Irving, Doncic power streaking Mavericks past Heat

MIAMI, April 10 (UPI) -- Luka Doncic accessed his array of acrobatic jump shots while Kyrie Irving was a dribbling and finishing fiend, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 111-92 rout of the Miami Heat on Wednesday in Miami.

The NBA's highest-scoring duo -- at 59.5 points per game -- teamed up for 40 points in the first half to spark an early Mavericks lead, which they held for the final three quarters.

Doncic finished with a game-high 29 points, while Irving chipped in 25 at the Kaseya Center.

"He's mastered different nuances of the game and he's continuing to explore his abilities and talents and it's beautiful to be a part of," Irving said, when asked about Doncic, at his postgame news conference.

The Mavericks, who led by as many as 25 points, forced 16 turnovers and scored 24 points off fast breaks. They shot 49.4% and totaled 27 assists.

The Heat and Mavericks exchanged the lead just twice through the first seven minutes before the visitors ended the first quarter on a 16-6 run for a 33-24 advantage. They didn't lose that lead for the remainder of the night.

The Mavericks outscored the Heat 36-23 over the next 12 minutes. Irving and Doncic netted 21 and 19, respectively, in the first half. The Mavericks made 59.1% of their shots through the first two quarters, compared to the Heat's 39% clip. They held a 69-47 edge at the break.

The Heat punched back in the third quarter, using a 12-5 run to cut the deficit to 13. Forward Kevin Love scored 10 points in the quarter, helping the Heat outscore the Mavericks 27-19. The Mavericks carried a 88-74 edge into the fourth.

Sharpshooting guard Tyler Herro then found his shooting touch, making two 3-pointers to help the Heat cut the deficit to eight within the first four minutes of the final frame. But the Mavericks responded with a 9-2 run to stay comfortably ahead.

Derrick Jones Jr., P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford chipped in 12 points apiece for the Mavericks. Herro scored 21 points in the loss. Love logged 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

The Heat (44-36), who are 6-4 over their last 10 games, remain the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. They will host the Toronto Raptors (25-55) at 8 p.m. EDT Friday in Miami.

The Mavericks (50-30), who won 12 of their last 13, are on a five-game winning streak and remain the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.

They will host the Detroit Pistons (13-66) at 8:30 p.m. Friday in Dallas.