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DWYANE WADE LETS FOURTH QUARTER LEAD SLIP AWAY
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March 2, 2009
- LeBron James watched Dwyane Wade steal the ball, drive for a reverse dunk that gave the Miami Heat an 11-point
lead in the fourth quarter, and summoned Mo Williams for a quick meeting. "It's up to us,'' James told Williams.
With that, the comeback got started. James scored 42 points, Williams got 15 of his 30 points in the final 7:14 to
lead a stirring rally, and the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the final minutes to beat the Heat 107-100 on Monday
night. "It was tough. It was tough,'' James said. "It's probably one of the better wins we've had this year, man.''
A historic win, too. The Cavs are now 47-12 - 35 games over .500 for the first time in franchise history.
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Wade's dunk put Miami up 91-80 with 7:52 left. The Heat shot 2-for-17 with four turnovers the rest of the way,
getting outscored 27-9 - a far cry from Saturday night, when the Heat got 24 from Wade in the final quarter to
pull off a stunning win over the New York Knicks. This time, the Heat were witnesses, not winners. "A huge loss,''
Wade said. "It hurts.'' Williams also had seven rebounds and seven assists, and got the comeback going with two
huge 3-pointers to spark a 12-0 run that erased what seemed like a comfortable lead midway through the final period.
James sealed it with 42.7 seconds left, blowing past Jamario Moon for a fierce right-handed slam to put the Cavs up
100-95. That dunk - fierce even by LeBron standards - left Cleveland coach Mike Brown stammering for words.
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DWYANE WADE PHOTOS
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MIAMI HEAT VS. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
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Jermaine O'Neal scored 16 points, Mario Chalmers added 15 and Moon had 11 for Miami, which shot 2-for-17
with four turnovers in the final 6:52 to waste what was a 91-80 lead. Not to mention wasting the second
straight 40-plus scoring effort by Wade, who pulled off that feat for the second time in his career. It
was also the second time James and Wade have each had 40-plus in a game: James had 47 and Wade 44 on April
1, 2006, when Cleveland won at home over Miami 106-99. "We don't want each other to have bragging rights,''
said James, who got his second win in 11 tries at Miami. "We definitely go at it when we play each other.''
Cleveland was 11-for-17 from 3-point range - James was 6-for-7 - while Miami was a mere 5-for-18. - NBA.com
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DWYANE WADE SCORES A CAREER-HIGH 50 POINTS AGAINST MAGIC
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February 22, 2009
- The Magic withstood a career-high 50 points by Dwyane Wade to rout the Miami Heat 122-99 on Sunday. "My concern is
when Dwyane goes into the Hall of Fame and they start putting off his top career games, it's going to be like 50 versus
Orlando,'' Van Gundy joked. "We're going to fill up the entire screen. So, I don't know what to tell you. When I coached
Dwyane I really liked him, but I'm not so sure anymore. Our relationship is strained.'' Hedo Turkoglu had 20 points and
Rafer Alston added 12 points and nine assists for the Magic, who have won 12 of the past 15 games against their Sunshine
State rival.
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Wade was potent from inside and out, scoring with high-flying dunks and soaring jumpers that had even some
Magic fans chanting "M-V-P!'' Miami's do-it-all guard had previously scored 48 twice in his career, and had
43 points two times earlier this season. But the lopsided loss put a damper on his performance. "It's great
to know you can score 50 points, but it would be better to walk away with a win,'' said Wade, who was 17-for-30
shooting from the floor. "It's bittersweet. No player alone can carry everything.'' He sure tried. Wade hit a
pair of 3-pointers in an 11-4 Heat run to start the third quarter, closing the gap to 68-57. But the Magic would
come back with a series of 3s to go ahead 91-72 at the end of the period to offset Wade's performance.
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DWYANE WADE PHOTOS
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MIAMI HEAT VS. ORLANDO MAGIC
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The Heat never got close in the fourth, and Miami coach Erik Spoelstra cleared most of the bench midway through the period - except for Wade,
who was left in until his shot over Courtney Lee gave him 50 points. "I think he was (aware of it),'' Spoelstra said. "Then when I realized it,
I had to motion to him, 'This is it,' because I was about to put Jamaal (Magloire) back in regardless of what happened.'' Despite Wade's stellar
game, it was the Magic's newest player that made the biggest difference. - NBA.com
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DWYANE WADE EARNS MIAMI 800TH FRANCHISE VICTORY
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February 21, 2009
- Dwyane Wade had 25 points and nine assists, O'Neal and Moon combined to score 10 fourth-quarter points in their second game since arriving
from Toronto, and the Heat improved their Eastern Conference postseason positioning by beating the Philadelphia 76ers 97-91 on Saturday. Miami
was down by three with 2:52 remaining, then went on an 8-0 run when the game mattered most. "Probably the most important game of the season so
far,'' said Heat forward Udonis Haslem, who finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, including a key jumper with 1:33 remaining. "We felt like
this was a must-win situation for us.''
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O'Neal had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Moon scored 12 for Miami. They were in perfect tune with Wade in the final minutes, with Moon getting free to score off
a pair of baseline lobs and O'Neal scoring twice in a span of four possessions midway through the fourth quarter to take some pressure off the NBA's second-leading
scorer. "I felt so much more comfortable tonight than I felt the previous night,'' O'Neal said. "I've been working hard and we feel like we have a chance to keep
building from here.'' Moon airballed his first shot, saying he was too excited. By the end, he and Wade seemed like they were playing together forever, subtle nods
of the head from one telling the other where they were heading.
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DWYANE WADE PHOTOS
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MIAMI HEAT VS. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
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Andre Miller had 30 points - the most by a 76ers player since late last season - and nine rebounds, and Louis Williams scored 22 off the bench for Philadelphia, which
is on its first three-game slide since December. Andre Iguodala scored 14 and Marreese Speights added 12 for Philadelphia, which was the lone NBA team not to have a
30-point individual scorer this season. But Miller took care of that, going 11-for-21 from the field and 8-for-8 from the line. Despite a strained right calf, Miller
started to extend the NBA's longest current streak of games played to 502. He's missed only three games in his 10-year career, the last coming Jan. 24, 2003. - NBA.com
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DWYANE WADE SCORES 37 POINTS BUT IT ISN'T ENOUGH
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February 18, 2009
- Dwyane Wade finished with 37 points and 12 assists for Miami. Udonis Haslem added 17 points for the Heat, and
O'Neal - who sustained a right eye injury in the third quarter and missed 13 minutes before returning late - had
13 in his first game since being acquired from Toronto last week. "I would not have scripted this for my first
game,'' said O'Neal, who still had some blurred vision after the game. "Absolutely not.'' Mario Chalmers scored 12
points for Miami, including a 3-pointer with 2:28 left to give Miami a 99-97 lead. The Heat wouldn't be on top again.
Randy Foye took a pass from Telfair and hit a 3 on the next Minnesota trip, Telfair added with another shot from beyond
the arc 30 seconds later, and that essentially sealed it for the Timberwolves - who outrebounded Miami by a staggering
49-24 margin. "I don't think we impacted them defensively the entire game,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They
absolutely annihilated us on the backboard.'' O'Neal only had one rebound, and wasn't thrilled with himself about that.
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Minnesota tried to throw the knockout blows - two of them - in the third quarter. First, that was when
Miller charged into James Jones on a drive and collided with O'Neal's face. O'Neal remained down for a
few moments, then went into the locker room with a towel absorbing a bit of blood that dripped from his
nose. About a minute later, Jones' night ended when he needed X-rays for what was diagnosed as a bruised
right hand. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves weren't feeling any pain. They had 36 points, their biggest quarter
in their last six games, in the period and when Wade missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer Minnesota took an 82-73
lead into the fourth. "The guys showed a lot of grit. The team found a way to hang in there,'' Minnesota coach
Kevin McHale said. "They made runs at us but in the end we were able to withstand it. And had we not turned it
over, then I think it wouldn't have been that close a game.''
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DWYANE WADE PHOTOS
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MIAMI HEAT VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
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It was 86-75 with 10 minutes left, before Miami suddenly sprung to life with a 12-0 run. And when Wade had
consecutive driving baskets, the game was knotted at 91 with 5 minutes remaining. But Gomes hit a 3-pointer -
the Timberwolves' best friend in this one - to put Minnesota back in the lead. "It's a terrible loss,'' Wade
said. At first, it seemed as if O'Neal's debut would be an easy one. Newly crowned NBA 3-point shootout champion
Daequan Cook closed the first quarter with a 3-pointer, and the Heat had an early 31-20 lead. Miami missed nine
of its first 11 shots in the second quarter, and the game swiftly changed. Telfair hit a 3-pointer with 4:10 left
in the half and the Timberwolves went up 40-39, before Miami wound up taking a 49-46 lead into the break. Minnesota
shot 60 percent in the second half, and afterward, Telfair said something McHale said in a breakfast meeting Wednesday
morning sunk in. "He asked us if we were going to be pros or punks,'' Telfair said. "We decided to be pros.'' - NBA.com
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DWYANE WADE MAKES THE GAME-WINNING ASSIST TO MARION
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February 12, 2009
- Dwyane Wade took advantage of the attention he is receiving, and it won the game for Miami. Wade found a streaking Shawn Marion
for a dunk with 1.1 seconds left to give the Heat a 95-93 win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. Wade, selected as a starter
for the Eastern Conference in the NBA All-Star game this weekend in Phoenix, scored 24 points. Wade scored eight points in the fourth
quarter and passed out of a double-team to find Marion for the decisive dunk. "It was just a read. I saw the man (Tyrus Thomas) was
going to jump out on me as soon as I touched the ball. Shawn did what he does best and that's cut to the basket. He made a great finish,''
said Wade. Reserve Michael Beasley finished with 21 points for the Heat, who came in as a loser of five out of the last seven games. "They
ran to him and he ran a play and (Dwyane) came off. I stepped right in and went to the basket to finish it real quick,'' said Marion.
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Ben Gordon finished with 34 points for Chicago. With Miami trailing 86-85, Wade led an 8-0 run. Mario Chalmers had a reverse
layup to give Miami the lead back, then Marion blocked Derrick Rose's shot and finished with a dunk on the other end. Wade made
a jumper, then hit a fadeaway over Rose to give the Heat a 93-86 lead with 1:13 left. But the Bulls came back by scoring seven
consecutive points. Thomas' basket got them within 93-90 with 35 seconds left, then Gordon was fouled by Daequan Cook on a 3-point
attempt. He hit all three free throws to tie the game at 93 with 6.5 seconds left. Kirk Hinrich then stole Marion's inbound pass,
but the Bulls turned it over when Wade did the same to Thabo Sefolosha's pass with 3.5 seconds left. "All we had to do was get the
ball in bounds,'' said Gordon. "It's definitely a heartbreaker when you work that hard to get back in the game and then have a
chance to win.'' The Heat executed this time when Wade found Marion for an easy dunk.
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DWYANE WADE PHOTOS
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MIAMI HEAT VS. CHICAGO BULLS
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Chicago had a foul to give, but was unable to use it. "By the time Shawn Marion got the ball, he was one dribble and at the rim,
so it would've been a two-shot foul,'' said Joakim Noah. After trailing by 11 to start the fourth quarter, Chicago came back to
take the lead. Gordon had a three-point play with 3:54 left to get the Bulls within 85-84. Then Rose gave the Bulls the lead by
blowing by Chalmers. The Heat led by 13 early in the third quarter, but the Bulls cut into the lead. Beasley, picked No. 2 in this
year's draft after Rose, highlighted the third quarter with 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting. He showed his range by hitting a 3 to
give the Heat a 74-60 lead with 1:37 left in the period. "Michael was great tonight,'' said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. "Yesterday
I had a talk with our three young guys before practice. I talked especially to Michael since he has gotten a lot of criticism lately.
We knew there would be ups and downs for every rookie.'' Trailing 76-62, the Bulls cut into the Heat lead in the fourth quarter.
Andres Nocioni hit a 3 with 4.3 left in the third quarter, then Chicago outscored Miami 10-2 to start the fourth period. - NBA.com
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DWYANE WADE CLOSES THE GAP TO 4 BUT NOTHING MORE
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February 10, 2009
- Dwyane Wade scored 33 points on 12-for-22 shooting for Miami, which has lost five of its last seven games. Shawn Marion
scored 14 and Mario Chalmers added 10 for Miami. The Heat cut a huge deficit down to four early in the fourth quarter, before
Billups lived up to his "Mr. Big Shot'' moniker. Denver was 0-for-15 from 3-point range before Billups struck with 9:38 left,
giving Denver a 79-72 lead, and the floodgates opened from there. Smith made one on the next possession, then another with 6:43
left for an 87-77 lead, twirling around with a big smile after that one went down. "Two backbreakers, right there,'' Wade said.
"That's what they do.'' Billups then finished off Miami with 3-pointers on consecutive trips, the last coming with 2:48 left for
a 97-79 lead.
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"We played with great passion,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had a different assessment of his club.
Denver shot 75 percent in the first quarter, during which Miami's starting backcourt of Wade and Chalmers missed more shots (seven)
than the entire Nuggets roster (five), no small reason why Denver ran out to a 32-20 lead. "That's a championship level team that we
did not give the proper respect coming into this game, certainly not in the first quarter,'' Spoelstra said. "A team that came out
after an extremely tough and probably humbling loss the other night and the sixth-best team in the league right now record-wise, a
legitimate championship contender, and we did not come out with a sense of urgency or real focus.'' The Nuggets connected on a 17 of
their first 23 shots, and kept rolling right into halftime.
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DWYANE WADE PHOTOS
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MIAMI HEAT VS. DENVER NUGGETS
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Chris Andersen scored on a fast break with 1:42 left before intermission, drawing a flagrant foul from Marion (one that eventually knocked Andersen from the game) and made the free throw
for a 55-36 Denver lead. Anthony made a free throw a half-minute later, giving the Nuggets their biggest cushion, a 20-point edge that seemed to have Denver on the cusp of a blowout. That is,
until Spoelstra said whatever he said at halftime. "The second half, we competed much harder,'' Spoelstra said. "We showed them the proper respect in the second half.'' Miami roared out of the
break on a 19-8 run, ending with Chalmers hitting a pair of 3-pointers to get the Heat within 64-59 with 5:13 left in the period. Denver missed 11 of 12 shots during one stretch of the third
period, but still took a 74-65 lead into the final 12 minutes. And the late 3-point barrage sealed it for the Nuggets. - NBA.com
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DWYANE WADE IS STRUCK IN THE EYE BY JUWAN HOWARD
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February 8, 2009
- Dwyane Wade emerged after the game wearing oversized red boxing gloves and a black robe, barely able to see out of his left eye after getting
struck by Juwan Howard. He had a message for the Charlotte big man, too. "The next time I see you, I got you, Chicago-style,'' Wade said with a laugh.
Yes, the Miami Heat star was ailing, but Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook did enough to put a smile on Wade's stitched-together face. Fighting off the
flu, Wade scored 22 points, Chalmers added 16 with a career-best 13 assists, and Cook's 16-point effort included two key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter
as the Heat beat the Bobcats 96-92 Sunday night. "I thought we played good,'' Charlotte coach Larry Brown said. "They just played great.'' Udonis Haslem
scored 14 for Miami, which shot a season-best 56 percent. D.J. Augustin scored 27 points for Charlotte, which has lost five straight. Howard added 14
points and one blow that forced Wade into getting six stitches.
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Boris Diaw and Emeka Okafor each scored 10 for the Bobcats. Raymond Felton hit a 3-pointer with 43.2 seconds left to get Charlotte
within 93-89, but Wade emerged with an offensive rebound on the next possession and Haslem sealed it with two free throws. Until then,
Miami was only 2-for-8 from the line. "We may have had a fatigued group out there,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "I wanted to make
sure we were fresh in the second half and I thought our starters played with a tremendous amount of energy when they had their legs.''
With Wade ailing, he sat out the first 4 1/2 minutes of the final quarter, and returned with the Heat clinging to a 76-74 lead. He didn't
have to win it by himself. Cook made a pair of 3-pointers shortly after Wade came back, including one where he picked up a ball that was
knocked away from the 2006 finals MVP, collected himself at the top of the key and swished one for an 82-77 edge.
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DWYANE WADE PHOTOS
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MIAMI HEAT VS. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
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"It was a break that we haven't gotten in four of the last five games,'' Wade said. "That was a big shot.'' Said Cook: "I was in rhythm.
That was a natural shot for me.'' Wade reclaimed the NBA scoring lead from LeBron James, who was held to 16 earlier Sunday when Cleveland
lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Wade is now averaging 28.3 points per game, while James - who took over the top spot Saturday when Wade
scored 21 in a loss to Philadelphia - is at 28.2. The Bobcats were without forward Vladimir Radmanovic, acquired Saturday from the Los
Angeles Lakers for Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown. Radmanovic was hoping to play - the newest Bobcat was getting checked out by team doctors
two hours before game time - but the Lakers didn't complete physicals for Morrison and Brown beforehand. - NBA.com
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DWYANE WADE IS REJECTED AGAIN IN THE FOURTH
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February 7, 2009
- Dwyane Wade had 21 points and Mario Chalmers added 18 for Miami. Miami has lost four of five. The Heat are one game
ahead of Philadelphia for the sixth spot in the East. The four teams jostling for the No. 4 seed are separated by 3 1/2
games. "Their bench changed the game,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. The Sixers trailed most of the second half until
Ivey's layup off a terrific pass by Speights gave them a 74-73 lead early in the fourth. After Wade missed one of two free
throws, Chalmers missed a pair. Then, Williams made two free throws and Ivey nailed a 3-pointer from the baseline to put
the Sixers ahead 79-74. Speights rejected Wade at the opposite end, and Thaddeus Young hit another 3 from the baseline.
Following a timeout, Ivey intercepted a pass and scored on a fast-break layup to make it 84-74 and cap a 23-5 run.
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The teams traded a few baskets before Ivey drilled another 3 for an 89-78 lead with 3:30 left. The Heat didn't get much closer
the rest of the way. "It was winning time and they made the plays and we didn't,'' said Wade, who was fighting the flu. Wade and
Chalmers combined for 19 of Miami's 25 points in the third quarter, helping the Heat take a 69-63 lead. Chalmers hit a long jumper
and Wade followed with another long one to put Miami up 63-55, and the duo scored the Heat's final 10 points. The Sixers missed
14 of their 18 shots in the third, but made all 11 free throws to stay close. Then, DiLeo turned to his bench in the fourth. "Our
energy guys came in and did a fantastic job,'' DiLeo said. "They really wore them down down the stretch.'' Ivey not only scored 10
points in the fourth quarter, but helped shut down Wade. The NBA's leading scorer had one point in the final 12 minutes. "Coach
emphasized we were lackluster in the first half, giving up a lot of layups,'' Ivey said. "We needed a boost. The second unit came
in and gave us energy.'' The biggest lead of the first half was 7-0 as the Sixers came out strong. It was 44-44 at halftime.
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DWYANE WADE PHOTOS
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MIAMI HEAT VS. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
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If the Philadelphia 76ers get bench play like this, they'll hardly miss Elton Brand. Andre Miller and Marreese
Speights scored 15 points, Royal Ivey ignited a second-half comeback with 11 off the bench and the 76ers beat
the Miami Heat 94-84 on Saturday night. Dwyane Wade had 21 points and Mario Chalmers added 18 for Miami. Seven
players scored in double figures for Philadelphia, which has won two straight since learning that Brand will have
season-ending shoulder surgery Monday. "Talk about a team win,'' coach Tony DiLeo said. "Everyone contributed.
That's the way our team is. Everyone on the bench cheers for everyone on the court no matter if they're starters
on the bench or if our subs are on the bench.'' The Sixers are 12-8 without Brand, who signed a five-year, $80
million deal last summer. That's an encouraging sign for a team hoping to make a strong playoff push and get the
No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference that ensures home-court advantage in the first round. - NBA.com
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DWYANE WADE MISSES GAME-WINNING THREE POINTER
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February 4, 2009
- Rodney Stuckey hit two jumpers in the final 90 seconds to help the Detroit Pistons beat the Miami Heat 93-90 on Wednesday night.
Stuckey and Rasheed Wallace had 18 points each for Detroit, while Antonio McDyess added a season-high 17 rebounds. Dwyane Wade led
Miami with 29 points and 13 assists. With the game tied at 85, Stuckey hit a short jumper with 1:22 left to put Detroit ahead, but
Wallace fouled Michael Beasley at the other end. Beasley hit both free throws to tie it, but Stuckey hit an off-balance bank shot
over Wade to put Detroit back in front. McDyess stole the ball from Beasley, and Wallace appeared to put the game away with a 3-pointer,
especially when Wade was then called for a technical foul for throwing the ball into the stands.
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Tayshaun Prince, though, missed the free throw and Wade hit a 3-pointer to make it 92-90 with 18 seconds left.
Richard Hamilton, an 87-percent shooter from the line, then missed two free throws and Wade grabbed the rebound.
After a timeout, Wade missed a wild baseline jumper, but Arron Afflalo gave the Heat one last chance by only
splitting his free throws. The game then ended on a bizarre note when Prince stopped to argue with the officials
while Wade dribbled down the floor to attempt a desperation 3-pointer that bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
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DWYANE WADE PHOTOS
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MIAMI HEAT VS. DETROIT PISTONS
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Detroit led 45-42 at the half, despite not getting a steal or a blocked shot in the first two quarters. The Pistons also forced
just two turnovers, but outshot the Heat 52 percent to 36 percent. The Pistons started the third with a 14-4 run, expanding their
margin to 13, but couldn't put the Heat away. Wade's 3-pointer pulled Miami to 62-60 late in the period, only to have Prince answer
with two triples of his own. That let Detroit take a 70-62 lead into the fourth, but Beasley's fast-break dunk tied the game at 76
with 7:35 left. - NBA.com
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DWYANE WADE HAS NO PROBLEM CONTROLLING THE CLIPPERS
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February 2, 2009
- Dwyane Wade had 32 points and nine assists, Michael Beasley added 18 points and the Miami Heat snapped a two-game losing skid by beating
the Los Angeles Clippers 119-95 on Monday night. Mario Chalmers scored 15 points, Udonis Haslem added 13 and Shawn Marion - in his first game
back after missing five straight with a strained left groin - finished with 11 points and seven rebounds for the Heat, who improved to 15-3 when
scoring more than 100 points this season. Zach Randolph, back after missing 19 games with a sore left knee, scored 21 points for the Clippers,
who've lost six straight and 20 of 22. Marcus Camby and Eric Gordon each added 12 for the Clippers, who had beaten Miami by a single point in
each of their last two meetings. But Miami controlled this one nearly start to finish, never trailing by more than three points in the early
going and holding the lead for the game's final 33:33.
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It was the most points Miami scored at home since beating Utah 121-83 on March 14, 2006.
Although the Clippers are tied with Washington for the league's worst record - both teams are now 10-38 - this game had significance for Miami.
The Heat were coming off losses to Indiana and Dallas. And with a road trip to Eastern Conference rivals Detroit and Philadelphia
starting Wednesday, it's not the ideal time for a midseason swoon, particularly with five teams already jostling for the No. 4 playoff
seed. So Wade and Chalmers went to work early, setting the tone. They combined for 16 points in the first quarter as Miami built a
six-point lead, and the Heat - buoyed by 56 percent shooting in the half and a 10-point second quarter from Beasley - eased into the
break with a 58-47 edge. It got dicey, though, late in the third.
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DWYANE WADE PHOTOS
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MIAMI HEAT VS. L.A. CLIPPERS
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The Clippers held Miami to only two field goals in a four-minute span, and suddenly found themselves down just 77-70 with 3:08 left in the
quarter after a pair of free throws from Baron Davis. Right on cue, Wade took over, leading a 13-3 run that ended the quarter. He hit a pair
of 3-pointers and scored nine points in all during the spurt, and after Haslem hit a jumper with two seconds left, the Heat carried a 90-73
lead into the fourth. Miami (26-21) moved into fifth in the East standings Monday, one game behind No. 4 Atlanta, a half-game ahead of the idle
Pistons and now 2 1/2 games clear of the 76ers, who host Boston on Tuesday. - NBA.com
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