Miami Heat vs Phoenix Suns (109 - 105) January 8, 2010

Dwyane Wade scored 33 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had eight assists as the Miami Heat win in the desert.

Team effort helps Heat top Suns
By Jack Magruder, for NBA.com
Posted Saturday January 9, 2010 1:36AM
PHOENIX (NBA.com exclusive) -- MVP candidates Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash flashed their All-Star credentials Friday.

But after the Suns managed to neutralize Wade in the final six minutes by turning to a 1-2-2 zone defense, Miami got more help from the lesser Heat than Phoenix could muster for a 109-105 victory at U.S. Airways Arena.

Wade neared a triple-double with 33 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, but he only had one point in the fourth quarter while playing the final 6:48.

That's when the Heat turned to other sources -- Jermaine O'Neal had five points, including a go-ahead 17-footer with 29.7 seconds left, and other contributors included Udonis Haslem (four points), Rafer Alston (three), Dorell Wright (three) and Michal Beasley (two).

O'Neal added two free throws after a Jason Richardson miss to give Miami a 107-104 lead with 10.9 seconds left.

Nash got a fairly clean look at a 3-pointer -- Wade charged him but did not impede the shot -- but missed long with six seconds remaining. Haslem hit two more free throws, and that was that.

The Suns used the zone in their comeback 104-96 victory over Miami on Nov. 3, the fourth game of the season, but this time the Heat was more disciplined in its attack down the stretch.

"It kind of caught us by surprise last game, but this game we kind of knew they were going to throw it at us and we executed our game plan," said Miami forward Michael Beasley, who had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

"We had to pass some toughness, and we did," Wade said.

The Suns (23-14) split the series with Miami (18-16) ... and hated the way they did it.

The Suns led, 33-21, after Leandro Barbosa made a three-pointer in the final two minutes of the first quarter, and took their biggest lead, 43-30, when Lou Amundson made a free throw four minutes into the second quarter.

But the Heat went on a 25-5 run at that point and trailed on only four possessions in the rest of the game.

"I thought we played a good first quarter, but we keep having these problems in the second quarter that we need to take care of," obviously frustrated Suns coach Alvin Gentry said.

"In some sort of way, we need to resolve that situation so we aren't playing from behind at the half. I'm disappointed at some of the things we did, effort-wise."

The Suns' second unit was not at its best, making only 6 of 20 field goal attempts with 12 rebounds in 63 minutes.

And while the Suns overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to beat Houston in their last game Wednesday, they could not do it again.

Most galling to Gentry was the lack of focus on detail. For example, the Suns' wanted to force Beasley, a left-handed shooter, to drive to his right. They did not do that until Gentry put Grant Hill on Beasley in the second half.

Wade had 16 points at the half and 16 more in the third quarter, and Beasley had 18 points in the first half.

"We have to pay closer attention to what the game plan is. We have to be focused on the (opposing) personnel," Gentry said.

"I was real disappointed because we let Beasley drive left. He got 18 points before we decided to play him the right way, and he got three points the rest of the way."

The Suns also committed 17 turnovers that led to 23 Miami points.

Nash had 16 points, 12 assists and six turnovers. Amar'e Stoudemire had 18 points and 18 rebounds while Hill had 18 points and 13 rebounds.

"We have to just stay positive and keep working," Nash said. "We had two good wins this week (at Sacramento, Houston) and just didn't play well. We can't hang our hands. I think that's what happens ... we have a bad stretch and hung our heads a little bit, and that compounds it.

"Then we fight back, and it's too little, too late. We have to learn from our mistakes. Maybe we get a little complacent [with a big early lead], but I think there is more to it. It just seemed like there was a stretch when the starters came back at the end of the first half a little funky and out of rhythm.

"We just never got to playing well. We really didn't earn it tonight."

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• 2010

[emillio97]

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Miami Heat vs Phoenix Suns (109 - 105) January 8, 2010

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Miami Heat vs Phoenix Suns (109 - 105) January 8, 2010

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Miami Heat vs Phoenix Suns (109 - 105) January 8, 2010

[Y2JTO]

This game represents why Phoenix will never win a championship. You can't win with a run and gun style of offense in the NBA. You need two stars on that team, but a championship caliber team needs a dominant center, but Amare isn't a true center. He can't command a double team every time his hands have the ball. You need someone who is seven feet tall and can give you at least twenty in the paint. The Suns need to trade Richardson or Amare to New Jersey for Harris and Lopez for the future.