Miami rallies to avoid deep 3-0 hole

~ The Heat overcame a late 13-point deficit to beat the Mavericks 98-96.

MIAMI -- Hours before the biggest game of his life and the most important in this city's hoop history, Dwyane Wade, brimming with confidence and South Beach coolness, gave his take on the NBA finals.

"It's not over," he said.

Not if he says so.

Wade scored 42 points and orchestrated a furious fourth-quarter Miami comeback that reached its crescendo on Gary Payton's jumper with 9.3 seconds left as the Heat escaped with a 98-96 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 on Tuesday night.

The Heat rallied from a 13-point deficit in the final 6:34 to keep alive a series that looked to be over with Dallas up 2-0.

"As a team, we just came out and said this could be the season if they win this game," Wade said. "We came out, ran our offense to the crisp, locked down on defense and came back and won this game."

Despite blowing its big lead, Dallas still had plenty of chances late. Dirk Nowitzki missed one of two free throws with 3.4 seconds to go and the Mavericks couldn't convert on an inbounds play in the final second thanks to Wade, who tipped away the last gasp pass after scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter.

As the final horn sounded, Heat fans simultaneously exhausted and exhilarated, tossed their "White Hot" white T-shirts into the air, a celebration that seemed unimaginable just a few minutes earlier.

Now, after watching Wade's heroics and Shaquille O'Neal and Udonis Haslem hit four straight crucial free throws in final two minutes, they're coming back for Game 4 on Thursday night.

Miami was down and apparently done after Jason Terry's basket made it 89-76 with 6:34 remaining.

That's when Wade, playing with five fouls, decided it was time for him to take over.