Since his arrival into the league in 2003, only two other players (Kobe Bryant, LeBron James) have more games with 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists than Dwyane Wade. Sunday night against the Knicks, Wade recorded his 163rd such game, finishing with 26 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. The Heat went on to beat the Knicks 98-81.
Through three quarters, the game was tight. Miami held a 69-65 lead entering the fourth but was able to pull ahead thanks to Wade’s play down the stretch. He only scored seven points in the quarter, but they all came within the last 2:30 of the ball game. Miami had four other players in double-figures including Joe Johnson, who scored 12 in his Heat debut.
Hassan Whiteside (11) and rookie Justise Winslow (13) were great on the boards, combining for 24 rebounds.
New York seemed to struggle on offense and only mustered 16 points on 6/20 shooting in the fourth quarter. Carmelo Anthony, despite 25 points, shot only 9/24 from the field. Kristaps Porzingis was limited to nine points and Aaron Afflalo, one of the Knicks’ first options on offense, was inactive.
Miami plays at home to Chicago on Tuesday, while the Trailblazers travel to the Big Apple to face the Knicks on Tuesday as well.
Around The League
Damian Lillard continues to be unstoppable as he drops 33 in a victory over the Pacers. He’s now scored more than 30 in seven of his last eight games, including 51 against the Warriors on 2/19. Portland is now tied with Dallas for the seventh seed with a 32-28 record.
Aaron Gordon (22, career-high), Victor Oladipo (28), and Nikola Vucevic (28) combine for 78 points in a 130-116 victory over the 76ers. Gordon’s 22-point performance isn’t just a career high, but the first time he’s scored more than 20 points in a game. The Sixers kept the game shockingly close (for how they usually play) and saw great performances by a bunch of their players. Jahlil Okafor had 26 on 12/18 shooting; everyone except T.J. McConnell and Nik Stauskas scored in double-figures, and Jerian Grant had a great defensive night with three steals and five blocks.
Chandler Parsons has begun to find consistency in Dallas as he pours in 29 against the Timberwolves. He shot 10/15 overall and 4/7 from three while also adding in six rebounds and four assists. It’s the fifth time in the last seven games where Parsons has scored more than 20, and Dallas sits at 4-3 in those games.
Scores
CLE 99 - WASH 113
CHA 76 - ATL 87
TOR 101 - DET 114
POR 111 - IND 102
PHI 116 - ORL 130
MIN 101 - DAL 128
MIA 98 - NYK 81
*All data courtesy of Basketball-Reference*