EAST RUTHERFORD (NBA) - Dwyane Wade fuelled a decisive fourth-quarter rally as the Miami Heat reclaimed home-court advantage with a hard-fought 103-92 victory over the New Jersey Nets.
Wade, who is in Team USA’s provisional squad for the FIBA World Championship, had 30 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for the second-seeded Heat, who overcame 43 points and a wayward elbow by Vince Carter to take a 2-1 lead over the third-seeded Nets in their Eastern Conference semi-final series.
The Heat, who ended a scoreless stretch of nearly four minutes with a 13-2 run featuring seven points from Wade, who took a shot to the mouth from Carter early in the third quarter.
Midway through a 15-0 burst by the Nets, Carter blew past Wade and knocked him to the floor with an inadvertent right elbow.
Wade remained down for a pair of possessions before retreating to the locker room to have his mouth and teeth examined.
After Carter weaved his way through all five defenders for a spectacular driving scoop shot that gave New Jersey an 81-80 lead with 4:36 remaining, Wade came alive.
He immediately answered with his own tough driving shot, taking a tumble, drawing a foul and sinking the free throw to give Miami the lead for good.
The Heat then forced consecutive turnovers by Carter just over the time line.
Gary Payton took in one for a lay-up and Wade sank two free throws after the other for an 87-81 lead with 3:38 to play.
After Payton stole a bad pass by Jason Kidd, Wade made two more foul shots to cap the surge.
Shaquille O'Neal collected 19 points and nine rebounds and Antoine Walker scored 16 points for the Heat, who made 9-of-23 three-pointers and 34-of-40 free throws.
In the other match, Shawn Marion scored 10 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter and pulled down 19 rebounds as the Phoenix Suns battled to a 94-91 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game Three of the Western Conference semi-finals.
MVP Steve Nash made a clinching jumper in the closing seconds for the second-seeded Suns, who regained the home-court advantage and took a 2-1 series lead.
And the Suns had to withstand two comebacks in the fourth quarter by the sixth-seeded Clippers, who lost at home for the first time in the post-season.
Tim Thomas had 19 points and 14 rebounds, Raja Bell scored 14 points and Nash added 12 and 10 assists for the Suns, who shot just 37% (32-of-86) and got all but six points from their starters.
Elton Brand, another member of Team USA’s 23-man provisional squad, had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for LA while Serbo-Montenegrin Vladimir Radmanovic added 18 points and Corey Maggette swept 14 boards for the Clippers, who had averaged 122.5 points in the first two games.
PA Sport