What a finish! Wade’s clutch 3-pointers lift Heat

MIAMI (AP)—More than three hours after tip-off, Dwyane Wade ran across the floor, hopped onto a courtside table and threw his arms in the air.

Exhausted yet exhilarated, Wade pulled off a Miami miracle.

He scored 48 points, the last coming on a running 3-pointer to beat the buzzer in double overtime, and the Heat pulled out a wild 130-127 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

“Mr. Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr., if he’s not legitimately considered for an MVP candidate, I don’t know what he needs to do,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

He couldn’t have done much more against the Bulls.

Wade—who shot 15-for-21 and added 12 assists—made a desperation 3-pointer from near midcourt at the end of the first half, then forced overtime with another 3 with 11.5 seconds left in regulation.

By 11:01 p.m., those were almost long forgotten.

Miami’s MVP candidate stole the ball from John Salmons with 3 seconds left, dribbled downcourt and swished the runner as time expired.

“Always wanted to do that,” Wade said of his postgame table-hop.

Michael Beasley had 18 points, Mario Chalmers added 17 and Jamario Moon scored 13 for the Heat, who stayed within 1 1/2 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. Salmons scored 29 and Derrick Rose added 23 for Chicago, 0-3 against Miami this season.

The Bulls used only seven players Monday night. Rose played 55 minutes; Salmons played nearly 54; Gordon nearly played 50. And Chicago was right there, until Wade said enough was enough.

“Basically, that’s how the game was going to end—who had the ball last,” Gordon said. “Whoever made the last best play was going to win the game and D-Wade made a spectacular play. He willed his team to win.”

They needed every bit of Wade’s will at the end.

The game was tied three times in the second overtime, the last coming when Salmons answered a basket by Wade with 37.9 seconds left.

Chicago went to Salmons again on its final possession, and the former University of Miami standout drove into the lane against Heat forward Udonis Haslem. Wade came from the back side, tapped the ball free, then swished the runner at the buzzer.

“I made a move and he came out of nowhere,” Salmons said.

Dribbling downcourt, Wade said he was thinking about something Spoelstra said in the game’s final stoppage, telling players they had one more timeout left.

“I was about to call it,” Wade said. “And then I said, ‘Nah.”’

It was the 78th straight game where Wade scored in double figures, matching his franchise record. He’s also scored at least 20 points in 19 straight games, putting him one away from matching the Heat record in that department—which he also owns.

But that seemed irrelevant in the end.

“Right now, man,” Moon said in the locker room, pointing to Wade’s stall, “there ain’t nobody in the league playing better than him.” Yahoo! Sports