The AP reports: John Salmons scored 27 points, Tyrus Thomas came up big again and the Chicago Bulls beat Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat 106-87 on Thursday night for their sixth win in seven games. The Bulls took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Heat 32-14, and moved into a seventh-place tie with Detroit in the Eastern Conference… Wade scored 31 points after hitting just five of 24 shots the previous night in a 90-88 loss at Indiana, but solid efforts by Chicago’s Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich and Tyrus Thomas to back Salmons helped the Bulls avoid a four-game sweep. Gordon scored 18 points for the Bulls, who lead Charlotte by three games and Milwaukee by 3 1/2. Thomas added 15 points and 12 rebounds, and he was particularly good in the third, scoring seven points and blocking two shots.
Category: Miami Heat Blog
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NBA rule change on too many players on court
The NBA Board of Governors voted to approve a playing rules change in regards to “too many players on the court”, which will take effect beginning Friday, March 27.
Under the playing rules change, when a “too many players on the court” violation is called, a technical foul will be assessed against the offending team and the non-offending team will have the option of either accepting or nullifying the game action that occurred during the violation.
Option 1 — Accept Game Action
The non-offending team can opt to ACCEPT all play that occurred during the violation, including any points scored, with no adjustment of the game clock.
Option 2 — Nullify Game Action
The non-offending team can opt to NULLIFY all play that occurred during the violation, other than any acts of unsportsmanlike conduct or flagrant fouls or any points scored from free throws as a result of such actions.
Under this option, following the technical foul, the game clock would be reset to the time when the ball was put into play with too many players on the court and, depending on how the ball was originally put into play, play would resume in accordance with the following:
1) If the original play commenced with a throw-in, then the ball would be returned to the original throw-in spot and play commenced with a throw-in.
2) If the original play commenced with a missed free-throw attempt where the ball remained in play, then play would be commenced with a jump ball held at center court between any two players who were on the floor at the time play was suspended due to the violation.
3) If the original play commenced with a jump ball, then play would be commenced with a jump ball held at the original jump-ball spot between the same two players who participated in the original jump ball.
Granger leads Pacers past Heat 90-88
The AP reports: The 90-88 victory Wednesday night was Indiana’s 17th straight home win against the Heat, but it wasn’t certain until Wade’s desperation 3-point shot went halfway down and rimmed out at the buzzer. “I thought it was (going in) for a quick second, then I saw he shot it a little to the left and that’s why it rolled out,” said Danny Granger, who led Indiana with 28 points. “Fortunately, he missed it.” … Wade, the NBA scoring leader at almost 30 points a game, had 21 points but was just 5-of-24 from the field, including 2-of-11 in the second half… Haslem finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and O’Neal had 13 points and three blocks but only two rebounds. Ford added 20 points and Jarrett Jack 13 for the Pacers. Jeff Foster, starting in place of injured Troy Murphy, had a season-high 16 rebounds.
Wade gets a record, Heat beat Grizzlies 94-82
The AP reports: Dwyane Wade scored 27 points to top his own Miami single-season record— acknowledging afterward he wasn’t aware he broke that mark—plus added eight assists as the Heat easily beat the Memphis Grizzlies 94-82 on Monday night… Michael Beasley had 17 points and nine rebounds, Udonis Haslem scored 11 points and Jamaal Magloire finished with 10 points and a season-high 12 rebounds for Miami. O.J. Mayo scored 21 for the Grizzlies, who started a four-game road trip by losing for the 17th time in 19 games. Rudy Gay was held to eight for Memphis, matching his third-lowest output this season.
Dwyane Wade done with practices this season
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Michael Cunningham) reports: The Heat isn’t likely to have many more practice sessions with 13 games during the final 22 days of the regular season. When the Heat does practice, don’t expect Dwyane Wade to participate in much more than noncontact work as the Heat tries to keep its star healthy. Wade, nursing a sore hip that forced him to miss Wednesday’s game at Boston, “didn’t feel as bad as we anticipated” after playing Friday at New Jersey, coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We are going to manage his body as best as we can,” Spoelstra said.
Wade, Haslem lead Heat in 101-96 win over Pistons
The AP reports: Dwyane Wade scored 39 points in the first 47 minutes Sunday. In the final minute, he turned into a defensive specialist. Wade blocked two shots in the final 22 seconds and Udonis Haslem scored six points in the last 6.3 as the Miami Heat rallied for a 101-96 victory over the short-handed Detroit Pistons… Detroit was missing three key players—Richard Hamilton (groin), Rasheed Wallace (calf) and Allen Iverson (back)—but took a 96-95 lead on Walter Herrmann’s 3-point shot with 13 seconds left… Stuckey led the Pistons with 24 points, while McDyess had 16 points and 12 rebounds.
LeBron James talks of playing with Dwyane Wade
Sunday evening in New Jersey the Nets are hosting LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Before the game, LeBron spoke with InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner and other reporters.
Dwyane Wade was brought up and it was mentioned (by our main man Ken Berger of CBS) to LeBron that as long as both he and Wade are in the Eastern conference the two can never meet in the Finals.
“I don’t know… it doesn’t matter,” said James. “Whatever happens, we go against each other. Maybe… we’ll play against each other in practice. I don’t know. That’d be fun, wouldn’t it?”
Now, LeBron paused after that “maybe” before the practice statement, as if he was thinking carefully about what he was going to say next, knowing full well media members lik me would relay it back to the entire fan world aned cause about a billion discussions to break out.
After the interview was over, LeBron yelled over to an inquisitive reporter that he did not say that he said he is headed for Miami, but then said that he is not saying Wade is coming to Cleveland.
Then, he left.
Enjoy discussing this, NBA fan world.
More Cavs stuff late tonight here on InsideHoops.com.
Pierce scores 36 as Celtics beat Wade-less Heat
The AP reports: The only All-Star healthy enough to play made the difference. Paul Pierce scored 36 points without Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to share the load, Dwyane Wade missed his first game of the season, and the Boston Celtics clinched the Atlantic Division title with a 112-108 overtime victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night… “We’re a team, the Miami Heat, with or without D-Wade,” said Michael Beasley, who led Miami with 21 points off the bench… Rajon Rondo had 27 for Boston. Miami, in its third overtime game in its last five, got 19 points from Mario Chalmers and 17 from Jermaine O’Neal.
Dwayne Wade out with hip strain
The Palm Beach Post (Chris Perkins) reports: Heat All-Star guard Dwyane Wade won’t play in tonight’s nationally-televised game at Boston due to a right hip injury. According to the Heat the injury is a right hip flexor strain. Wade said he reached the decision about 45 minutes prior to tonight’s 7 p.m. tipoff. Wade said the decision to sit out tonight’s game was “very tough. I can’t even describe how tough it is.”
Shaq says he has years of good ball left in him
The Arizona Republic (Paul Coro) reports: “I’m going to be putting up big numbers until I’m 40,” Shaquille O’Neal, 37, said. “I can play at any pace. It’s just that no one my age has done what I’ve done. Because of what went on last year (in Miami), they thought I was done. But I’m the type of player I don’t really harp on my injuries. I say it once, ‘I was injured,’ and that’s it. But people want to be the unauthorized author of my book. Last year, I was messed up. Then Nellie (Suns head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson) and them fixed me up. Now, I’m loose again and ready.” O’Neal continues to say he can deliver big games nightly if he gets enough shots. With the Suns’ increased pace, there are shots for everyone.