DALLAS — Jason Terry had no idea what just happened. He was headed to the hoop for an uncontested score that might clinch Game 1 of the NBA finals for the Dallas Mavericks — and then he was on the ground after inexplicably jamming the ball into the rim, rather than through it.

Terry soon figured it out: The tension and excitement had finally got to him, just as they messed with his teammates and their fellow finals neophytes in Miami Heat uniforms.

Sure, Terry knocked himself down. But he got back up and matched his playoff high with 32 points in the Mavericks' 90-80 victory Thursday night, holding off the nervousness that had pro basketball's top two teams looking like amateurs.

"It's just another game," Terry said. "The rims are still 10 feet (high), even though it didn't seem like that on my layup."

Terry, nicknamed "The Jet" because of his initials and style, soared above the series' three biggest stars — except on the tumble that left him laughing.

"I grabbed my knee, thinking it was my knee that caught or something," Terry said. "But (Darrell Armstrong) just shook his head at me and said, `That wasn't the case.' I just shook it off, man. Had to bounce back, stay focused and keep plugging away."

And he did, outscoring Dwyane Wade, outworking Shaquille O'Neal and carrying teammate Dirk Nowitzki, who managed just 16 points with a slow start and a scoreless fourth quarter. The stars certainly didn't shine, but Dallas finished with a bit of luster in its raucous home arena.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night in Dallas, with Game 3 in Miami on Tuesday.

Though Dallas held Miami to 12 points in the fourth quarter, it was hard to say the Mavs won with defense — both clubs simply struggled to make the easiest offensive plays. The Heat struggled against Dallas' zone and then couldn't even hit free throws: Shaq went an embarrassing 1-for-9, Wade was 6-for-10 — and nobody else in a Miami uniform even got to the line.

"I felt OK. I was able to get my legs back," said Wade, who scored just three of his 28 points in the fourth quarter while battling the sinus infection that's slowed him for a week.

"This will be a good time to rest, and I should be OK for Sunday."