By Paul Levine May 17, 2006, 14:50 GMT
Los Angeles - In one quick flash, speedy Dwayne Wade stole the show and sent the Miami Heat into the Eastern Conference finals.
Wade broke up Jason Kidd's inbound pass with 1.4 seconds left and the Heat escaped with a thrilling 106-105 home-court victory over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night to wrap up their semi-final series in five games.
'With one second left, all you want to do is make it tough,' Wade said. 'I was able to get there, get my hand on the ball, and that was all she wrote.'
Though Wade made the game-saving play, the humble third-year superstar guard gave credit to his teammates.
'The story of it is we won as a team and that's what it's about this time of the year,' said Wade, who struggled to finish with 21 points on an icy seven-of-19 shooting and committed seven turnovers. 'You got to be able to withstand everything they throw at you and we did that.'
The Heat will meet the winner between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers, currently knotted at two-games apiece. Detroit hosts Game Five Wednesday night.
'We went to game seven and lost on our home floor and I don't think it's left none of us from the guys who are still here,' Wade said. 'So you would love to see Detroit again. But I'd like to see LeBron (James) go out and prove people wrong.'
Antoine Walker scored 23 points off the bench and foul-plagued Shaquille O'Neal had 17 as Miami overcame a 12-point deficit to take the final four games of the series.
Even though Wade struggled offensively, he contributed in other ways.
With the Heat clinging to a 102-99 lead, Wade found Walker, who buried a wide-open 3-pointer from the right corner with 1:56 left for a five-point advantage.
Vince Carter came alive, though. The Nets' go-to-guy hit three consecutive baskets, including a dunk that pulled the visitors within 106-105 with 29 seconds remaining.
After Gary Payton missed a jumper, the Nets picked up the rebound and called timeout with 1.4 seconds left to design a final play for Carter. Kidd had trouble throwing the ball in, and Carter got tangled up with Udonis Haslem, allowing Wade to race in and break up the play as time expired.
'I got tangled up with Udonis and it was a good defensive play by Dwyane,' Carter said. 'He got his hand on it and that's history.'
Carter and Richard Jefferson led the Nets with 33 points apiece while Kidd finished with 20.
'It was a phenomenal series and we fell short in a couple of games,' Carter said. 'The Miami Heat is a great team. They're built for the playoffs. When you have a team 3-1, and at your building, they did what they're supposed to do.'
Elsewhere:
Phoenix Suns 125, LA Clippers 118 (2 OT):
Raja Bell buried a dramatic game-tying three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left in the first overtime, and Shawn Marion scored six of his 36 points in the second session to go along with a career-playoff high 20 rebounds as the Suns escaped to take a 3-2 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series.
'Raja's shot took us from the depths. That was ridiculous,' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. 'A lot of times in the playoffs, it's about heart, about perseverance and a little sweat. I think we did that. They've been battling all year and found a way to win.'
The Suns can advance to the conference finals with a victory in Game Six Thursday night in Los Angeles.
Tim Thomas scored 25 points and Bell finished with 22 as Phoenix recovered after blowing a 19-point lead. Steve Nash had 17 and 13 assists while Brazil's Leandro Barbosa chipped in with five of his 15 points in the second overtime.
Elton Brand collected 33 points and 15 rebounds, while Sam Cassell scored 27 of his 32 after intermission for the Clippers, who will look to extend the series.
'We had a golden opportunity to go up 3-2 but we didn't take advantage of it,' Cassell said. 'It was a tough loss but there's no reason to cry over spilt milk. We have to put this game behind us and put up a greater effort on Thursday and come back here on Monday.'
Marion's rebound slam with 3:20 left gave the Suns a 115-113 edge but he hit the floor hard after jamming his left ankle. He hobbled to the bench but returned to finish the game.
Barbosa's three-pointer put Phoenix ahead 119-115 lead but Brand's three-point play made it a one-point game. After a timeout, Nash found Marion for a layup with 1:05 left.
Barbosa and Nash made two free throws apiece in the final 52 seconds to ice the win.
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