The Dallas Mavericks (49-30) head to Miami for a date with the Heat (44-35) on Wednesday on the heels of Tuesday’s 130-104 win at the Charlotte Hornets. It’s the second night of a back-to-back set for both teams, as the Heat slid past the Hawks on Tuesday, 117-111, in double overtime.
The Mavericks beat the Heat in Dallas on March 7, 114-108, in the first of what has blossomed into 15 wins in Dallas’ last 17 games. Before breaking through against the Heat in the teams’ first meeting of the year, the Mavs had dropped five of six, but, oh, what a difference a month makes. Now Dallas is the NBA’s hottest team as the regular season winds down.
Luka Dončić led the Mavericks with 39 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in Tuesday’s win against Charlotte — his 22nd triple-double of the season and the 77th of his career. He broke Mark Aguirre’s single-season Mavericks scoring record in the process and now has 2,341 points this year. Daniel Gafford had one of those special Daniel Gafford nights with 26 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots, dominating the paint to score on all 12 of his shot attempts.
Miles Bridges led the way for Charlotte in the loss with 22 points and five boards, and rookie Brandon Miller added 21 and six.
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Here are three things the Mavs need to do to extend their current win streak to five games when they touch down in Miami:
Take advantage of the rest advantage
It’s true, both teams are on the second night of a back-to-back, but Dallas and Miami earned their wins on Tuesday in very different fashion. Dončić played just 35 minutes in the win and just 3:37 in the fourth quarter at Charlotte before taking a seat for the night. Kyrie Irving played 37 minutes in the win.
For Miami, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro played 48 minutes apiece in the Heat’s double-overtime win, and Jimmy Butler logged 44 more. Odds are, the Miami Brain Trust will have wobblier legs when the fourth quarter rolls around on Wednesday than Dallas’ core contributors will.
Deal with Herro’s shooting and playmaking
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Daniel Gafford #21 of the Dallas Mavericks dunks the ball during the second half of an NBA game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on April 09, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images
When Dallas beat the Heat in Dallas, Herro sat out with an injured foot sustained in late February. His scoring and playmaking give Miami three solid offensive options alongside Butler and Adebayo. Herro is matching his career-high mark in scoring this season, averaging 20.7 points per game.
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Though he shot just 4-for-13 from deep Tuesday, he went off to lead the Heat with 33 points and five rebounds on 13-of-25 shooting from the field. He had success in the mid-range game and got to the basket effectively as well against the Hawks.
Trade deadline acquisition Terry Rozier Jr. (27 points, 11 assists, six boards) and sharpshooter Duncan Robinson (19 points) led the charge for Miami against the Mavs in the teams’ first meeting of the year, but neither played Tuesday night against the Hawks. They combined to shoot 10-of-18 from 3-point range to keep Miami close in the Mavs’ win in March.
Robinson didn’t feel like himself after returning from a recent back injury and was ruled out of Tuesday’s game with no announced timeline for return, according to the Miami Herald. Rozier is reportedly dealing with a neck injury. It’s unclear at the time of this writing whether either will suit up on Wednesday.
Get good minutes from the second team
The Mavs’ bench shot 15-of-26 from the field against the Hornets (19-60) on Tuesday, but against stiffer competition, that kind of production has been harder to come by this season. In the Mavericks’ four previous games, the bench shot just 26-of-82 (31.7%) from the field, including two particularly troubling performances against the Golden State Warriors, when non-starters shot a combined 11-of-38 (28.9%) from the floor.
Keeping their head above water in the non-Luka minutes will be key for the Mavs at Miami on Wednesday. The Heat are a playoff team (most likely a play-in team) defending their home court with a chance to catch the Philadelphia 76ers for the 7-seed in the East, and the Mavs don’t need to make Dončić and Irving do it all by themselves.
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BONUS: Standings watch
Entering Wednesday’s action, the Mavericks are still sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference playoff race. Tuesday’s 105-92 win for the Los Angeles Clippers against the Phoenix Suns guarantees the Mavs no worse than a sixth-place finish. There’s not much hope of leap-frogging the Clippers for the 4-seed at this point, though.
One win in the season’s final three games clinches the 5-seed for Dallas, as would one loss from the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s looking more and more like the Mavs will face the Clips in the first round of the playoffs.
Is that a matchup anyone has any interest in? We’re thinking yes.
Jannik Sinner, who is currently the world’s No. 2-ranked player, according to the ATP, faces off against Czechia’s Jiri Lehecka (who is ranked No. 22 in the world) in the final of the 2026 Miami Open on March 29.
This is surely the biggest match of Lehecka’s career to this point. He had won several ATP tournaments (including the 2024 Adelaide International and the 2025 Brisbane International), but neither of those came against an opponent of Sinner’s caliber. Therefore, this win would mean more for Lehecka than any of his past tournament victories.
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Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic | Mike Frey-Imagn Images
As for Sinner, this is just another Sunday on the court. He already won the Indian Wells Open earlier this month, and a win against Lehecka would be his 26th ATP Title. Still, that doesn’t mean Sinner isn’t hungry for another win to add to his staggering resumé and perhaps overtake Carlos Alcaraz for the world’s No. 1 spot.
While Lehecka will have his girlfriend, Lucka Neumannova (aka Lucie), in the stands showing him support on Sunday, Sinner’s girlfriend, Laila Hasanovic, appears to be back in her home country of Denmark.
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Laila Hasanovic | IMAGO / ABACAPRESS
Sinner and Hasanovic have been together at least since the summer of 2025. Before that, Hasanovic (who is a model and fashion influencer) dated Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher for at least three years, but the couple split up in the spring of 2025.
She is clearly busy with her own career in Copenhagen right now and isn’t able to attend Sinner’s matches while he’s playing in America. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t finding the time to show him support, albeit not in person.
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Laila Hasanovic at the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix when she was dating Mick Schumacher. | IMAGO / Laci Perenyi
Laila Hasanovic Catches Eyes with Outfit Before Jannik Sinner’s Miami Open Final Match
Hasanovic has been active on social media throughout Sinner’s Miami Open run. This was the case once again before his match against Lehecka, as she made a March 28 Instagram post that was captioned, “🫀”.
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The post shows various scenes from Hasanovic’s recent events in Denmark. The fourth photo shows her in an eye-catching skirt and a black shirt. Among the other notable photos show her in two different types of black jackets, and the first photo features a nice checkered coat.
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One would imagine that Hasanovic will be locked in when Sinner takes the court on Sunday, hoping to secure his secong tournament victory of 2026 and perhaps reclaim the world’s No. 1 ranking.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A three-vehicle crash in southwest Miami-Dade triggered a large emergency response Saturday night, leaving 10 people injured, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
MDFR units responded around 8:03 p.m. to the area of Southwest 28th Street and Southwest 107th Avenue after receiving reports of a massive crash.
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Officials said 13 units arrived on scene and found a total of 10 adult patients.
Three people were taken to a local hospital with injuries. One of the passengers, a woman, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
No additional details have been released.
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Pablo Hernandez
Pablo Hernandez is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Cuba and has lived in Miami, Florida since 2002.
It’s time for the 13th Detroit Lions OnSI mock draft roundup for the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Over the last week, the Lions have increasingly prioritized finding an EDGE to complement Aidan Hutchinson at No. 17 overall.
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Let’s take a look now at who the draft pundits have Lions general manager Brad Holmes selecting in the first round.
Offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)
Mauigoa is presently being projected by the following:
Pro Football Network (Alec Elijah)
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EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami (Fla.)
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Mesidor is presently being mocked by the following:
A to Z Sports (Mike Payton; Lions trade down to No. 26 overall); NFL.com (Bucky Brooks); Pro Football Focus (Jordan Plocher);CBS Sports (Garrett Podell)
As Plocher pens, “The Lions are finally able to add a consistent pass-rush threat opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Only one time since Hutchinson has been in Detroit has another Lions defender topped 50 hurries in a season, and that was Al-Quadin Muhammad in 2025 (53), but he left in free agency.
Mesidor was one of the most productive pass rushers in college football in 2025, amassing 13 sacks, four quarterback hits and 50 hurries on 445 pass-rush snaps. He finished the 2025 season with a 94.2 PFF pass-rushing grade against true pass sets, the second-best mark in the draft class.”
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EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.)
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Bain is presently being selected by the following:
FOX Sports (Joel Klatt)
As Klatt pens, “I think the Lions could really use another pass rusher, even if they already have Aidan Hutchinson. Putting Bain with Hutchinson would give Detroit two members on the All-Motor Team. They would wear offensive tackles out. How would opposing teams shift their protections? One of them would get a one-on-one matchup that they would win.”
Offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, Utah
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Lomu is presently being selected by the following:
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Pro Football Network (Jacob Infante);Pro Football Network (T.J. Randall)
As Infante explains, “Few expected the level of regression the Detroit Lions experienced in 2025. After the release of long-time starting left tackle Taylor Decker, they find themselves with a big hole along an offensive line that already took a step back after key departures the previous offseason.
Caleb Lomu is a smooth, polished left tackle who didn’t allow a single sack in 382 pass-blocking reps during the 2025 regular season. His hand timing, balance, and range in pass protection make him a top offensive tackle prospect and a worthy first-round selection in this 2026 NFL Mock Draft.”
Offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, Georgia
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Freeling is currently being mocked by the following:
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Detroit Lions On SI (Christian Booher); FOX Sports (Ben Arthur); Sports Illustrated (Daniel Flick)
As Flick writes, “The Lions released starting left tackle Taylor Decker and now need a replacement in the draft. Freeling, who’s risen from unheralded to likely first-round pick, is an athletic mover with plenty of bend and agility. He needs to keep getting stronger, but Freeling could be a tremendous blindside blocker at the next level.”
Offensive tackle Blake Miller, Clemson
Miller is presently being mocked by the following:
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The Detroit News (Nolan Bianchi); NFL.com (Mike Band);The Draft Network (Jaime Eisner)
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As Eisner opines, “The Taylor Decker era is over in Detroit and a new left tackle is needed. Enter Blake Miller, a name that is rising up draft boards as we inch closer to April. Miller has a phenomenal college resume with good size and a ton of power. He’s played mostly right tackle, but he should have no issues moving over to the left side if needed or sticking at right tackle with Penei Sewell moving over. Miller and Sewell can form a formidable bookend tandem in Detroit.”
Offensive tackle Spencer Fano, Utah
Fano is presently being selected by the following:
CBS Sports (Pete Prisco)
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Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
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Proctor is presently being selected by the following:
ESPN (Field Yates); NFL.com (Charles Davis); USA Today (Google Gemini); CBS Sports (Josh Edwards); WalterFootball (Charlie Campbell)
As Yates opines, “Left tackle is a sizable need for Detroit with the departure of Taylor Decker after 10 seasons. Proctor is a sizable answer to the problem — literally — at 6-7, 352 pounds. He has power when he gets his hands on defenders in the running game as well.
Proctor’s tape had up-and-down moments during his final college season, as sometimes his foot quickness was overmatched by edge rushers. But the upside is immense for the 20-year-old left tackle, who started all 40 games he appeared in at Alabama.”