Bobcats 104, Heat 65...
Streaking Bobcats dominate Hea...
Heat-Bobcats, Box...
Cavs roll as Shaq reaches mile...
ROSTER REPORT 2010-01-20...
GETTING INSIDE 2010-01-20...
Wade heats up, burns Pacers...
Heat 113, Pacers 83...
Pacers-Heat, Box...
Heat-Bobcats Preview 2010-01-2...
Heat sign Jamaal Magloire...
Shaq and wife staying together...
Web viewing of NBA games may s...
Heat sign Dorell Wright...
Heat waive Bobby Jones...
Bye who have this number 32 (t
Bye who have this number 32 (t
Bye who have this number 32 (t
Bye who have this number 32 (t
Bye who have this number 32 (t
Bye who have this number 32 (t
Bye who have this number 32 (t
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
 
 
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Subscribe in NewsGator Online
Add to Windows Live
News » Duncan, Spurs take care of Wade, Heat


Duncan, Spurs take care of Wade, Heat


Duncan, Spurs take care of Wade, Heat
MIAMI (AP) - The circus comes to Miami this week, so it seemed appropriate for the Heat to force the San Antonio Spurs into walking the proverbial tightrope.

NBA roundup


Monday's action

  • Spurs top Heat for 3rd in row
  • Nets pull away from Kings
  • Redd pours in 35 to lift Bucks
  • Nuggets run it up on Pacers
  • Williams powers Jazz to win

FOXSports.com analysis

  • Hill: Who oughta be traded
  • Rosen: Can Hornets challenge Lakers?
  • Hill: Championships won with D
  • Galinsky: NBA Power Rankings

Video

  • Hill: Spurs looking strong
  • Hill: Assessing Greg Oden

Photos

  • 2008 year in the NBA
  • Christmas Day in the NBA

For the surging Southwest Division leaders, it wasn't a problem.

Tim Duncan scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and the Spurs trailed for only one possession in a nip-and-tuck 91-84 win over the Heat on Monday night, San Antonio's 14th victory in its last 17 games.

"These guys have been there before," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They're a seasoned, veteran team that's played in a lot of big games. You could tell how much poise they have out there. They're totally calm in these type of situations. They've experienced it so many different times."

George Hill scored 15 points on 4-for-4 shooting for the Spurs, who got 11 points from both Roger Mason and Matt Bonner and 10 from Manu Ginobili.

Dwyane Wade had 24 points and 12 assists - his eighth double-double of the season - for the Heat, who also got 15 points from Shawn Marion. Michael Beasley had his first double-double, 15 points and 12 rebounds for Miami, which starts a seven-game, 13-day, 7,461-mile road trip in Denver on Wednesday night.

"They're a talented group," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Either team could have won the game. They're trying to play together with a couple of rookies and that always takes time. It doesn't come quickly."

Ginobili sealed it with, well, a circus play with 1:33 remaining.

Miami trailed 84-81 when Wade drove to the rim from the right wing, with Tony Parker getting in front to deter his progress a bit. Wade leaped for a layup - but Ginobili, who isn't exactly known for high-flying exploits - swatted it away, setting up a game-clinching jumper by Mason at the other end.

"Play of the game," Spoelstra said.

"He's an athletic guy and it was a great block," Wade said.

The Spurs ran out to a quick 10-point lead and shot 59 percent in the fourth quarter to hold off the Heat, who kept coming back and coming back and coming back - only to have every rally thwarted.

The Heat were down 21-11 early, then closed the gap to a single point on three occasions in the second quarter.

Each of those times, San Antonio had an answer: a 3-pointer by Hill, jumper by Michael Finley, 3-pointer by Bonner, and that quickly became a trend for the evening.

"That's what they do," Marion said.

Marion got the final two baskets of the first half, including a nifty dunk off an assist from Mario Chalmers with 2.9 seconds left, knotting the game at 39 at the break. With 2:46 left in the third, Marion struck again, tipping in Jamaal Magloire's miss for a 56-55 lead - Miami's first of the night.

It only lasted 31 seconds. Hill connected for a 3-pointer on San Antonio's next possession, putting the Spurs back on top.

"They hit some big shots when they needed to," Marion said. "It was just a good effort. Just a couple miscues here and there."

One more time, for good measure: Tied at 68, Hill drove on Chris Quinn, got fouled and made the layup to start a three-point play with 9:20 remaining. It started a 7-0 run by the Spurs, who never trailed again.

"We managed to find a way tonight," Duncan said. "Manu makes that (block) and we go down the other end and turn a one-point game into a five-point game. That's the way it went."

Notes

Heat guard Daequan Cook, the NBA's fifth-best 3-point shooter over the last month at 53.4 percent, played only 5 minutes after bruising his left knee. X-rays were negative, but he went out with 9:46 left in the second quarter and did not return. ... Spurs C Fabricio Oberto (foot) sat out again, his ninth missed game out of San Antonio's last 10. ... More than a few fans wore Argentina's national soccer jersey and waved that nation's flag, a nod to Ginobili, a hugely popular star in his native country.


Author: Fox Sports
Author's Website: http://www.foxsports.com
Added: January 6, 2009

 

 
Copyright © Heatportal.com, Inc. All rights reserved 2012.