The Miami Heat are threatening to put on a damper on the Dallas Mavericks Christmas home opener, jumping out to a 32-17 lead over the defending NBA champions after one quarter of play at American Airlines Center. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have combined for 17 of the the Heat's 32 points.
After raising last season's title banner to the rafters, Dallas came out cold, missing their first five shots of the season. The Mavericks are just 4 of 15 from the floor in the first quarter, good for a paltry 26.7 shooting percentage. Dirk Nowitzki, despite being one of four in the quarter, has paced the Mavs with six points.
The Heat appear to have found a steal in rookie Norris Cole, who contributed five points, two rebounds and a steal in six minutes of play. Cole was the 28th pick in the 2011 draft, and was obtained by Miami after a series of draft night deals.
For more on these two teams and their big rematch, head to Mavs Moneyball and visit Heat blog Peninsula Is Mightier. For news and notes from around the league, be sure to follow SB Nation's NBA hub.