MIAMI 100, INDIANA 96
Wade's Return To Form Stops Pacers
At Miami | April 13, 2007
With the game on the line, and possibly much more, each team turned to its best player.
While Miami soared with Dwyane Wade's return to full flight, the Pacers were floored as Jermaine O'Neal continued his earthbound struggle.
Wade took over down the stretch, scoring 10 points with a pair of assists as the Heat wiped out an eight-point deficit to beat the Pacers 100-96 Friday at American Airlines Arena, dealing a near-fatal blow to Indiana's fading playoff hopes.
Though the Pacers went to O'Neal repeatedly in the final minutes, he was only able to produce a pair of free throws and no baskets as he finished a 2-of-13 night that extended an untimely shooting slump.
The loss leaves the Pacers (35-44) with a 1½-game deficit on eighth-place Orlando (36-42) with three to play. Miami (44-36) already has clinched the Southeast Division title and is merely tuning up for its championship defense.
PLUSES
Danny Granger was particularly effective, offensively, scoring 24 points on an aggressive 7-of-11 shooting night, adding 8-of-11 from the line. He scored 16 of his 24 in the second half but was largely a spectator in the final 4 minutes as O'Neal became the focal point of the offense. Mike Dunleavy was again solid with 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Jeff Foster scored 10 with four rebounds, while Shawne Williams (10 points, six rebounds), Troy Murphy (10 points, Ike Diogu (nine points in 10 minutes) and Darrell Armstrong (six points, six assists, four rebounds) all contributed off the bench. The Pacers hit 9-of-17 from the 3-point line and outrebounded the Heat 38-32 but committed 17 turnovers.
MINUSES
Playing tentatively to protect the tender left shoulder that recently cost him a 23-game absence, Wade was ineffective most of the first three periods, shooting 3-of-11 and scoring just nine points. Shaquille O'Neal carried the offense in that span and wound up with 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting and eight rebounds. Wade scored 14 in the final period and finished with 23 points, five steals, four rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot in by far his best performance of the four since his return. James Posey hit all five of his 3-point attempts and scored 18 off the bench, while Antoine Walker provided 11 points and Udonis Haslem 10 with eight rebounds. Miami shot 52.6 percent and was 8-of-15 from the arc.
MOMENTS
The Pacers started the game flat, missing their first nine shots and committing eight turnovers in the first nine minutes as Miami bolted to a 20-9 lead. Williams provided a major spark, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and a short jump-hook in a nine-point run that cut the lead to 26-22 early in the second quarter and the game would remain close deep into the third.
The Pacers trailed 67-62 when Granger and Murphy combined for 13 points in a 17-6 run that gave the Pacers their first lead at 71-69 and stretched it to 79-73 with 10:16 remaining. Diogu then took over, scoring six straight Indiana points against Miami's O'Neal, including a pair of free throws that gave the visitors an 87-79 lead with 5:50 remaining. But Diogu fouled out, bringing in Indiana's O'Neal, and the game turned.
Though Wade kept coming at them, the Pacers managed to hold the lead, though O'Neal and Granger combined to miss 3-of-6 free throws in three critical possessions that left Indiana with just a 94-90 lead with 2:05 remaining. Wade hit a jumper, stripped Dunleavy, drove into the lane and kicked out to Posey for a 3-pointer that put the Heat ahead 95-94.
Indiana's O'Neal missed twice in a row, then Wade, forgetting the left knee tendinitis he had previously said would limit his jumping ability, drove for a strong dunk that made it 97-94 with 43 seconds left. Granger scored quickly on a drive to cut it to one, but Wade found Haslem alone under the rim for a layup to push the lead back to three with 22 seconds left. Indiana's O'Neal missed again, forcing the Pacers to foul and Posey finished the scoring at the line.
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