Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers (105 - 96) April 3, 2010

Dwyane Wade goes off for 43 points along with nine rebounds and six assists as the Heat defeat the Pacers in overtime.

Wade lights up Pacers with 43 points as Heat win 7th in row


By John Oehser, for NBA.com
Posted Friday April 2, 2010 11:06PM
INDIANAPOLIS (NBA.com exclusive) -- The Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers each entered Friday among the NBA's hot teams. The Indiana Pacers don't have Dwyane Wade.

The Miami Heat do.

And although there were other factors in the Heat's season-high seventh consecutive victory, there were no more important -- and certainly no more spectacular -- reasons the Heat beat the Pacers 105-96 in overtime in front of 16,787 at Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday night.

"We didn't want it to be one of those games we regret," Wade, who on Friday was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Month for March, said following his fourth game of the season with at least 40 points.

"Coming out in the third quarter, I wanted to put it on my shoulders and make sure I attacked and showed my teammates what it's about," Wade said. "This is winning time right now. We didn't want to lose this game and regret it later."

Wade, after a spectacular third quarter, turned in a game-turning performance in overtime, scoring eight of the Heat's 16 points in the extra period.

Wade finished with 43 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

"Wade showed why he's one of the top three players in the league," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "We just didn't have enough to stop them. He's a superb, clutch basketball player who single-handedly won the game for them."

Included in Wade's overtime performance:

Back-to-back 3-point field goals, one of which was a 28-foot, step-back jump shot and the other a shot on which he pulled up from 26 feet.

The shots pushed the Heat lead from 95-93 to 101-93.

"Those two 3's were a dagger," O'Brien said.

"When he felt it was time to take the game over, he did," Pacers guard Earl Watson said of Wade.

The Heat's streak has moved them into solid position in the Eastern Conference playoff chase, with Friday's victory moving them past Milwaukee into fifth in the East. They were as low as ninth in the East in February.

"This team never gives up," Wade said. "It was unfortunate we lost some games early in the year that we could have won. We were playing inconsistent. We stuck with it."

The Pacers, winners of six of seven and eight consecutive home games, took a 49-39 lead at halftime doing what they mostly had done lately: moving efficiently and quickly offensively, and shooting efficiently with a 3-point oriented offense. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said what makes Indiana difficult to guard when it's playing well is its spread attack of 3-point shooters, and in the first half Friday, Indiana made 5 of 14 3-pointers and outrebounded Miami 25-20.

"This is a tough team to guard," Wade said. "You have to have your thinking cap on and you have to fight the whole game. We knew it was going to be a tough game. Coach said before it was going to come down to the fourth quarter. It actually came down to overtime, but we made plays at the end to win."

Spoelstra said the game turned at halftime, and not because of a message from the coach.

"It was nasty in the locker room," Spoelstra said. "You get to the point where it matters and the guys care. We can work with that."

Wade, last season's NBA scoring champion, pulled the Heat back into the game then into the lead with a spectacularly efficient third quarter. Beating Pacers guard Brandon Rush consistently off the dribble, Wade scored 18 of his points in the third quarter.

It's the third time this season Wade has had 18 points in a quarter.

Wade's third quarter came on a variety of acrobatic dunks and fallaway jump shots, with the most spectacular play of the night coming when he drove to the basket, dribbled back to front through his legs then finished the play with a layup off the backboard from the right side.

"It's just stuff you do on the fly," Wade said. "That's park basketball right there. That's from 'Above the Rim,' the movie, actually. I improvised and it turned out all right for me."

Indiana converted 4 of 9 3-pointers in the second half, but Wade had 21 second-half points, then shot 3 of 3 -- 2 of 2 from 3-point range -- in overtime.

"The last couple of games, he has been sitting back because we have been playing well offensively," Heat center Udonis Haslem said. "Tonight, we needed him to do a little more. That's what he did in a big way."

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Sports

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• 2010

[banana6ful]

Heck of a good video

[nmullins20]

@icekills1925 no you don't

[icekills1925]

we want boston

[dealbreaker481]

wade aint afraid to attack the rim if there wer 1 person in front or the whole team infront he goes for it.................

[lilmarzet]

im so glad we traded murphy away

the man couldnt spell defence

[darrylpage4457]

HeatTeo, reminds me of why I like basketball, along with all the bloopers. If you can't dunk yet, you need to start practicing. I definitely recommend you to try the program I'm using - "50inch vertical (dot) com" - I m 5 7 and I can dunk!

[cdeda5]

wade's dunk was beastly! one of the best this season! (other than his dunk on varejo)

[coreyvince1998]

HeatTeo, this video reminds me of why I love basketball, along with all the dunking. If you can't dunk yet, you have to start training. I highly advise you to try the program I'm using - 50 inch vertical (dot) com - I m 5 7 and I can dunk!

Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers (105 - 96) April 3, 2010