The Heat also won three consecutive games for the first time since the 2006-07 season. This is a big step forward for this rebuilding team. Erik Spoelstra could not have asked for a better opponent last night, the Oklahoma City Thunder (2-19). The Heat (11-9) was able to withstand an uneven performance to come away with a 105-99 win.
Wade showed no signs of the migraine he suffered in Utah. In addition to scoring 38 points on 14-of-24 shooting and 10-of-15 from the free-throw line, the 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette had five rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks in 35 minutes. Unfortunately, Wade turned the ball over four times, but no other player turned it over more than twice and the Heat kept its total to 14.
Wade had 15 points in the first quarter and 25 by intermission. In the third quarter, the Miami lead swelled to 15 on Wade's three-point play with 2.8 seconds left in the period. Wade got some chants of "M-V-P! M-V-P!" from the stands as he went to the line for his free-throw.
Should Wade be the 2008-09 MVP? Just a quarter into the season, it's too early to tell. But when the Thunder went on a 20-5 run in the fourth quarter when Wade was on the bench, it shows that he is very valuable to this team.
It ended up as a 90-90 game halfway through the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Thunder, Wade found Mario Chalmers for a three with 5:13 to go to make it a 93-90 game. Wade then made a fade-away jumper with 3:27 left to make it a 97-91 game. Shawn Marion then made six points in the final two minutes to ice the game for Miami.
Marion finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots on the night, hitting on all cylinders. Chalmers also added 15 on five-of-eight shooting from the field and three-of-six shooting from beyond the arc. The rookie out of Kansas struggled defensively against Westbrook and picked up three early fouls, but made the clutch shots in the fourth quarter.
Also adding 15 points for the Heat was Udonis Haslem. Haslem finished with 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 14 rebounds. Haslem has been a consistent scorer and rebounder since he shifted over to his natural position. His three consecutive games of 13 rebounds or more was the first time a Heat player has done so since Shaquille O'Neal in the 2004-05 season.
Miami did not get much help off the bench, with Michael Beasley only scoring six points in 13 minutes. Beasley got poked in the eye and had to go to the locker room for further treatment. When Beasley stepped back on the court, he complained of blurry vision and had to sit back down. Daequan Cook, meanwhile, struggled with his shot, connecting on only one of his five attempted shots.
But Jamaal Magloire provided the most in his five minutes of action. The 6-foot-11 center got an offensive rebound in the second quarter, threw his elbows around a few times, and dunked the ball with authority over two Oklahoma City defenders. His aggressive play is not bad, considering this is a team is need of some bulk.
"He gives us a level of toughness and a defensive presence there," Spoelstra said. "No matter what happens, I know somebody’s going to get hit. It could be one of our guys or one of their guys, or maybe him hitting the floor, but I like that physicality."
On a more serious note, Magloire has a shot with this club. I like Joel Anthony's defense, but the door is wide open for Magloire. If he can be a defensive presence and get a few off second-chance points, he could end up starting for this team. However, this is a big if.
The Heat, a team that has won the battle of the boards against its past three opponents, will host the Charlotte Bobcats Monday, Dec. 8. In the standings, Miami is only one-half of a game behind New Jersey for the sixth seed.
Injury Report
Chris Quinn missed Saturday's game due to a sprained ankle. He is expected to play Monday night against Charlotte.
Shaun Livingston got 12 minutes of playing time last night, his longest stretch since suffering a devastating knee injury in Feb. 2007. Livingston finished with three points, one assist and zero turnovers for the Heat.
But in the most unexpected news, Spoelstra talked about the possible return of veteran Alonzo Mourning to the team.
"He’s still working every single day," he said. "It’ll probably be another three weeks or a month before he can come to his decision."
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