Box Score

 

MIAMI (98)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
U Haslem            31   3-5   0-1   1-5   1   3    6
E Jones             41  5-11   0-0   0-5   5   3   12
S O'Neal            37 10-15  3-14   2-7   1   4   23
D Jones             31   6-8   0-0   0-4   2   1   18
D Wade              39  8-15   7-8   0-3   5   4   24
M Doleac            11   1-2   0-0   0-0   1   2    2
K Dooling           17   2-5   2-2   1-2   3   0    7
S Anderson          16   2-3   0-0   0-2   2   1    4
C Laettner          17   1-2   0-0   1-3   1   0    2
S Smith            DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
A Mourning         DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
R Butler           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 38-66 12-25  5-31  21  18   98
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.576, FT-.480. 3-Point Goals:
10-16, .625 (E Jones 2-4, D Jones 6-8, D Wade
1-1, K Dooling 1-3). Team Rebounds: 9. 
Blocked Shots:3 (E Jones, D Wade, U Haslem). 
Turnovers:17 (S O'Neal 4, D Wade 4, U Haslem 
3, E Jones 2, C Laettner, S Anderson, M 
Doleac, D Jones). Steals: 8 (E Jones 2, S 
O'Neal, S Anderson, D Jones, K Dooling, D 
Wade, U Haslem).


NEW YORK (96)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
M Sweetney          21   2-5   0-2   3-5   0   4    4
T Thomas            37  8-16   1-2   2-5   3   4   20
K Thomas            37  6-12   2-2  2-12   4   3   14
J Crawford          40  3-11   1-1   0-2  12   2    8
S Marbury           37  7-12   7-8   0-1   4   1   24
P Hardaway          19   1-3   0-1   0-3   0   2    2
T Ariza             11   2-3   2-4   1-2   0   0    6
M Taylor            15   3-5   0-0   0-3   0   3    6
Je Williams          5   1-1   0-0   0-0   0   2    2
M Rose              18   4-6   2-2   0-0   1   4   10
B Sundov           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
J Jackson          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 37-74 15-22  8-33  24  25   96
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.500, FT-.682. 3-Point Goals:
7-16, .438 (T Thomas 3-5, J Crawford 1-5, S 
Marbury 3-5, T Ariza 0-1). Team Rebounds: 12.
Blocked Shots:  0.  Turnovers:15 (S Marbury 
3, P Hardaway 2, J Crawford 2, M Sweetney 2, 
K Thomas, T Ariza, T Thomas, M Taylor, M 
Rose, Je Williams). Steals: 9 (P Hardaway 2, 
S Marbury 2, J Crawford 2, K Thomas, M Rose, 
T Ariza).

-------------------------------------------
MIAMI                 27  17  24  30  -   98
NEW YORK              22  28  28  18  -   96
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Miami - 3 (Defensive Three, 
2:35 1st; Defensive Three, 7:33 1st; 
Defensive Three, 3:48 2nd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 19,763. T: 2:14. 
Officials: Bennie Adams, Joe Derosa, Tony 
Brown.

Extended Box

 

MIAMI (98) AT NEW YORK (96)

MIAMI

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
U HASLEM          F    31    3-5      0-1      1   4   5    1   3   1   3    6
E JONES           F    41    5-11     0-0      0   5   5    5   3   2   2   12
S O'NEAL          C    37   10-15     3-14     2   5   7    1   4   1   4   23
D JONES           G    31    6-8      0-0      0   4   4    2   1   1   1   18
D WADE            G    39    8-15     7-8      0   3   3    5   4   1   4   24
M DOLEAC               11    1-2      0-0      0   0   0    1   2   0   1    2
K DOOLING              17    2-5      2-2      1   1   2    3   0   1   0    7
S ANDERSON             16    2-3      0-0      0   2   2    2   1   1   1    4
C LAETTNER             17    1-2      0-0      1   2   3    1   0   0   1    2
S SMITH               DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
A MOURNING            DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
R BUTLER              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   38-66    12-25     5  26  31   21  18   8  17   98
                            (.576)  (.480)  TEAM REBS:  9 TOTAL TO: 18 (24 PTS)    

NEW YORK

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
M SWEETNEY        F    21    2-5      0-2      3   2   5    0   4   0   2    4
T THOMAS          F    37    8-16     1-2      2   3   5    3   4   0   1   20
K THOMAS          C    37    6-12     2-2      2  10  12    4   3   1   1   14
J CRAWFORD        G    40    3-11     1-1      0   2   2   12   2   2   2    8
S MARBURY         G    37    7-12     7-8      0   1   1    4   1   2   3   24
P HARDAWAY             19    1-3      0-1      0   3   3    0   2   2   2    2
T ARIZA                11    2-3      2-4      1   1   2    0   0   1   1    6
M TAYLOR               15    3-5      0-0      0   3   3    0   3   0   1    6
JE WILLIAMS             5    1-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   2   0   1    2
M ROSE                 18    4-6      2-2      0   0   0    1   4   1   1   10
B SUNDOV              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
J JACKSON             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   37-74    15-22     8  25  33   24  25   9  15   96
                            (.500)  (.682)  TEAM REBS: 12 TOTAL TO: 16 (23 PTS)    
  
   MIAMI              27   17   24   30   -   98
   NEW YORK           22   28   28   18   -   96
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: MIAMI - E JONES, D WADE, U HASLEM.   NEW YORK - NONE.

3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MIAMI 10-16 (.625), E JONES 2-4, D JONES 6-8, D WADE 1-
1, K DOOLING 1-3. NEW YORK 7-16 (.438), T THOMAS 3-5, J CRAWFORD 1-
5, S MARBURY 3-5, T ARIZA 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: MIAMI - DEFENSIVE THREE 3.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BENNIE ADAMS, JOE DEROSA, TONY BROWN.
A - 19,763. T - 2:14.

Game Story

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- It took a buzzer-beater by Dwyane Wade to 
lock up a playoff berth for the Miami Heat.

Wade scored 24 points, including the winning jumper at the
buzzer, as the Heat became the first team to clinch a playoff
spot with a 98-96 triumph over the New York Knicks.

Leading 27-22 after one quarter, Miami relinquished it midway
through the second period and was unable to regain it until a
pair of free throws by Keyon Dooling with five minutes to go
gave the Heat an 87-85 edge.

Stephon Marbury followed with seven consecutive points for New
York, providing a 92-89 edge.  But Miami answered with a 7-0 run
capped by a jumper by Wade with 2:10 remaining.

Malik Rose and Kurt Thomas made baskets to tie the game at
96-96.  After several misses and a timeout, Wade took a pass
with 13 seconds left and dribbled down the clock before
unleashing a 17-footer over rookie Trevor Ariza just before time
expired, giving the Heat their 50th win of the season.

"I played him straight up," Ariza said.  "He hit a tough shot to
win the game.  There is nothing more to say.  I was just trying
to stop him the best I can."

"I knew I was going to shoot at the buzzer," Wade said.
"(Ariza) didn't give me the drive, so I took the jumper."

Miami coach Stan Van Gundy also knew Wade would take the final
shot.

"We said we're either going to win it or go to overtime," Van
Gundy said.  "We couldn't have it a lot better than that.
Dwyane's a very composed guy, a guy who likes being in that
situation.  I don't think you're going to keep Dwyane from
getting a shot off.  It's make and miss, and he made."

"(Ariza) played great defense," said New York's Jamal Crawford,
who had eight points and 12 assists.  "He stopped Wade's
penetration and made him take a tough fallaway.  Unfortunately,
it went in."

It also was the second buzzer-beater of the game for Wade, who
ended the third quarter with a 3-pointer.  The winning shot
atoned for a turnover on the Heat's previous possession, when
Wade was forced into a bad pass by a double-team.

"I pride myself at times like that," Wade said.  "I am a person
who makes the right play and at the time, I didn't.  All we
could do is get a stop and I knew the ball would be in my hands,
and I wanted it to be."

Shaquille O'Neal scored 23 points and Damon Jones added 18 for
Miami (50-16), which has won 10 straight games and 17 of 19,
with both losses coming in overtime.

O'Neal had nothing but praise for Wade, who was 8-of-15 and
handed out five assists.

"He is a great player," O'Neal said.  "We always get the ball in
his hands at the end of games.  He had a turnover and he was
pretty mad at himself.  I told him that we were going to stop
and get the ball back."

Having also played with Penny Hardaway and Kobe Bryant during
his career, O'Neal made a strange analogy when describing the
trio.

"The difference between those three is in "The Godfather"
trilogy," he said.  "One is Alfredo, who's never ready for me to
hand it over to him.  One is Sonny, who will do whatever it
takes to be the man.  And one is Michael, who, if you watch the
trilogy, the Godfather hands it over to Michael.  So I have no
problem handing it to Dwyane."

Unlike last season when the Heat needed go 17-4 down the
stretch, their 10th trip to the postseason never was in doubt.

"I think the playoff berth has been a foregone conclusion for
quite a while," said Van Gundy, who led Miami to a 42-40 mark
last season, his first with the team.  "But for how hard we had
to fight last year and the two years previously to that, it's
something I still take a lot of pride in."

Marbury scored 24 points, Tim Thomas added 20 and Kurt Thomas 14
and 12 boards for the Knicks, who fell to 0-3 against the Heat
this season and have dropped two straight at home after a
seven-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden.

New York scored the final six points of the first half to carry
a 50-44 lead into the break.  They twice built the advantage to
13 points in the second half, with the last instance coming on
Tim Thomas' long jumper late in the third quarter.

After Wade's 3-pointer to end the period drew Miami within
78-68, the Heat used a 19-7 spurt to jump ahead.

"It was a very hard-fought game," Van Gundy said.  "But I
thought we did enough to win.  Down the stretch, other than
Dwyane's one turnover on the fast break, we did a good job of
executing and getting good shots."