Little brother Seth Curry leads Dallas Mavericks past Miami Heat

DALLAS - Dallas Mavericks guard Seth Curry scored a game-high 29 points to help Dallas cool off the NBA's hottest team, the Miami Heat, in a 96-89 victory Monday night at the American Airlines Center.

Curry, the brother of Golden State superstar Steph Curry, is in the midst of a career season in his first year with the Mavs. His under-control drives to the basket and cool outside shooting were too much for Miami, which lost for only the third time in the last 19 games.

Curry, who missed tying his season high by two points, drained an important 3-pointer with 1:52 to go that gave Dallas a 90-89 lead after the Mavs couldn't hold onto a 10-point cushion deep into the third quarter.

He buried 5 of 7 shots from 3-point range and was 10 of 17 overall. Mavs forward Harrison Barnes, who finished with 24 points, added a pair of free throws for an 8-0 run after Dallas fell behind 89-84.

The Mavs finished the game on a 12-0 run.

Heat guard Dion Waiters, who had 12 points and was 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, badly missed on a straightaway 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 55 seconds left, and James Johnson missed another opportunity to tie with a 3-ball with 24.3 seconds remaining.

Fresh off a deadline trade for Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel, Dallas continued to add to a suddenly young and athletic core. The Mavs won for the second consecutive game and are 10-5 since Jan. 22. Noel had six points and six rebounds, but had trouble slowing down Heat big man Hassan Whiteside, who went for 19 points and 19 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

Goran Dragic poured in 24 points with six assists and five rebounds for the Heat.

Dallas guard Wesley Matthews was the only other Mavs player to score in double figures with 10 points, but it included four big free throws down the stretch. Forward Dirk Nowitzki had just eight points, but grabbed 12 rebounds.

NOTES: Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki is now 59 points away from reaching 30,000 career points, a mark achieved by only the five players: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. ... G J.J. Barea (left calf strain) will be out another week, according to coach Rick Carlisle. ... G Quinn Cook, signed by Dallas shortly after he won MVP of the D-League All-Star Game, played 17 minutes and scored two points. ... Mavs coach Rick Carlisle called Heat coach Erik Spoelstra a coach of the year candidate. ... C Willie Reed received good news after an MRI exam revealed he has ankle bursitis and is day-to-day.