Wed, Mar 11, 2009 page19

• NBA: Wade seals ‘game for the ages’

  BUZZER-BEATER Dwyane Wade stole the ball with four seconds left before making a running 3-pointer to lift Miami to a double-overtime victory over Chicago

  • AGENCIES
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  Dwyane Wade’s running three-pointer at the buzzer gave the NBA’s leading scorer 48 points and earned the Miami Heat a 130-127 double-overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

  “This is one of those games for the ages,” Wade, who also had 12 assists, told reporters after overshadowing a 43-point performance by the Bulls’ Ben Gordon.

  With four seconds left, Wade stole the ball from Chicago’s John Salmons and raced down the court before tossing up the three-point shot from just inside the circle.

  

  The Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade goes up for the game-winning shot in front of the Chicago Bulls’ Brad Miller in double overtime in Miami, Florida, on Monday.

  PHOTO: AP

  Referees reviewed the play for more than two minutes, before Mark Wunderlich shot his hands in the air, officially giving Miami the win.

  “When I got the steal what was going through my head was coach said: ‘We’ve got a timeout left,’” said Wade, who had four steals in the game. “I was about to call it [the timeout] and then I said: ‘Nah.’”

  Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was delighted with Wade.

  “It’s truly amazing,” Spoelstra told reporters.

  “He ended up with a defensive play like that, a steal off somebody else’s man, and then makes the three at the buzzer,” he said.

  Michael Beasley had 18 points, Mario Chalmers added 17 and Jamario Moon scored 13 for the Heat, who stayed within 1.5 games of Atlanta for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.

  Ben Gordon scored a season-high 43 points for the Bulls, including eight 3-pointers.

  TRAIL BLAZERS 111, LAKERS 94

  At Portland, Oregon, Brandon Roy scored 27 points as Portland defeated Los Angeles in a game marred by the Trail Blazers’ Rudy Fernandez being carried off the court on a stretcher after a hard foul.

  Fernandez, a rookie from Spain, was hurt late in the third quarter when he was fouled by Trevor Ariza while going up for a shot. He was carried from the court on a stretcher with his neck in a brace.

  Fernandez was conscious and alert when he left the court, and he had full movement of his extremities, the team said. But he was experiencing chest pain and was taken to a hospital.

  Travis Outlaw added 22 points for the Blazers, who have won 12 straight at the Rose Garden.

  Kobe Bryant had 26 points for the Lakers, who haven’t won at the Rose Garden in their last seven tries, with their last victory on Feb. 23, 2005.

  HAWKS 89, HORNETS 79

  At Atlanta, Joe Johnson scored 30 points as Atlanta beat New Orleans to end the Hornets’ season-best seven-game winning streak.

  Johnson had only 12 points in back-to-back games and was held under 20 points in four straight before re-emerging against the Hornets. He had 10 points in the third quarter and helped the Hawks protect the lead in the final period.

  Johnson’s 30 points are his most since a season-high 41 against Chicago on Dec. 27.

  Chris Paul had 24 points and 10 assists, and David West added 16 points and 20 rebounds for New Orleans.

  
  

  WIZARDS 110, TIMBERWOLVES 99

  At Minneapolis, Caron Butler had 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead Washington over Minnesota in a matchup of teams that had lost 14 straight combined.

  Antawn Jamison added 26 points for the Wizards, who had lost five in a row and seven of their last eight.

  Kevin Love had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Ryan Gomes scored 18 for the Timberwolves, who have lost 10 in a row and 15 of their last 16.

  And the news may only be getting worse. Guard Randy Foye had to be carried to the locker room in the fourth quarter with a sprained right ankle. He went up to grab a high lob pass from Mike Miller, but crumpled to the court in pain.

  
  

  PISTONS 98, MAGIC 94

  At Auburn Hills, Michigan, Richard Hamilton scored 29 points and had a career-high 14 assists as Detroit beat Orlando.

  Detroit, already without Allen Iverson (back) for the sixth straight game, lost Rasheed Wallace to a calf injury late in the first quarter. Antonio McDyess, though, added 13 points and 18 rebounds to help the Pistons finish off a 3-0 season sweep of the Magic — a team they could face in the first round of the playoffs.

  Dwight Howard had 27 points and 14 rebounds for Orlando, who have lost 19 of their last 24 regular-season meetings with the Pistons, and been eliminated by Detroit in each of the last two postseasons.

  ROCKETS 97, NUGGETS 95

  At Denver, Ron Artest scored 22 points and Aaron Brooks added 19 in Houston’s win over the fading Denver.

  Brooks sank one of two free throws with 22.7 seconds left to give Houston a 93-90 lead. Linas Kleiza got the rebound and Denver called a timeout. But Chauncey Billups, who led the Nuggets with 28 points, missed a layup, and Kyle Lowry sank two free throws with 9.9 seconds left.

  After Billups’ bucket made it 95-92, Brooks sank two free throws, rendering moot J.R. Smith’s 34-footer at the buzzer and securing Houston’s 11th win in 13 games since Tracy McGrady’s season-­ending knee injury.
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