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Wade leads Heat to brink

Eurosport
ByEurosport

Published 19/06/2006 at 05:35 GMT

Dwyane Wade scored 43 points, including two free throws with 1.9 seconds left in overtime, to give the Miami Heat a 101-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday and a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals.

2005-2006 NBA Miami Heat Wade

Image credit: Reuters

The series now shifts to Dallas Tuesday, where Miami can wrap up the first title in their 18-year history by winning either Game Six or, if necessary, Game Seven.
Wade hit only 11 of 28 shots for the game but 21 of 25 free throws, none bigger than the two he nailed in the dying seconds following a foul by Dallas center Dirk Nowitzki.
"I got hit twice on my way to the basket," said Wade, who averaged 40 points in the last three games. "I heard someone say it wasn't a foul but it was. I just tried to attack. I didn't want to settle for a pull-up jumper.
"I wanted to go to the basket, either hit it or make a foul."
A three-quarter-court shot by Mavericks guard Devin Harris
was way off the mark as the buzzer sounded, setting off an explosive roar from the American Airlines Arena crowd.
A 17-foot fade away shot by Nowitzki in heavy traffic with
9.1 seconds left had given the Mavericks a 100-99 lead but Wade drew the foul by Nowitzki while driving to the basket.
"It was probably one of the greatest games I've ever been around," said Heat coach Pat Riley. "Everybody making big shots. The shot that Dirk made to put them up by one, I don't think you can defend it any better than that.
"Then Dwyane made the play he had to make."
Jason Terry scored 35 points to lead the Mavericks, hitting
13 of 23 shots, including four of nine from beyond the arc.
Dallas entered the game with its confidence shaken after blowing a 13-point lead in the final six minutes of a 98-96 loss in Game Three, and then getting blown out 98-74 in Game Four.
TOUGH MINDED
On top of that, key reserve Jerry Stackhouse was suspended
for Sunday's game for a flagrant foul committed against Miami's Shaquille O'Neal in the third quarter of Game Four.
"We're a team that's tough-minded," said Dallas coach Avery Johnson. "I don't know if anybody could respond in this game the way we responded. That's why we're here in the Finals.
"We're going home and I know our fans are going to be really crazy. We play pretty good basketball at home. We've got homecourt advantage, so we know we have to play well and win Game Six.
"There's no tomorrow and I like that 'no tomorrow' feeling for our team."
A jam by center Erick Dampier gave Dallas a 93-91 lead with 10.1 seconds left in regulation. But Wade tied the game with an acrobatic five-foot bank shot with only 2.8 seconds remaining.
Following a time-out, Terry's attempt at a game-winning 17-footer rimmed out, sending the game into the extra session.
O'Neal finished with 18 points, on eight of 12 shooting, but the 13-time All-Star was a miserable two for 12 from the free-throw line.
"I told the guys the job is not done yet," said O'Neal, who led Miami with 12 rebounds. "We want to enjoy this win tonight but we've still got to go to a hostile arena in Dallas and take care of business. And we look forward to doing it."
Miami was 32 for 49 from the line, while Dallas was 21 of 25.
Josh Howard added 25 points for the Mavericks but the third-year player missed two key free throws with 54 seconds left in overtime with Dallas holding a 98-97 lead.
Miami's Gary Payton responded with a lay-up high off the glass with 29.8 seconds left to give Miami a 99-98 lead, setting up Nowitzki's potential game-winner with nine seconds left.
The Mavericks easily defeated Miami in the first two games of the series in Dallas, but then lost all three in Miami.
"We know we can beat this team," said Nowitzki, who had 20 points and eight rebounds on Sunday. "We showed it in Game One and Game Two.
"This is a tough one to swallow for a night but starting tomorrow, we should feel a lot better about ourselves again."
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