Mavs coach Rick Carlisle warned his team that one tough task awaited them before the eagerly awaited All-Star break.
Was anyone listening?
Miami, scrambling for the last playoff spot in the East, routed the Mavs, 112-101, on Wednesday night at American Airlines Center. The Mavs go into the All-Star break with three losses in the last four games.
The Heat won every matchup, including the elder-statesman showdown between Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki. Wade had a team-high 22 points. Nowitzki, who was 5 for 14 from the field, had 12.
"We've sold this game as a very hard game,'' Carlisle said beforehand.