Takeaways From Miami Heat's Victory Saturday Against Dallas Mavericks

The Miami Heat are now 1.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets for the No. 6 seed

With the Miami Heat’s playoff hopes at stake, they got a key win. 

Behind a strong effort from Jimmy Butler, the Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks, remaining in the chase for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. This win places them 1.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets.

Here are some major takeaways from the game:

-Three days after Butler scored just 12 points, he had a strong game. He finished with 35 points, scoring 16 of them in just the first quarter. It was his second-most in any quarter this season. He also had a season-high 12 assists, the most since May 4 when he had recorded 12 in the playoffs.

-With Bam Adebayo sidelined with a right hip contusion, Cody Zeller didn't disappoint in his first start of the season. He finished with 20 points, 10 of them coming in the second quarter. It was the most points he scored since Feb. 1.

-There was another change in the lineup. Kevin Love came off the bench while Max Strus got his 29th start of the season. However, it was Love who had the best game since joining the Heat. He finished with 18 points on 55 percent shooting. It was the most points he scored since Dec. 31.

-Even though the Heat won, they started the game off slow. They allowed the Mavericks to get ahead 20-12 in the first seven minutes. But the Heat finished the quarter, leading 44-31. They led 76-64 at halftime, making it the third highest-scoring first half in Heat history.

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog HERE.