Wade leads Heat to needed win over Warriors

Source: abs-cbnNews.com

MIAMI – Dwyane Wade scored 35 points with 12 assists Tuesday as Miami snapped a four-game skid with a 110-106 NBA victory over the depleted but determined Golden State Warriors.

Quentin Richardson scored 15, including two big three-pointers in the final minutes, for the Heat, who remained one game under .500 but moved one half-game ahead of Charlotte for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Miami are now just two games behind of Toronto, who go into Wednesday holding the fifth spot in the East.

"It'll be a dogfight all the way to the end," Wade predicted.

In the meantime, the Heat had all they could handle from the Warriors, who are 25 games below .500 and out of the Western Conference playoff race. To make matters worse, Golden State dressed only eight players - the league minimum - and they mustered that many by signing a development-league player earlier in the day.

Even so, they played with intensity, coach Don Nelson pacing the sideline and Ronny Turiaf exhorting his teammates in the final minutes.

"We made them play, didn't we?" Nelson said. "We've got no complaints. We played our behinds off. We were able to stay in the game and have a chance to win. We'll take it."

Anthony Morrow scored 24 points, CJ Watson had 20 and Stephen Curry added 18 for Golden State, who had a chance to tie the contest with five seconds remaining.

Turiaf couldn't get a grip on a pass from Curry, Miami's Arroyo made two free throws and the Heat sealed the victory.

Turiaf finished with 15 points for Golden State, who inked Reggie Williams to a 10-day contract after calling him up from the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Williams scored 10 points.

The Warriors were missing leading scorer Monta Ellis and center Andris Biedrins, both injured.

Michael Beasley added 15 points for Miami, while Jermaine O'Neal and Carlos Arroyo had 14 apiece.

"We knew we had to fight it out," Wade said. "And at the end, we could win it."