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  Thursday, Nov. 11 7:30pm ET
Mashburn drops 34 on former team
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

MIAMI (AP) -- Jamal Mashburn says he has no hard feelings for the 1997 trade in which Don Nelson sent him from the Dallas Mavericks to the Miami Heat.

Mashburn, however, looked like a man on a mission Thursday night as he scored 34 points and led the Heat over Dallas for the 15th straight time, 128-105.

Jamal Mashburn
Jamal Mashburn scored 34 points in just 31 minutes of action.

Miami, which has won three in a row overall, has not lost to Dallas since a 114-110 defeat Dec. 10, 1991, at Reunion Arena.

Nelson, the Mavericks' general manager when the Mashburn trade was made, is now Dallas' coach.

"It was no big issue for me," said Mashburn, a former first-round draft pick of the Mavericks. "It's not about being with Don, it was about not being with Jimmy Jackson and Jason Kidd. I'm thankful to Don for putting me in a situation where the Heat have a chance to be in the playoffs and win a championship."

The 128 points were the most by the Heat since they scored 129 against Detroit on April 23, 1995, in the regular-season finale.

The Mavericks, who have lost three in a row, got a season-high 23 points from 7-footer Dirk Nowitzki.

None of the Dallas defenders, including the 21-year-old Nowitzki, could handle Mashburn's spinning moves.

"He's a great player who I enjoyed watching when I was young," Nowitzki said. "He showed it tonight."

Tim Hardaway had 16 points in 27 minutes and Alonzo Mourning added 18 in an abbreviated stint for the Heat. P.J. Brown had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and reserve guard Anthony Carter had 10 assists.

"They made every shot and took advantage of every mistake," Nelson said. "I didn't like our game plan. I'll take the blame for that."

Miami led 45-36 when Mashburn scored the team's next 11 points. That evolved into a 21-6 burst that extended the Heat's lead to 66-44 with 4:31 left in the first half.

Mashburn shot 13-for-19 from the field in 31 minutes. It was his highest-scoring game for Miami, though his career high of 50 came with the Mavericks in 1994.

After Shawn Bradley hit a rare 3-pointer, Cedric Ceballos hit a running jumper to cap off a 16-6 run that cut Miami's 27-point lead to 90-74 late in the third quarter.

Mashburn hit a spinning drive that turned into a three-point play and then had a tip-in that helped the Heat open up a 97-76 lead after three quarters.

Mashburn scored four points and Hardaway hit a 3-pointer to give the Heat a 9-0 lead. Miami led 74-50 at halftime.

"You've seen us as a slow-down team the last three to four years," Hardaway said. "It's good to know we can score and play an up-tempo if we have to."

Game notes
Miami's 43-point first quarter was just two points shy of its franchise high accomplished Nov. 19, 1997, against the Clippers. ... The 74-point first half is one point shy of a franchise record and two points shy of the record for any half. ... The only other time the Heat has opened a season at 4-1 was during the 1996-97 season. ... The victory was Miami's 400th against 475 losses in its 12th season. ... Dallas has been outrebounded in all six games this season. ... Pat Riley-coached teams have won 25 straight against Dallas dating back to the 1987-88 season. Riley is 10-0 against Dallas with the Heat. ... Bradley's 3-pointer in the third quarter was his first since the 1997-98 season. He was 0-for-4 last season and is 3-for-26 in his career. ... Miami rookie Rodney Buford made his first appearance since being sent home from Toronto after customs agents found marijuana in his sock Nov. 3. Buford entertained the crowd with a high-flying dunk and a 3-pointer late in the game.
 


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