Wade, Whiteside Lead Way Late, Heat Beat Lakers 100-94
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MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade scored 25 points and added six assists, Hassan Whiteside grabbed 25 rebounds and the Miami Heat rallied to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 100-94 on Wednesday night.
Wade's last two assists set up Whiteside for crucial scores in the final moments. The Heat held on to the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race and posted two straight home wins for the first time in more than four months.
Goran Dragic scored 21 points and Whiteside finished with 18 for the Heat, who got 15 from Luol Deng and won for just the fifth time in 26 games when trailing at halftime.
Ed Davis had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Wayne Ellington scored 14 points and Jordan Hill had a 13-point, 10-rebound night for the Lakers. Carlos Boozer scored 13 points, Wesley Johnson and Jeremy Lin each had 12 and Jordan Clarkson finished with 10 for Los Angeles.
Dragic's 3-pointer put Miami ahead to stay with 3:30 left. He has faced the Lakers five times this season — winning them all, the first four when he was in Phoenix.
The Lakers got to 91-90 late, before Wade took over. He rebounded his own miss, got fouled and made two free throws for a three-point lead. He then set up Whiteside for a monster dunk, and found Whiteside again for a layup with 21.3 seconds left.
The Lakers shot 58 percent in the first half and led 51-46 at the break, and pushed the lead to seven in the third before Miami went on its best run of the night.
Wade had 10 points in what was a 22-5 Heat spurt, plus a full-court assist to Dragic for a layup that gave Miami a 57-55 lead — the first Heat edge since early in the second quarter. Henry Walker's 3-pointer ended the flurry andMiami looked to be comfortable with a 70-60 lead.
Not quite.
The Lakers actually had a chance at a five-point play, setting for a four-pointer instead, and clawed within 76-73 to end the third. Ryan Kelly made a 3-pointer while getting fouled by Michael Beasley, and Whiteside — who had been hit in the face at the other end — got a technical foul in the same sequence.
Kelly missed the technical free throw, then made the one for the shooting foul.
TIP-INS
Lakers: G Nick Young (sore left knee) sat out his fifth straight game, which means he won't be playing at AmericanAirlines Arena this season — but his girlfriend, singer Iggy Azalea, will performing there May 16. ... Kobe Bryant has missed three of the last four Lakers-Heat games.
Heat: Dragic played with tape on his right shoulder. He has been dealing with upper-body soreness for a few days. ... Gladys Knight and Lynda Carter were among the celebrities in attendance, as was golfer Matt Kuchar — who front-rimmed a try from midcourt. ... Whiteside had his 12th double-double in his last 16 games. ... Earlier Wednesday, the Heat announced they were sending Zoran Dragic to their NBA Development League affiliate in Sioux Falls.
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