Wade’s playground
MIAMI – Dwyane Wade didn’t pause for a second when he was asked about his plans for Father’s Day.
“Winning the game,” he said.
Wade scored 43 points, the final two on a pair of free throws with 1.9 seconds left in overtime, as the Miami Heat took advantage of a mistaken timeout and won their third straight game in the homey series, 101-100 over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday for a 3-2 lead in the NBA finals.
Wade’s free throws gave him a finals-record 21 and capped perhaps the most memorable game of this remarkably tight postseason. His latest virtuoso performance sent the teams to Dallas for Game 6 on Tuesday night. Game 7, if necessary, will be Thursday night.
When the Mavericks’ final shot – because of Josh Howard’s error, all they could manage was a half-court heave by Devin Harris – was off the mark, streamers fell from the top of AmericanAirlines Arena, hosting its final game of the season.
When it ended, Dallas owner Mark Cuban ran onto the floor, complaining about the final 2 seconds when there was confusion over Dallas’ final timeout.
Cuban, wearing a blue jersey bearing the name of suspended Dallas reserve Jerry Stackhouse, stood with his hands on his hips in disbelief as the Mavericks headed to the locker room to begin getting ready for Game 6.
Wade made 21 of 25 free throws, matching Dallas’ total, and came through again when the Heat needed their shooting star most.
After Nowitzki’s tough fadeaway jumper with 9.1 seconds to go gave the Mavericks 100-99 lead, Wade took an inbounds pass, weaved and dribbled his way seemingly all over Florida and was fouled on a drive to the basket by Nowitzki.
Wade made the first, and the officials awarded Dallas a timeout even though Mavericks coach Avery Johnson was arguing that he didn’t want one until Wade’s second attempt. The officials huddled and said the Mavs had asked for a timeout and gave them their last one.
The timeout took away Dallas’ ability to inbound the ball at halfcourt, costing them 45 precious feet. Wade then knocked down his second free throw, and when Harris’ shot was off, this series had its latest controversy.
Shaquille O’Neal scored 18 points with 12 rebounds, but he was just 2 for 12 from the free-throw line.
Jason Terry had 35 points for the Mavericks. Howard added 25, and Nowitzki had 20.
For the second time in three games, Wade was unstoppable in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 points on every shot in his personal playbook. His 18-foot jumper gave the Heat a 91-89 lead with 1:08 left, but Nowitzki, who had just missed Dallas’ first free throw after 18 in a row, knocked down a 14-footer.
Wade finally missed on his next attempt, and Dallas capitalized as Nowitzki drew O’Neal on a double team and made a nice pass down low to Erick Dampier, whose dunk gave the Mavericks a 93-91 lead with 10.1 seconds to go.
Wade wasn’t done, not even close.
He drove the right side, got his body tight with Adrian Griffin, and pushed off just enough to get space and banked in a 10-footer with 2.8 seconds to go to tie it at 93 and rock the arena once again.