MIAMI (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 29 points, Kyrie Irving added 25 and the Dallas Mavericks wrapped up the Southwest Division title by beating the Miami Heat 111-92 on Wednesday night.
Doncic also had nine rebounds and nine assists for Dallas, which will face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs — that series starting either April 20 or 21. It’ll be the third opening-round matchup between those teams in the last four seasons; the Clippers won each of the first two.
Derrick Jones Jr., P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford all finished with 12 points for Dallas.
Tyler Herro led the Heat with 21 points. Kevin Love had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Caleb Martin scored 14 and Jimmy Butler had 12 for the Heat.
Miami could have assured itself no worse than the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings by winning its final three games, all at home, starting with the Mavericks and then wrapping up with games against Toronto on Friday and Sunday.
But once again, the home-court edge was not enough of an edge for the Heat. Miami fell to 20-19 at home this season, after going 24-17 in road games during the regular season. The Heat need two wins and a lot of help to avoid going on the road for the first play-in tournament game next week.
It was all Dallas early, and pretty much stayed that way. Dallas led by as many as 25 in the first half, the fifth time this season that Miami got that far behind on its home floor — and the third such game in the last seven Heat home contests.
Gafford — he of the streak of 33 consecutive made field goals that ended last month — was 6 for 6, extending his current streak of made shots to 22 and counting.
Miami made a run in the second half, getting within single digits — first nine, then eight — on separate possessions early in the fourth quarter. And both times, Dallas didn’t let the margin get any closer. Baskets by Gafford and Washington stopped both and pushed Dallas’ lead back to double figures.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host Detroit on Friday night.
Heat: Host Toronto on Friday night.
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