Heat Vs. Mavs, Final Score: Wade, Miami Survive Dirk’s Comeback In Game 3, Win 88-86

The story sounds familiar. The only thing different about Game 3 between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals is how it ended.

After leading Dallas back in a massive comeback, Dirk Nowitzki had the ball and the shot with four seconds remaining and the Mavs down two. Unlike Game 2, Dirk missed this one and the Miami Heat won the game, 88-86. The Heat now take a 2-1 series lead and history is on their side since no team has ever won Game 3 after being tied 1-1 and then lost in the Finals.

Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 29 points and 11 rebounds. LeBron James had an off-night, scoring 17, while Chris Bosh added 18.

Dirk led the Mavs with 34 points and 11 boards in the losing effort. Jason Terry scored 15 off the bench.

For more coverage of Game 3, stay up-to-date with this StoryStream. To see the up-to-the-minute score, along with information from around SB Nation on the game, keep your browser on this Heat-Mavs score page. Throughout the NBA Finals, check out our 2011 NBA Finals hub for more coverage. For more on the two teams, Mavericks fans should head over to Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas, while Heat fans should check out Peninsula Is Mightier.