into the second.

James had a basket inside that gave Miami a six-point lead with 4:26 left in the half, but Dallas closed with a 14-5 push, taking a 60-57 edge to the locker room after Nowitzki's jumper with 6.1 seconds remaining. The Mavs shot 12 of 17 in the quarter, and after not reaching 30 points in any period through four games, hit that number in each of the first two quarters of Game 5.

Last year was one of the few times the Game 5 winner in a 2-2 finals didn't win the series. Boston went to Los Angeles with a 3-2 lead but the Lakers won the remaining games. ... In Games 1-3 combined, the Mavs led for a total of 35 minutes and 41 seconds, according to STATS. In Game 5, the Mavs led for a total of 30:59.

Mavericks Level the Series in Dallas

Nowitzki faces up to Anthony

Coughing and wheezing, his temperature spiking to 101, worn out from hardly sleeping the night before, Dirk Nowitzki went through three miserable quarters in Game 4 of the NBA finals.

Yet the fourth quarter was his time to shine. Again.

And now the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat are starting over in the NBA finals, this best-of-seven series reduced to a best-of-three.

Nowitzki fought through a sinus infection and everything else that ailed him and his team to power a 21-9 run over the final 10:12, lifting the Mavericks to a memorable 86-83 victory Tuesday night.

In the final period, Nowitzki scored 10 of his 21 points -- including a driving right-handed layup that spun in off the backboard with 14.4 seconds left -- and grabbed five of his 11 rebounds as Dallas pulled off its second stunning finish this series.

"Just battle it out," Nowitzki said, sniffing throughout his postgame interview with his warm-up jacket zipped all the way up, still in his uniform instead of changing into street clothes like the NBA prefers. "This is the finals. You have to go out there and compete and try your best for your team. So that's what I did."

The Mavs avoided going down 3-1, a deficit no team has ever overcome in the finals, and guaranteed the series will return to Miami for a Game 6 on Sunday night.

Game 5 is Thursday night in Dallas, and Nowitzki vowed to be ready.

"There's no long term," Nowitzki said. "I'll be alright on Thursday. ... Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight, take some meds and be ready to go on Thursday."

Nowitzki wasn't as dominant as Michael Jordan when he scored 38 points despite a 103-degree fever in Game 5 of the 1997 finals -- but it was that kind of performance down the stretch. With everyone knowing he wasn't at full strength, the Mavs still ran their offense through him in the fourth quarter, and he delivered, making 2 of 6 shots and all six of his free throws.

If the Mavericks wind up winning their first championship, what Nowitzki's done this series will go down among the greatest. Remember, in Game 2 he bounced back from a torn tendon in the tip of his left middle finger to score the final nine points in Dallas' 22-5 rally, including two left-handed layups among his final three baskets.

"The average person, you know, has sick days and battling 100-something (fever), it's just tough to get out of bed," Dallas centre Tyson Chandler said. "This guy is playing against the best athletes in the world."

What Nowitzki did grows in stature when compared to how meek a healthy LeBron James played.

James made only 3 of 11 shots -- a tip-in during the first quarter, then a 15-foot jumper and a breakaway dunk in the third quarter. Not only did he fail to score in the fourth, he took only one shot while playing all 12 minutes.

He finished with eight points, ending a double-figure scoring streak of 433 consecutive games, regular season and post season. It was his fewest points ever in the playoffs.

"I've got to do a better job of being more assertive offensively," said James, who nonetheless contributed nine rebounds and seven assists. "I'm confident in my ability. It's just about going out there and knocking them down."

Dwyane Wade led Miami with 32 points, but missed a free throw with 30.1 seconds left and fumbled an inbounds pass with 6.7 seconds left. He knocked the ball back to Mike Miller for a potential tying 3-pointer, but it wasn't even close to hitting the rim. Fans jumped to their feet and began roaring as soon as they could tell the ball was off-target.

Dallas players savoured it, too, except for Nowitzki, who walked off looking somewhat sullen, obviously ready for a hot shower and a warm bed.

His illness hit Monday night. After struggling to get any rest, he showed up for shootaround but hardly did anything.

His condition was kept a secret, and he helped keep it that way by hitting his first three shots. Then he missed 10 of 11 and it was obvious something was wrong. The biggest giveaway: he also missed a free throw for the first time since Game 4 of the conference finals.

The Heat didn't know, and didn't care.

"There is not an illness report before the game or anything," Miami's Chris Bosh said. "I've never been out there and somebody pointed and said, 'He's got a fever!' "

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle tried resting Nowitzki as much as he could. During timeouts, he stayed in his chair as long as possible, trying to conserve every ounce of energy.

"You've got a guy that's 7-foot, there's a different kind of toll it takes on your body when you're sick," Carlisle said. "Everyone could tell looking at him that he laboured."

This series is now more fascinating than ever. It just went from two games decided by two points, the first time that happened in the finals since 1998, to being settled by three points.

Coming into this game, the Heat felt they should have been up 3-0. The Mavs felt they should have been up 2-1. This game was all about figuring out whether Miami was going to runaway with the championship, as many have expected since "The Decision" last summer, or if the plucky veterans from Dallas really had what it took to be champs for the first time.

Now it's 2-2. Both teams are 1-1 at home, and all those stats about who wins under various circumstances seem pretty moot.

The folks in the NBA office and at ABC are loving it the most. Ratings already have been setting records and they're sure to be up again, with interest for Game 5 higher than ever.

"This series is a jump ball," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "These guys live for these type of moments. It's about execution and disposition in the fourth quarter, being able to close out. We have a golden opportunity in the next game."

Miami seemed to have taken control when it went ahead 74-65, its biggest lead of the night. Then Dallas went to a zone and the Heat struggled.

They scored a series-low 14 points in the fourth quarter, committing six turnovers and making only 5 of 15 shots. They actually made their first two, so they missed 10 of their final 13.

Jason Terry -- who kick-started Dallas' Game 2 comeback with six straight points, but was 0 for 7 in the fourth quarter of the other two games -- got the Mavs going with consecutive baskets. He capped the winning rally with two free throws with 6.7 seconds left that forced Miami to need a 3-pointer to force overtime.

"These are two teams trying to figure out a way to make plays down the stretch," James said. "We've seen in this series a seven- or eight-point lead is nothing. You just got to continue to execute offensively, continue to grind defensively, and put yourself in the best possible chance to win late."

Carlisle shook up Dallas' lineup, starting J.J. Barea instead of DeShawn Stevenson, and made Brian Cardinal the primary backup for Nowitzki, instead of Peja Stojakovic. Like his late move to the zone, these changes worked out quite nicely. He also made an adjustment after Miami grabbed nine offensive rebounds in the first quarter; the Heat got just six more.

Stevenson scored 11 points, his first time in double-digits since Feb. 2. Cardinal drew a charge on James early and provided seven solid minutes, giving Nowitzki much-needed rest.

Terry scored 17, Shawn Marion 16 and Chandler had 13 points and 16 rebounds.

Backup centre Brendan Haywood returned to the lineup after missing Game 3 with a hip injury, but lasted only 3:05. Chandler could tell he was hurting and jumped off the bench to go back in.

"I told Coach, 'You have to get me back out there, I will play 48 (minutes) if I need to,' " Chandler said.

Mavericks Rally to Beat Heat in Finals

Tyson Chandler tries to block Udonis Haslem

Dallas Mavericks rallied from 15 points down to beat Miami Heat and tie the NBA Finals series at 1-1.

The Mavs won 95-93 in Miami ahead of the upcoming three games in Dallas. 

With seven minutes remaining, Dwyane Wade sunk a three pointer to stretch Miami's lead to its biggest margin of the night and he milked the moment with LeBron James in front of the Mavericks bench as a timeout was called. 

'He celebrated in front of our bench and I think it angered a lot of us,' Dallas centre Tyson Chandler told reporters. 

'We came out there and we responded. It is upsetting when you are out there playing hard and someone celebrates right in front of your bench. 

'We just wanted to come out and respond to it, continue to play and walk them down,' he said. 

The Heat have made a habit of celebrating recently and were criticised for overplaying the signing of James and Chris Bosh with a party for the fans before the season even began. 

Miami also upset some with their celebrations after the Eastern Conference play-off's series win at Boston, which some said was over the top, given they were still some way from the title. 

But as for Thursday's latest incident, Wade said there was nothing out of the ordinary about how the Heat reacted to his three-pointer. 

'Every team in the league, when they go on a run they do something. Whether it's a signal or a chest bump, it's part of the game of basketball,' he said.

'A celebration is confetti, champagne bottles. There was no celebration. It was a shot made going into a timeout.'

Wade, however, conceded the reaction may have had an influence on Dallas but insisted it did not show any complacency on the part of the Heat. 

'It pumped them up? They won the game, obviously it did something, that's not the first time and it won't be the last if we do a great play, that we do something with our team-mates.

All gone quiet over there: The Miami Heat players come to terms with blowing their lead

'Don't make nothing out of that celebration. It had nothing to with the outcome of the game for us,' he said. 

Mavericks guard Jason Terry said that it certainly was a defining moment for his team. 

'Right at that moment, it was a turning point in the game. Obviously we come out of that timeout, and if we don't score, then we're pretty much dead,' he said.

'We looked at each guy in the huddle to a man. Me, I, specifically looked at Dirk (Nowitzki) and said, "there's no way we're going out like this". 

'There is too much time left in this game and for us to go out in a blowout-type fashion with them dunking on us, shooting threes on us, it would have been disheartening. 

'We continued to keep faith in ourselves. We went out and grinded it out and got it done.'