Dwyane Wade

Wade scores 29 points to lead Heat to 101 99 victory over Hornets

The only answer the Miami Heat cares about is Dwyane Wade.

Hours after coach Pat Riley announced the Heat were no longer in the running for Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson, Wade came up big at the buzzer.

Playing his second game after missing two contests last week following oral surgery, Wade hit a fadeaway shot with 1.3 seconds left, capping a furious rally to lift the Miami Heat to a 101-99 win against the New Orleans Hornets on Monday night.

Wade scored 29 points including 13 in the fourth quarter as Miami rallied from a double-digit deficit.

The Hornets scored only two points in the final six minutes, missing eight consecutive shots from the floor during one stretch. Chris Paul's driving layup tied the game 99-99 with 18 seconds to go.

``It all came at the right time,'' Wade said. ``We needed this win and I needed that shot.''

Down the stretch, the Heat had their go-to player in Wade, who made was 6-of-10 from the floor in the fourth quarter.

``We have to concentrate on our team,'' Wade said. ``We hear a lot of things circling around.

``Other players' names get thrown in from our team and they get worried and a little sidetracked. Now we don't have to worry about that.''

The Heat did what they always do in a tight game. They put the ball in Wade's hand. Paul's basket ended the Hornets' drought, but there was plenty of time for Wade to work his magic.

Wade, having missed a few buzzer shots this season, dribbled the clock down and banked in a fadeaway shot over Linton Johnson from 18 feet for the winner.

``When I spun back, I saw a had the bank shot,'' he said. ``If I didn't, I knew I had (Jason Williams) in the corner.''

Jannero Pargo's shot from 30 feet away missed the rim as the buzzer sounded.

The Hornets, who defeated the Heat 101-86 in Oklahoma City on Nov. 21, appeared headed to another easy win. Rasual Butler's three-pointer gave the Hornets a 97-88 lead with 6:02 left in the fourth quarter, but the Heat came roaring back behind Wade, who was coming off a season-high 41-point outing against Memphis.

Wade converted a three-point play with 4:44 left, and his scoop inside the lane tied the game 97-97 with 1:39 to go.

Alonzo Mourning and James Posey each added foul shots to give Miami a 99-97 lead before Paul broke the Hornets' drought with his drive.

Wade added nine rebounds, five assists and had four steals.

Udonis Haslem scored 16 points for Miami and Posey and Jason Williams each added 15 points. Paul led the Hornets with 26 points, and Butler added 21 points.

Following Butler's three-pointer, the Hornets didn't score until Paul's basket with 18 seconds left. New Orleans turned the ball over on consecutive possessions with shot-clock violations.

``We were not as aggressive in the first half as we were in the second half,'' Hornets coach Byron Scott said. ``We choked.

``We got scared. We were hiding. It showed. We can't have Chris break guys down every single time. It's very disheartening to lose the game like that. Toward the end, we just choked.''

For the Heat, the fourth quarter was about making stops and limiting the Hornets' looks at the basket. It was a much better effort than the first three quarters, when New Orleans kept getting open looks and broke out to a double-digit lead.

``Those were some crucial stops for us in the fourth quarter,'' Posey said. ``Once we started coming back, we were more alert and one step ahead of them.''

NOTES: The Hornets are 2-9 in their last 11 games . . . The Hornets have as many wins on the road (five) as they do at home . . . Posey was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Wade torches Grizzlies for 41 points, leading Heat over Memphis 98 90

Dwyane Wade picked up right where he left off after missing two games.

Wade, who sat out the last two games after having his wisdom teeth pulled, scored a season-high 41 points to lead the Heat to a 98-90 victory over Memphis on Saturday night to hand the Grizzlies their sixth straight loss.

``I couldn't wait to get back,'' Wade said. ``The rest was good, but I love the game. I was excited to be out there again and helping the team. It was a joy to get back on the court and contribute.''

Wade, who matched his previous season high with 37 points against Toronto in his last game on Monday, shot 15-for-24 from the field and added five rebounds and seven assists.

``It was like he went home and took a long night's sleep, and now he's up, refreshed and ready to go,'' Memphis coach Mike Fratello said.

Mike Miller and Hakim Warrick each scored 20 points to lead Memphis, which has dropped nine of 10.

``Bottom line, we want a win, and we're having a hard time doing that right now but we're getting better,'' said Dahntay Jones, who scored 15 points. ``If you can get better while losing, that's what we're doing.''

Pau Gasol, playing his second game after missing the Grizzlies' first 22 due to a broken bone in his foot, scored 11 points in 17 minutes.

``It was better, definitely better than (Friday) night,'' Gasol said. ``My legs were dealing with the back-to-back game, and I was a little sore. I felt much better. I had better rhythm, was faster reacting.''

Miami's Jason Kapono scored 13 points _ shooting 3-for-5 on three-pointers _ before fouling out in the final minute. Dorell Wright had 10 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.

``This is the first time Dorell has played like this in a week or 10 days _ with a lot of passion,'' Heat coach Pat Riley said.

Even without the sidelined Shaquille O'Neal, the Heat outscored Memphis in the paint, 56-34.

Miami scored the final six points of the third quarter to go ahead 80-69. Wade had 12 points in the period.

The Heat then started the fourth quarter with a 7-2 run that forced Memphis to call a timeout. The Grizzlies never really threatened after that.

Miami held a 54-47 halftime lead thanks to Wade's 20 points.

``I came out early (before the game) and got some shooting in and tried to get in a rhythm,'' Wade said. ``I think that helped once the game started.''

Wade scored 11 points and was the only Miami player to go all 12 minutes as the Heat took a 28-26 lead after one quarter.

Wade scored 37 points three times this season. His career-high is 48 points at Philadelphia on April 14, 2005.

Notes: Grizzlies G Damon Stoudamire (sore right knee) did not dress. He's listed as day-to-day. ... Gasol scored four points in 17 minutes during Friday night's loss to Atlanta. ... Memphis entered the game ranked 30th in first-quarter scoring and third in fourth-quarter scoring. ... Wade excited the crowd early in the second quarter, when he dribbled behind his back before sinking a reverse layup.

Dwyane Wade returns to Miami Heat lineup after missing two games

Dwyane Wade was set to return to the Miami Heat lineup for Saturday night's game against the Memphis Grizzlies after missing two games following dental surgery.

``I think he's a hundred percent, other than being a little sore in his mouth,'' Heat coach Pay Riley said.

Wade missed Miami's previous two games after having his wisdom teeth removed. The MVP of last season's NBA finals was averaging a team-high 28 points _ including 30.8 the last four games before being sidelined.

Miami (9-13) is still playing without centre Shaquille O'Neal, who is recovering from knee surgery.

After missing Miami's loss at home to Phoenix on Wednesday, Wade did not travel with the team to Washington for Friday night's loss to the Wizards because doctors were concerned about the risks he'd take by flying, including the possibility that the infection in his jaw could spread elsewhere.

Riley said he was hopeful Wade would be cleared to fly for the Heat's next road game, Wednesday at Milwaukee. Miami hosts New Orleans on Monday.