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Mavericks vs Heat Preview: 3 things Dallas has to do to keep up their winning ways in Miami

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Mavericks vs Heat Preview: 3 things Dallas has to do to keep up their winning ways in Miami


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.



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Florida fire map shows live updates on wildfires burning in Broward and Miami-Dade

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Florida fire map shows live updates on wildfires burning in Broward and Miami-Dade


Two active wildfires burning in Broward and Miami-Dade counties are reducing air quality and visibility across parts of South Florida Monday as firefighters continue working to contain the flames, according to the Florida Forest Service and other state and local agencies.

The fires are highlighted on Florida’s Active Wildfire Points map, an interactive tool that tracks current wildfires across the state and provides updated information on acreage burned and containment levels. You can check it out here:

Max Road Fire in Broward

The largest blaze, known as the Max Road Fire, was burning west of U.S. 27 and Pines Boulevard in western Broward County. Officials said the fire has scorched at least 5,000 acres as of Monday morning.

Smoke from the Max Road Fire was drifting north and northwest Monday morning due to a light southeast breeze.

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On Sunday night, an eerie orange glow lit up the sky near the fire zone as crews battled the flames.

Andrew Johnston / CBS News Miami


Florida City fire in Miami-Dade

A second wildfire, called the 172nd Avenue Fire, is burning near Florida City in southern Miami-Dade County. Officials said the fire has burned at least 210 acres as of Monday morning.

Smoke from that fire remained relatively stagnant because of calm winds, though conditions later Monday could push smoke northward toward Leisure City and Homestead.

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The 172nd Avenue Fire temporarily forced the closure of Card Sound Road and restricted access to the Florida Keys over the weekend, though the roadway has since reopened.

Authorities are still urging drivers to use caution in the area because heavy smoke could continue reducing visibility. Residents across South Florida are also being advised to monitor local air quality conditions as firefighters work to bring both blazes under control.

Florida dry season fuels wildfire risk

Florida is currently in its dry season, a period that typically runs from October through May and brings an increased risk of wildfires across the state.

According to the Florida Forest Service, peak wildfire season usually occurs during April, May and June, when dry vegetation, low humidity and windy conditions can help fires spread quickly.

The National Weather Service said ongoing drought conditions and low relative humidity have elevated wildfire danger across much of Florida in recent weeks. Officials are urging residents to avoid outdoor burning and remain alert as firefighters continue battling dozens of active wildfires statewide.

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Jarvis Landry Doesn’t Hold Back on Dolphins Offseason

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Jarvis Landry Doesn’t Hold Back on Dolphins Offseason



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(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM )

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The Miami Dolphins are in the middle of a rebuild under new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. This offseason, Sullivan cut ties with players like Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa and then traded away Jaylen Waddle.

Moreover, the team brought in former Green Bay Packers QB Malik Willis, drafted Kadyn Proctor in Round 1, and selected several pass catchers to help their new signal-caller. Miami also drafted Jacob Rodriguez to be their leader on that side of the football, potentially.

While there’s still more work to be done, Sullivan has laid the foundation for what he hopes will turn the Dolphins into a contender in the AFC. Nonetheless, one person who is fully on board with what Miami has done this offseason is former Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry.

I love the [Proctor] pick,Landry said in a May video from4th And South. Miami Dolphins, the GM, hey, he’s doing amazing. He is doing amazing. I’m excited to see how [the Proctor pick] works out. Malik Willis will get some protection up front. I still want to see them add more firepower on the edges, maybe even at tight end, and keep building.

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They added pieces on the defensive side of the ball during the offseason, including a couple of cornerbacks and safeties and things like that. But I would love to see them get Malik Willis a couple more weapons on the outside to do his thing [as] Jaylen Waddle left [and] Tyreek left.


Jarvis Landry Excited About Miami’s Future

Moreover, Landry provided an exciting outlook for Miami under Sullivan as the general manager is only getting started in molding the Dolphins in his vision, especially with the draft capital that the team had in this past draft.

I think the city of Miami is excited,Landry added.With all of these draft picks and the draft capital Miami acquired, and don’t forget, they traded back and got more value and more picks [in this past draft]. I think they’re the only team to have this many picks in this year’s draft, which is probably a record.


Dolphins Were Reportedly Looking at a Veteran Wideout

While Landry would like for the Dolphins to add another receiver, they were reportedly trying to do that. On May 8, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter shared that Miami was one of the teams interested in signing Jauan Jennings before he made his decision to sign with the Minnesota Vikings.

The interesting thing is I was told that there were a few other teams,” Schefter said during a May 8 appearance on thePat McAfee Show. “I can go back and get the exact list. I think it was the Dolphins, the Commanders. There was somebody else that was interested.

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The Vikings were the only team, I believe he wound up visiting at all. That was the only one. The other teams, the Chiefs and Commanders also were interested in Jauan Jennings. New Orleans also expressed a little interest.

Now, for the Dolphins, it will be interesting to see whether they look at other veteran wideouts who might be a good fit, especially as a mentor for the group.

Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo





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Your 2026 Miami Dolphins Draft Picks Expectations

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Your 2026 Miami Dolphins Draft Picks Expectations


Highest ceiling: Proctor. There’s a reason they drafted him in the first round. If he loses 25 pounds, he can be a multi-time first team All Pro. But he has to put the work in and not be lazy.

Lowest ceiling: Caleb Douglas. Don’t see him fixing his drops. But I hope he proves me wrong.

Best overall pick: Jacob Rodriguez. Guy will be a sideline to sideline tackling machine.

Best value pick: Kyle Louis. He should have went in the 3rd round and will be a major contributor.

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Best pick no one else sees as great…yet: Seydou Traore. The more tape I watch on this guy at Mississippi State, the more I like. If he refines his route running and hands, he could be our starting TE in 2 or 3 years.

Biggest reach pick: Caleb Douglas. See above. He should have went in the 5th, maybe 6th.

Biggest missed opportunity: Not drafting Bain. I sure hope those short arms limit him in the NFL. Now the guy has a huge chip on his shoulder and is pissed at the 14 teams that passed on him, including Miami. The guy was a menace in college. I’m not looking forward to facing the Bucs in the future.



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