After an encouraging start to their road trip with a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, Miami dropped their next two games to Western elite Denver Nuggets and LA Lakers. And with the defeat to the defending champion Lakers coming on a devastating, buzzer-beater three-pointer at the hands of Kobe Bryant, the Heat could have easily been rattled.
But, Dwyane Wade and his relentless team bounced back strong and took the final game of their four-game Western swing, defeating the Sacramento Kings 115-102 Sunday night. The Heat finished the road trip 2-2 and will enjoy a much-deserved four day rest before they return to action.
The resilient Wade led Miami with 34 points and 10 assists, to go along with five rebounds, four blocks, and a steal. The superstar shot 10-of-16 from the field and 14-of-16 from the free throw line to end a recent string of shooting woes.
Although Wade was the star of the game, it was Dorell Wright’s breakout performance that really infused the Heat. Wright finished with a season high 19 points off the bench and really looked impressive in his longest action of the year.
He showcased a variety of offensive moves, shooting 69 percent (nine-of-13) from the field, to go along with five assists, one steal, and one block in 29 minutes of play.
The athletic forward carried the offense at times and oddly had his best performance of the season in Sacramento-the same place he suffered a torn meniscal tear in his left knee that ended his season in 2008.
There was never really a question who was going to win the game, with Miami using a dominant first half to build a big lead. The Heat outscored the Kings 29-19 in the second quarter and never looked back.
Miami’s offense simply flowed from the get go, puzzling Sacramento’s defense and torching it for 57 percent shooting from the field in the first half. Wade and second year forward Michael Beasley combined for 29 points in the opening half. Beasley finished the game with 20 points and five boards.
The only scare for the Heat came late in the fourth quarter when the Kings cut the lead to 97-91 with just under six minutes remaining. However, Wade converted on two straight jumpers and found an open Quentin Richardson for a crucial three-pointer to put Miami up 104-91.
It was a very balanced scoring effort for the Heat, with five players scoring in double-digits on a night where the roster featured only eight active players, including just a three-man bench rotation. Wright and Udonis Haslem made up two of the three reserve players, combining for 34 points on 15-of-22 shooting.
Haslem posted 15 points, while Richardson nailed five three-pointers, contributing 20 points and five boards.
Tyreke Evans led the young Kings with 30 points, who have dropped two consecutive games after winning four straight. Donte Greene contributed with 21 points.
The Heat improved to 11-9 on the season and ended the road trip rather unscathed, picking up two victories over teams with winning records.
Miami will look to continue their stellar offensive performance when they get back to action Friday night against the first place Dallas Mavericks.
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