Wade shines as Heat stop Wizards 108-102
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-11 10:10

Shaquille O'Neal wasn't at his best. Again, it didn't matter — Dwyane Wade saw to that. Wade controlled the game Tuesday night with 31 points, including a critical three-point play with 1:05 left, and added a career-high 15 assists, helping the Miami Heat stay perfect in these playoffs with a 108-102 win over the Washington Wizards.

Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal shoots over Washington Wizards center Brendan Heywood (33) in the fourth period during Game 2 in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal playoffs an Miami, Florida, May 10, 2005. The Heat defeated the Wizards 108-102 to take a 2-0 lead in the series. [Reuters]

Miami leads the Eastern Conference semifinal series 2-0. Thursday's Game 3 is at Washington, where the Heat have won 11 times in its last 14 tries.

Eddie Jones added 21 points, O'Neal scored 16, Damon Jones had 14 and Udonis Haslem had a 14-point, 13-rebound effort for Miami.

Antawn Jamison, playing with tendinitis in his right knee, had a playoff career-high 32 points for Washington. Gilbert Arenas added 28 for the Wizards, but the third member of their high-scoring trio, Larry Hughes, missed his first 11 shots and finished with 15 points on 5-for-17 shooting.

Wade continued his brilliant postseason run by making 10 of 15 shots and grabbing seven rebounds. In the first three quarters, Miami had 29 baskets, 22 either made by Wade or set up by his passes.

And the Heat needed him to be especially sharp because the Wizards simply wouldn't go away.

Jamison hit a floater from 12 feet with 1:24 left to bring Washington within five, but Wade answered with a three-point play 19 seconds later. He drove past Arenas, darted left, drew contact from Jamison, changed hands with the ball and scored. The free throw gave Miami a 105-97 lead — and the Heat escaped.

Not including a buzzer-beating try to end the first quarter from halfcourt that barely missed, bouncing just off the front of the rim, Wade made his first six shots.

His first conventional miss came with 1:08 left in the half, but he atoned for it seconds later, stripping Juan Dixon of the ball and driving for a dunk that put Miami, 6-0 this postseason, ahead 54-45.

Even more impressive than his shooting, though, was the way Wade set up teammates. He had assists on five of Miami's first six baskets, had six setups in the first quarter and nine by halftime — two more than the entire Wizards roster had combined, and matching Washington's total output in Game 1.

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