WADE SCORED 42 POINTS, INCLUDING 15 IN THE FOURTH QUARTER, AS THE HEAT WON 98-96.

Wade scored 42 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, as the Heat won 98-96.
MIAMI (AP) -- 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 four-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.
Despite blowing its big lead, Dallas still had plenty of chances late but 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.
Leader
The front cover of Miami's media guide is a picture of Wade standing next to Shaquille O'Neal, pointing as if he's showing the Big Fella the way.
Typical Heat, counting on Wade to lead them.
And the only reason there is still hope in Miami is because Wade found a way to pull it off -- just as Pat Riley said he would.
Wade was sensational Tuesday night. The Heat, down 2-0 to the Dallas Mavericks coming into this game, couldn't have settled for anything less.
The game had all but gotten away from the Heat early in the fourth quarter before Wade did a little of everything to lead them back.
He also kept them from falling into the one place from which no NBA team has ever recovered -- a 3-0 deficit.
And he didn't stop leading them until he had knocked away Dallas' last-hope inbounds pass as time was set to expire.
Just a few minutes earlier, it seemed that Miami's championship hopes were about to do the same thing.
Wade wouldn't allow it.
Notes
Nowitzki's average of 12.1 rebounds was tops in the NBA this postseason entering Game 3. ... Not to be outdone by Dallas' video-screen antics, the Heat unveiled one before Game 3 with Mavs owner Mark Cuban waking up with a horse's head in the bed. Naturally, "The Godfather" trilogy is among O'Neal's favorites. ... Grammy-award winner Michael McDonald, a close friend of Riley, performed the national anthem. "That's my boy," Riley said to Heat guard Derek Anderson as McDonald finished. ... A moment of silence was held before the game for Marilyn Culp, the wife of Heat trainer Ron Culp. Marilyn Culp, a founder of The Miami Coalition to prevent drug abuse, died Saturday after a seven-year battle with cancer; she was 61. ... Wade got a supportive e-mail from his good friend, Cleveland star LeBron James, before Game 3. "Just take care of business. That's what he said," Wade said.