Dwyane Wade (22 points, 10 rebounds, six assists) and LeBron James (24 points, eight rebounds, five assists) took the first step towards an NBA title, taking control of the floor to lead the Miami Heat to a 92-84 win in Game 1 of the 2011 NBA Finals on Tuesday night at American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL.
Miami, which now leads the series 1-0, trailed 17-16 after the first quarter and both teams scored 27 in the second quarter, giving Dallas a 44-43 lead at halftime.
Dallas used a surge at the start of the third quarter to distance itself from Miami, ultimately outscoring the Heat 22-17 in the quarter. However, James and company buckled down in the fourth, outscoring Dallas, 27-23, en route to victory.
Chris Bosh was also effective for Miami, scoring 19 points and collecting nine rebounds. Mario Chalmers scored 12 points Udonis Haslem added seven points and six boards for the Heat.
Dirk Nowitzki was predictably solid in the loss, finishing with 27 points and seven rebounds. Shawn Marion scored 16 points and had 10 rebounds and Jason Terry added 12 points off the bench for Dallas.
Miami will host Dallas in Game 2 of the 2011 NBA Finals in South Beach on Thursday night.