Box Score

 

MIAMI (97)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
E Jones             42  4-11   2-2   1-4   3   1   12
U Haslem            35   2-6   0-0  4-13   1   4    4
S O'Neal            34 13-21  6-15  7-12   3   4   32
D Jones             35  8-11   0-0   0-4   8   1   22
D Wade              41  5-15   1-3   1-9   7   0   11
R Butler            13   2-5   1-2   0-1   3   1    6
Wang                 4   0-0   0-2   0-0   0   1    0
K Dooling           13   1-2   0-2   0-0   1   3    2
S Anderson          17   3-3   0-1   0-5   1   0    6
M Allen              6   1-1   0-0   0-1   0   0    2
W Person           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
M Doleac           DNP  - PERSONAL REASONS                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 39-75 10-27 13-49  27  15   97
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.520, FT-.370. 3-Point Goals:
9-19, .474 (E Jones 2-8, D Jones 6-8, R 
Butler 1-3). Team Rebounds: 13. Blocked 
Shots:5 (S O'Neal 3, S Anderson, D Wade). 
Turnovers:17 (D Wade 7, S O'Neal 5, E Jones 
2, D Jones, K Dooling, U Haslem). Steals: 5 
(R Butler 2, S O'Neal, E Jones, D Wade).


CHARLOTTE (87)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
G Wallace           34   5-8   1-4   3-5   3   4   11
E Okafor            33  5-15   3-4   3-7   0   3   13
M Ely               28  3-12   0-0  4-11   3   2    6
J Hart              26   3-9   0-0   0-6   5   2    7
K Bogans            22   2-6   0-0   1-4   3   2    4
T Smith             26   5-9   0-0   4-7   2   4   10
B Knight            31  7-15   2-5   0-3   5   3   17
B Robinson Jr        7   1-3   0-0   0-0   1   0    2
J Kapono            20  6-14   0-0   0-1   0   2   14
S Smith             13   1-2   1-2   0-0   0   1    3
P Brezec           DNP  - LEFT KNEE CONTUSION                            
K Rush             DNP  - BACK SPASMS                                    
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 38-93  7-15 15-44  22  23   87
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.409, FT-.467. 3-Point Goals:
4-13, .308 (G Wallace 0-1, J Hart 1-2, K 
Bogans 0-1, B Knight 1-1, B Robinson Jr 0-1, 
J Kapono 2-6, S Smith 0-1). Team Rebounds: 
10. Blocked Shots:6 (G Wallace 2, E Okafor 2,
B Robinson Jr, K Bogans). Turnovers:10 (B 
Knight 3, M Ely 2, E Okafor 2, S Smith, J 
Hart, T Smith). Steals: 6 (B Knight 4, S 
Smith, K Bogans).

-------------------------------------------
MIAMI                 18  20  33  26  -   97
CHARLOTTE             19  21  21  26  -   87
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: None.
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 22,166. T: 2:11. 
Officials: Monty McCutchen, Robby Robinson, 
Ron Garretson.

Extended Box

 

MIAMI (97) AT CHARLOTTE (87)

MIAMI

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
E JONES           F    42    4-11     2-2      1   3   4    3   1   1   2   12
U HASLEM          F    35    2-6      0-0      4   9  13    1   4   0   1    4
S O'NEAL          C    34   13-21     6-15     7   5  12    3   4   1   5   32
D JONES           G    35    8-11     0-0      0   4   4    8   1   0   1   22
D WADE            G    41    5-15     1-3      1   8   9    7   0   1   7   11
R BUTLER               13    2-5      1-2      0   1   1    3   1   2   0    6
WANG                    4    0-0      0-2      0   0   0    0   1   0   0    0
K DOOLING              13    1-2      0-2      0   0   0    1   3   0   1    2
S ANDERSON             17    3-3      0-1      0   5   5    1   0   0   0    6
M ALLEN                 6    1-1      0-0      0   1   1    0   0   0   0    2
W PERSON              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
M DOLEAC              DNP  - PERSONAL REASONS                                         
  
TOTALS                240   39-75    10-27    13  36  49   27  15   5  17   97
                            (.520)  (.370)  TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 17 (12 PTS)    

CHARLOTTE

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
G WALLACE         F    34    5-8      1-4      3   2   5    3   4   0   0   11
E OKAFOR          F    33    5-15     3-4      3   4   7    0   3   0   2   13
M ELY             C    28    3-12     0-0      4   7  11    3   2   0   2    6
J HART            G    26    3-9      0-0      0   6   6    5   2   0   1    7
K BOGANS          G    22    2-6      0-0      1   3   4    3   2   1   0    4
T SMITH                26    5-9      0-0      4   3   7    2   4   0   1   10
B KNIGHT               31    7-15     2-5      0   3   3    5   3   4   3   17
B ROBINSON JR           7    1-3      0-0      0   0   0    1   0   0   0    2
J KAPONO               20    6-14     0-0      0   1   1    0   2   0   0   14
S SMITH                13    1-2      1-2      0   0   0    0   1   1   1    3
P BREZEC              DNP  - LEFT KNEE CONTUSION                                      
K RUSH                DNP  - BACK SPASMS                                              
  
TOTALS                240   38-93     7-15    15  29  44   22  23   6  10   87
                            (.409)  (.467)  TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 10 (10 PTS)    
  
   MIAMI              18   20   33   26   -   97
   CHARLOTTE          19   21   21   26   -   87
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: MIAMI - S O'NEAL 3, S ANDERSON, D WADE.  CHARLOTTE -
G WALLACE 2, E OKAFOR 2, B ROBINSON JR, K BOGANS.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MIAMI 9-19 (.474), E JONES 2-8, D JONES 6-8, R BUTLER 1-
3. CHARLOTTE 4-13 (.308), G WALLACE 0-1, J HART 1-2, K BOGANS 0-1,
B KNIGHT 1-1, B ROBINSON JR 0-1, J KAPONO 2-6, S SMITH 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: NONE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: MONTY MCCUTCHEN, ROBBY ROBINSON, RON GARRETSON.
A - 22,166. T - 2:11.

Game Story

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- The return of rookie 
Emeka Okafor was not enough to help the Charlotte Bobcats
contain Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat.

O'Neal scored 32 points and gathered 12 rebounds as the Heat
improved on their Eastern Conference-leading record with a 97-87
triumph over the Bobcats, who have lost five in a row.

Earlier Friday, the Bobcats activated Okafor from the injured
list after the prized rookie missed five games with a sprained
left ankle.  But the return of last June's second overall pick
may have been short-lived as Okafor re-injured the ankle midway
through the fourth quarter and did not return.

Okafor did not believe the injury would be as serious as the
initial one.

"I'm walking around right now," Okafor said.  "After the last
time, I was on crutches."

"You never know about these things until the next day, in terms
of how they feel and what kind of swelling you're dealing with,"
Charlotte coach Bernie Bickerstaff added.

Despite scoring 13 points and grabbing seven boards, Okafor was
no match for the bigger O'Neal, who scored 10 points in both the
second and fourth quarters and eight in the decisive third
period.

"We should all be so fortunate to have a weapon like the big
fellow," Bickerstaff said.  "Not only did he make baskets, but
some of the passes he made to teammates were great.  He is a guy
that makes a difference."

Charlotte carried a 40-38 advantage into the break.  But with
the game tied at 53-53 with 5 1/2 minutes to go in the third
period, Miami went on an 18-4 run to take a 71-57 lead with 54
seconds remaining.

"We just had to get warm," O'Neal said.  "They came out with a
lot of energy.  A lot of teams come out with a lot of energy and
play way above their heads, and this team did the same thing in
the first half.  The good thing about the NBA is, there are
four quarters."

"We battled," said Charlotte guard Brevin Knight, who scored 17
points.  "They are a good team with a great player inside.  We
played them as tough as we could play them.  Their guards hit
threes when they needed them.  We didn't have enough to get to
them."

Knight was kept out of the starting lineup by Bickerstaff after
oversleeping for practice Thursday.

The Bobcats climbed within 92-87 with 1:49 left on a jumper by
Jason Kapono, who scored 14 points.  But Charlotte did not score
again and Miami raised its record to a conference-best 38-14.

"We had more talent than they did," said Heat coach Stan Van
Gundy, who was disappointed with his team's effort.  "It
certainly didn't come down to the team that played harder or
better.  I thought (Charlotte) tried to play the game very hard,
but we did just enough to get by."

Damon Jones scored 14 of his 22 points in the third quarter and
added eight assists and Dwyane Wade collected 11, seven and nine
rebounds for Miami, which has won five in a row and eight of
nine.

"The shots were going in tonight," Jones said.  "I had some
great looks.  When we move the basketball, we shoot a high
percentage, and I had some good, wide-open looks and I was able
to make a few."

"He was absolutely huge, just like he was (last game)," Van
Gundy said of Jones, who scored a season-high 24 points in an
overtime win at New York on Wednesday.  "He and Shaq really
carried us tonight."

Theron Smith had 10 points and seven rebounds and Melvin Ely
pulled down 11 boards for the Bobcats, who have dropped five
straight and 22 of 25.

Charlotte trailed midway through the opening quarter but moved
ahead, 8-7, on a basket by Gerald Wallace with 6:50 to go and
built a 34-26 lead - its biggest of the game - on a hook shot by
Ely with six minutes remaining in the second period.

In going 17-of-42 from the line, the teams set a league record
for worst combined free-throw percentage at 40.5 percent.  The
previous mark of 41 percent was done by the Los Angeles Lakers
and Chicago on December 7, 1968.

A 46 percent free-throw shooter, O'Neal accounted for six of
Miami's 10 successful foul shots.

"Shaq was 6-for-15 and that's a higher percentage than the rest
of the team," Van Gundy said.  "He carried us at the line
tonight."