There was a point Friday night at AmericanAirlines Arena where it seemed that public-address voice Michael Baiamonte was going to have to make a call for any available guard to report to the scorers' table.
Nott security guards . . . shooting guards.
Because the Miami Heat continue to run out of ambulatory wings.
Already shorthanded, with Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow and Rodney McGruder beginning the night as ailing spectators, the Heat lost Dion Waiters in the first quarter of what turned into a 113-101 victory over the Dallas Mavericks with another sprain of his chronically troublesome left ankle.
The reaction of coach Erik Spoelstra?
"Next guy . . . Wayne."
As in Wayne Ellington, as in the long-distance specialist who tied his career scoring high with 28 points and set a career high with eight 3-pointers.
"Full speed," Spoelstra said, "with defenders draped all over him."
With Hassan Whiteside, James Johnson and Okaro White also ailing, it turned into such a case of all hands on deck that a pair of players on two-way developmental-league contracts, Derrick Walton Jr. and Matt Williams Jr., were the Heat's only available reserve guards in the second half.
"This is the world we live in," Spoelstra said of his team's world of injuries, "so you don't have time to get down or feel sorry for yourself."
Somehow, the Heat found a way, now at 17-15, two games above .500 for the first time this season.
With Waiters, the Heat find themselves in yet another injury waiting game.
"Right now," Spoelstra said, "it's just an ankle sprain. He did have X-rays. Everything was negative."
Ellington was supported by 24 points from Josh Richardson and 19 from Tyler Johnson on a night the Heat shot .639 from the field and 16 of 25 on 3-pointers.
The Heat again rolled out a starting lineup of necessity that had Kelly Olynyk opening at center, Bam Adebayo at power forward, Richardson at small forward, Waiters at shooting guard and Johnson at point guard.
The Mavericks were far closer to whole, with Seth Curry and Nerlens Noel their only sidelined rotation regulars.
The Mavericks opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run, but a pair of 3-pointers from Ellington allowed the Heat to move to a 90-82 lead.
The Heat later pushed to a 10-point lead before Dallas closed within 103-98 with 2:07 to play.
That's when Richardson stepped into a 3-pointer with 1:49 left to a 106-98 Heat lead.
Harrison Barnes then missed a pair of free throws for the Mavericks with 1:37 left, with Ellington stepping up with his eighth 3-pointer, with 1:17 to play, for a 109-98 Heat lead, effectively ending it.
Just as the Heat opened the game with a 12-0 run, the opened the third quarter with another 12-0 run, eventually moving to a 82-73 lead entering the fourth.
The Mavericks entered 1-18 when tied or trailing entering the fourth quarter.
With Waiters sidelined, the Heat opened the second half with Ellington on the court.
The Heat tried to buy time in a zone in the third period, just as they did in the third quarter of Wednesday's road victory over the Boston Celtics. But this time Adebayo was first called for a defensive three-second violation, with Wesley Matthews following with a 3-pointer on the four-point possession.
The Heat's early 13-point lead evaporated in the second period, with Dallas forging a 53-53 tie at the intermission after a first-half loaded with long balls. The Heat shot 8 of 13 on 3-pointers in the first half, the Mavericks 7 of 15.
The Heat led 32-23 at the end of the opening period, with Tyler Johnson at nine points at that stage.
The Heat lost Waiters midway through the opening period, with Waiters retreating directly to the locker room.
With Jordan Mickey called for two early fouls, Udonis Haslem made an appearance in the first quarter, pitting him against former NBA Finals rival Dirk Nowitzki.
When the Heat moved to a 7-0 lead at the outset, it was their largest lead of the season against a scoreless opponent, after three previous 6-0 start. The lead moved to 12-0 and then 15-2, with the Heat opening 6 of 6. But a 9-0 run drew Dallas back within 15-11.
The two-game season series concludes Jan. 29 in Dallas.
The teams split last season's series, with each winning at home.
The Heat entered having won five of the previous six meetings at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The games opened the Heat's first set of back-to-back home games since the lockout shortened 2011-12 season, with a Saturday game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The game was the first on a four-game homestand for the Heat.
The Mavericks entered 2-12 on the road, having lost their previous six away from Dallas.
The Heat were coming off Wednesday's 90-89 victory in Boston, when Olynyk scored a career-high 32 points.
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