The Dallas Mavericks took a lead in the ultra-close NBA finals, and now it really is "now or never" for LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
The Heat lost 112-103 on Thursday night despite LeBron James notching a triple-double in what he had deemed the most important game of his life.
Five years after rebounding from an 0-2 deficit to Dallas in the 2006 Finals, the Heat must now win both of the next two games in Miami or see the Mavericks celebrate a title in AmericanAirlines Arena.
James, who called this game "now or never," responded from his worst playoff performance with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and Dwyane Wade battled through a sore left hip after a first-quarter collision to finish with 23 points.
History is against the Heat as they try to win a title in their first season together: In the 26 previous times finals that were tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner won 19 of them.
The Mavs shot 60 percent through three quarters, briefly gave up the lead in the fourth, then controlled the final few minutes, just as they had in thrilling comebacks in Games 2 and 4.
This time, they got to play from ahead thanks to some sizzling shooting: 56.5 percent from the field, including 13 of 19 (68 percent) from 3-point range.
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Dirk Nowitzki had 29 points, Jason Terry scored 21, and J.J. Barea had 17 for the Mavs.
James scored eight points, going just 3 of 11 in Game 4, the first time in 90 postseason games he didn't hit double figures. It's been a rough first finals in Miami for James, who has been accused of everything from "shrinking" to "checking out" in the fourth quarters, when he had just nine points through the first four games.
Trying to pump himself up, James wrote "Now or Never!!" on his Twitter page early Thursday morning, later calling this the biggest game of his career.
But they feel the same urgency in Dallas, where the slogan "The Time is Now" is printed on those blue T-shirts that surround the court, and where the Mavs are loaded with 30-somethings — late 30s, in Jason Kidd's case — who could be on their last shot at an NBA title.
