The Heat are looking to get off to a better start than 2006, where they lost the first 2 games. Miami looks good so far winning the first Finals game in 2011. The 2006 Finals MVP Dwayne Wade finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds. Wade had support with James and Bosh as the Miami trio combined for 65, scoring 70% of the team's points.

That's kind of the way we've been winning games, of late...You've got stay with it. You can't get frustrated because the ball's not going in. There's other ways you can dominate the game and we was able to do that tonight. I thought we did a great job in the second half of rebounding the ball, limiting them to one shot as much as possible, said Wade after the victory.

Both teams were locked in a close game until the final minutes when the Heat pulled away winning 92-84 to take game 1 of the best of 7 series. Wade's string of defensive plays and 3 pointer surged a fourth quarter Heat run that was enough to knock out the Dallas Mavericks in the final minutes.

James gave the Heat a cushioned lead at the end of the third quarter with a 3-pointer buzzer beater that put up 65-61 going into the fourth quarter.

The Mavericks gave the Heat plenty of competition throughout the game led by Dirk Nowitzki's 27 points and 8 rebounds, Shawn Marion's 16 points, and 12 from Jason Terry. Both teams played fairly even until Miami's late run put the finishing touches.

Game 2 will be in Miami where the Mavericks will try to steal one from a streaking Heat team before heading back to Dallas.

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