The AP reports: Dwyane Wade had 31 points and eight assists in a wildly entertaining duel with Randy Foye, and Shawn Marion hit the go-ahead free throws with 22 seconds left to lift the Miami Heat to a 99-96 victory over the Timberwolves. “He does so much for us and we don’t take it for granted,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Wade, who also had three blocks and three steals… Shawn Marion finished with 16 points and 11 boards. Udonis Haslem had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Wolves star forward Al Jefferson had nine points and was just 4-of-14 from the floor. He had to get seven stitches at halftime to close a cut over his right eye and played only sparingly in the final period… The Heat made 30 of 38 free throws while Minnesota was just 9-for-13.
Category: Miami Heat Blog
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Miami Heat sues seat holders who don’t pay up
The Miami Herald (Patrick Danner) reports: The Miami Heat is putting a full-court press on premium-seat holders and sponsors it claims haven’t paid up. The Heat or affiliate Basketball Properties, which operates the AmericanAirlines Arena, have filed 16 lawsuits in the past year against companies and people they claim owe about $1.6 million — if not more. At least a few of the cases have been resolved. The Heat has taken the most litigious approach among South Florida sports franchises to force customers and clients to honor agreements. By comparison, the Florida Panthers and affiliate Arena Operating Co., which operates Sunrise’s BankAtlantic Center, filed three suits in 2008 to collect about $100,000.
Bynum leads Lakers past Heat 108-105
The AP reports: Andrew Bynum scored a season-high 24 points including a go-ahead follow shot with 18.5 seconds remaining, Vladimir Radmanovic added a season-high 18 points, and the Lakers beat the Miami Heat 108-105 to become the first Western Conference team to reach 30 victories. Bryant had 19 points and seven assists, but shot just 5-of-14. Gasol had 14 points and 18 rebounds to match his career high, but shot 4-of-15… Derek Fisher had 13 points and a season-high 11 assists and Sasha Vujacic added 10 points for the Lakers (30-6), who won for the ninth time in 10 games… Wade led the Heat (19-17) with 27 points and nine assists, and rookie Michael Beasley scored 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. Cook added 17 points, and Shawn Marion and Quinn added 12 points apiece.
Wade scores 41 to lead Heat over Kings
The AP reports: Dwyane Wade was having a rough night. His shot was unreliable. Wade, of course, was still spectacular. He scored 10 of his 41 points in overtime to help the Miami Heat outlast the Sacramento Kings 119-115 on Friday night… Kevin Martin and John Salmons scored 29 points for the Kings, who had a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter but have now lost five straight and 11 of 12. Rookie Michael Beasley came off the bench to score 23 points for the Heat. Mario Chalmers had 13 points and Udonis Haslem had 11.
Team effort as Nuggets beat Heat 108-97
The AP reports: Nothing, not injuries and trades, can slow down the Denver Nuggets. Chauncey Billups, Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith scored 21 points apiece to help the Nuggets win their fifth straight game, 108-97 over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. Kenyon Martin and Nene scored 14 points each for Denver in the Nuggets’ seventh victory in eight games. Denver played without scoring leader Carmelo Anthony, out at least three weeks after fracturing a finger on his right hand Monday… Dwyane Wade had 31 points, and Shawn Marion added 25 for the Heat, 1-3 in their last four games.
Grizzlies waive Shaun Livingston
The Memphis Grizzlies have waived guard Shaun Livingston, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.
The 6-7, 185-pound guard was acquired today with cash considerations from the Miami Heat in exchange for a 2012 conditional second round draft pick. Livingston averaged 2.3 points and 1.0 assists in 10.3 minutes in four games with Miami. He signed with the Heat as a free agent on Oct. 3, 2008.
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum thread.
–InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner
Heat trade Shaun Livingston to Grizzlies
The Miami Heat announced today that they have traded guard Shaun Livingston and cash considerations to the Memphis Grizzles for a 2012 conditional second round draft pick.
UPDATE: Mere minutes after making this trade, the Grizzlies waived Livingston.
In four games this season, Livingston averaged 2.3 points and 1.0 assists in 10.3 minutes. The 6’7” guard signed with the HEAT as a free agent on October 3, 2008. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers with the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft.
Over the last few days there were several local Miami reports suggesting the team was set to waive/release Livingston, rather than trade him.
With Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry and oversized point guard Marko Jaric the Grizzlies are overloaded at the position. It’ll be interesting to see how long the team holds on to Livingston. So far he’s been unable to show full recovery from injury.
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum thread.
–InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner
Antoine Walker charged with DUI
The AP reports: Former NBA player Antoine Walker was charged with suspicion of drunk driving in Miami Beach early Monday morning, further hurting his chances of playing again this season. Walker was driving a black Mercedes without the lights on when he was pulled over at 5:39 a.m., according to the arrest report. Officers detected a strong odor of alcohol and wrote in the report that Walker had a sleepy look on his face. He refused a breathalyzer test… Walker was being held Monday on a $1,000 bond and jail officials said they did not immediately know if he has attorney.
InsideHoops.com reader Goose says: Any word on the secondary charge of making a career out of jacking up careless jumpers?
Balanced Spurs take control early, hold off Heat
The AP reports: Tim Duncan scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and the Spurs trailed for only one possession in a nip-and-tuck 91-84 win over the Heat on Monday night, San Antonio’s 14th victory in its last 17 games… George Hill scored 15 points on 4-for-4 shooting for the Spurs, who got 11 points from both Roger Mason and Matt Bonner and 10 from Manu Ginobili. Dwyane Wade had 24 points and 12 assists—his eighth double-double of the season—for the Heat, who also got 15 points from Shawn Marion. Michael Beasley had his first double-double, 15 points and 12 rebounds for Miami, which starts a seven-game, 13-day, 7,461-mile road trip in Denver on Wednesday night.
Heat will trade Livingston
UPDATE: They aren’t releasing him. They have traded him to the Grizzlies.
The NBA career of tall, lanky point guard Shaun Livingston began in 2004 with the Los Angeles Clippers. But despite showing flashes of potential over his three seasons in L.A., the 6’7″ 185-pound Illinois native appeared to be backup material rather than worthy of starting.
Still, his future was bright, especially considering he came straight to the league from high school. The kid was only born in 1985.
Then came his nasty injury. You saw it. Proably the worst thing to look at I’ve seen in the NBA.
Now in 2008-09 he’s been riding the bench with the Heat. Playing just four games, and just 10.3 minutes per outing, Livingston has scored 2.3 ppg, not done much else, and not looked too hot in practice.
And now, the Heat are ready to say goodbye. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Ira Winderman) reports:
The Shaun Livingston comeback is over. At least for now. At least with the Miami Heat. Livingston was informed of his release after Monday night’s 91-84 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at AmericanAirlines Arena, with the team expected to make a formal announcement later this morning… The contract Livingston signed with the Heat guaranteed only $370,000 for this season, a figure that keeps the team below the punitive dollar-for-dollar luxury tax on excessive payrolls.
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum thread.