Miami Heat Blog – Page 104 – NBA Blog

Wade hurt as Heat lose to Wizards 86-84

With the playoffs a week away, Dwyane Wade left the Miami Heat arena Saturday night with his swollen finger in a splint – and considered himself lucky.

Wade played less than 3 minutes before dislocating his left index finger but avoided serious injury as the Heat lost 86-84 to the woeful Washington Wizards.

A doctor reset Wade’s finger, and X-rays were negative…

Cartier Martin scored 22 points for Washington. Wall had 13 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and four steals, and Kevin Seraphin scored 17 points for the Wizards, who outscored Miami 22-3 on fast-break points.

The Wizards have only 17 victories, but they have won five of their past seven games, beating both Chicago and Miami down the stretch.

Miami’s Mike Miller led a second-half comeback and finished with his first double-double of the season, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Mario Chalmers also scored 16 points, and Udonis Haslem had a season-high 15 rebounds.

— Reported by Steven Wine of the Associated Press

Wade leaves Heat game with dislocated finger

Dwyane Wade has left the Miami Heat’s game against Washington with a dislocated left index finger.

Wade appeared to hurt the finger when it got caught in another player’s jersey early in the first quarter Saturday night. He immediately went to the locker room grimacing in pain.

A short time later, the Heat said he would miss the rest of the game.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Basketball Wives star Jennifer Williams sues castmate`s personal assistant over slap

“Basketball Wives” star Jennifer Williams is filing a lawsuit Wednesday accusing a Manhattan woman of a flagrant foul for viciously slapping her face during a taping of the reality show.

Williams, ex-wife of NBA player Eric Williams, also has filed a complaint with the state attorney’s office in Florida, said lawyer Sanford Rubenstein.

“Violence used against any person is wrong but when a woman hits another woman it sets a horrible example for young girls everywhere,” Williams told the Daily News.

“I choose to use the justice system to fight back,” she said in an exclusive interview.

The defendant, Nia Crooks, is a personal assistant to “Basketball Wives” co-star Evelyn Lozada. Crooks belted Williams while VH1 cameras were rolling Jan. 21 in the presidential suite of the Gulfstream Park racetrack in South Florida.

— Reported by John Marzulli of the New York Daily News

Despite awful D-Rose game, Bulls beat Heat 96-86 in OT

Had he known he was going to play so poorly, Derrick Rose might have sat this one out. Good thing for him, his Chicago teammates picked up the slack.

C.J. Watson scored 16 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, and the Chicago Bulls pulled away in overtime to beat the Miami Heat 96-86 on Thursday night.

Carlos Boozer scored 19 points and Kyle Korver added 17 for the Bulls, who outscored Miami 12-2 in overtime to boost their lead in the Eastern Conference to four games…

LeBron James scored 30 points for Miami but missed a free throw that would have made it a two-possession game late in regulation. Dwyane Wade added 21 points, Chris Bosh scored 20, but the Heat lost for the sixth time in 11 games…

Rose hit just 1 of 13 shots and sat out the extra period, a brutal night for the reigning MVP. Then again, he hasn’t played much lately, so this wasn’t a total shocker…

Luol Deng scored 16. Boozer grabbed 11 rebounds and fed Watson for that tying 3. Korver came up big again, hitting 5 of 6 from beyond the arc after scoring 14 on Tuesday.

— Reported by Andrew Seligman of the Associated Press

Dwyane Wade thinks Olympians deserve pay

Add Miami guard Dwyane Wade to the list of Olympians who believe basketball players in the Games should be paid.

Boston guard Ray Allen, a member of the 2000 gold medal team, told FOX Sports Florida on Tuesday he believes Team USA players should be compensated. Wade, who won bronze in 2004 and gold in 2008 and likely will play this summer in London, said Wednesday he agrees.

“First of all, it’s an honor to play in the Olympics, but there are a lot of things you do for the Olympics. A lot of jerseys you sell. There are a lot of things you do. We play the whole summer,” Wade said. “I do think guys should be compensated, just like I think college players should be compensated as well. Unfortunately, it’s not that, but I think it should be something for it.”

Wade agreed with Allen that the best way to pay Olympic players would be through jersey sales, but he didn’t specify an amount.

— Reported by Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports

Celtics rise up to beat Heat in Miami

A week ago, the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat with defense. This time, they did it with offense.

Paul Pierce scored 27 points, Kevin Garnett added 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Celtics made their first eight shots of the fourth quarter to hold off the Heat 115-107 on Tuesday night.

Rajon Rondo posted double-digit assists for the 18th straight game, extending the NBA’s longest such streak in 20 years with an 18-point, 15-assist effort. Brandon Bass added 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Avery Bradley scored 11 for the Celtics, who shot a season-high 61 percent.

LeBron James finished with 36 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Miami, which got 20 from Dwyane Wade and 18 from Mario Chalmers. Chris Bosh finished with 13 on 5-for-13 shooting.

The Celtics beat Miami 91-72 in Boston on April 1, a game the Heat called “unacceptable” after establishing season-lows in scoring and shooting.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

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LeBron James and Goran Dragic named Players of Week

The Miami Heat’s LeBron James and the Houston Rockets’ Goran Dragic today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, April 2, through Sunday, April 8.

James led the Heat to a 3-1 week with averages of 30.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.3 steals. James led Miami in scoring and minutes in all four games, and steals and assists three times each. James tallied a season-high 41 points during a 99-93 win over Philadelphia on April 3.

Dragic helped the Rockets to a 3-0 week with averages of 20.7 points, 8.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals. Dragic, who has reached double figures in scoring in a career-high 18 consecutive games, posted 21 points and tied a career high with four steals during a 99-93 win over the Bulls on April 2.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Josh Smith, Memphis’ O.J. Mayo, Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings, New York’s Carmelo Anthony, San Antonio’s Tony Parker and Utah’s Al Jefferson.

Antoine Walker announces retirement from basketball

Antoine Walker is hanging ’em up.

The former Celtics forward, who had been playing for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League, announced his retirement in the locker room on Saturday night, according to the team.

Walker, who played 12 seasons in the NBA, is reportedly expected to make a formal retirement announcement in the coming days.

The 35-year-old’s most notable playing days came as a member of the Celtics from 1996-2003. He was named an All-Star three times while forming a potent duo with Paul Pierce.

— Reported by Ricky Doyle of NESN

Grizzlies snap Heat 17-game home streak

Dwyane Wade knew during pregame warmups that the Miami Heat were going to have a long night. By the end of the first quarter, the Memphis Grizzlies let everyone else know that Wade was right.

Rudy Gay scored 17 points, Zach Randolph had 14 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, and the Grizzlies put seven players in double figures to snap Miami’s 17-game home winning streak by beating the Heat 97-82 on Friday night.

Memphis led wire-to-wire, the first team to do that on Miami’s home floor since Boston on Nov. 11, 2010…

Mike Conley and Marreese Speights each scored 15, and Marc Gasol and O.J. Mayo added 10 apiece for the Grizzlies, who have won six of eight.

LeBron James finished with 21 points, six assists and six rebounds for the Heat, who failed in a bid to match the franchise’s longest home win streak, set in the 2004-05 season. Miami committed 11 turnovers in the first quarter—its most in any period since Feb. 14, 2006—and never recovered…

Wade scored 20 points, Chris Bosh added 19 and Terrel Harris scored 10 for Miami, which last lost at home on Jan. 22 to Milwaukee.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Heat win 17th straight at home, beat Thunder

LeBron James had 34 points and 10 assists, Dwyane Wade scored 19 points and the Miami Heat avenged a loss at Oklahoma City last week, rallying to beat the Thunder 98-93 on Wednesday night for their 17th straight home victory.

Mario Chalmers scored 13 points, and Chris Bosh had 12 for Miami, which trailed by 11 in the first half before a comeback fueled in part by Russell Westbrook pulling James down from behind on a fast break in the second quarter.

Kevin Durant scored 30 points for Oklahoma City, and Westbrook added 28, but shot 9 for 26. James Harden had 12 for the Thunder, who lost despite holding Miami to 37 percent shooting.

The win moved Miami (39-14) within two games of Chicago (42-13) in the race for the NBA’s best record. Oklahoma City fell to 40-14.

Durant could have given Oklahoma City the lead with 1:30 left, backing down James and then trying a turnaround from the left side. His shot was way off, hitting the top of the backboard.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press