Basketball:Dirk Nowitzki sparked Dallas to a stunning fourth-quarter comeback as the Mavericks fought back from a 15-point deficit to beat the Miami Heat 95-93 and even the NBA finals series at 1-1 last night.
Nowitzki, who injured the tendon in the middle finger of his left hand in Tuesday's series opener, scored on a driving lay-up with three seconds remaining to seal a dramatic victory for the visitors.
Miami's Dwyane Wade launched a 28-foot, three-point attempt at the buzzer but his desperate shot hit the back of the rim, eliciting a collective groan from 20,000 home fans at American Airlines Arena.
"In this league you have to play 'til the end," said Nowitzki, who overcame a woeful first half to finish with 24 points and 11 rebounds. "This is the finals. You can be down 20. You have to keep plugging. You never know what's going to happen in this league. And we kept on fighting."
The best-of-seven series shifts to Dallas for the next three contests, with Game Three at the American Airlines Center on Sunday.