Heat's Dwyane Wade electrifies crowd with late-game plays vs. Mavericks

MIAMI, March 29 (UPI) -- Dwyane Wade still has plenty of spark in his final season. He showed that once again with two late plays to help the Miami Heat close out the Dallas Mavericks.

The 16-year veteran sealed the victory with a series of scintillating sequences down with less than 30 seconds remaining in the 105-99 win Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami.

First, Wade got to the line to make two clutch free throws with 20 seconds on the clock, giving the Heat a 103-99 edge. Dallas then dribbled back in an attempt to close the gap.

Wade pulled up closely on the Mavericks' Ryan Broekhoff. The Heat veteran swatted the ball away from the sharpshooter as he was about to pass it.

Wade chased down the loose ball and sprinted down the court. He secured the ball before facing off with Broekhoff once again. Wade did a slight hesitation move before flying down through the paint and laying the ball in for a six-point lead.

"It was just nice to get a win and nice for me to contribute to the game in a positive way," Wade said. "The most important thing is getting a win. We are in a playoff battle."

Wade scored 11 points and had four steals, two rebounds and two assists for the Heat. Goran Dragic led the way for Miami with a triple-double, scoring 23 points with 12 rebounds and 11 assists.

Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 19 points and seven assists. The Slovenian star also had eight rebounds.

Dirk Nowitzki had 13 points in the loss.

"Let's all work together and get both of these guys [Wade and Nowitzki] to come back next year," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "There is too much fun, too much history, too much class. These are fun moments. It transcends just the game.

"You have two iconic players of this generation. Two of the ultimate winners. But they have done it with the dignity and grace, that's why there is a worldwide following and fan base. Because they aren't just basketball players. They are first-class people."

Miami moved into the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference standings with the victory, putting the Heat back in the playoff picture.