By Paul Levine May 30, 2006, 15:09 GMT
Los Angeles - After being quieted in the third quarter by a tough zone defence, Dwyane Wade went into a zone of his own down the stretch to put the Miami Heat one game away from reaching the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history.
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (L) drives the ball past Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups (R) during the second half of their Eastern Conference finals game four at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida Monday 29 May 2006. The Heat defeated the Pistons 89-78 to take a three game to one lead in the best-of-seven series. EPA/RHONA WISE
Wade erupted for 12 of his 31 points in the final quarter to spark the Heat to an 89-78 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons on Monday night for a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
'My teammates needed me in the fourth quarter,' said Wade, who hit eight of 11 field goals and 15-of-19 free throws. 'I said I'm going to take over.'
Shaquille O'Neal had 21 points and nine rebounds, while Udonis Haslem added 16 points for the Heat, who shot a sizzling 55 per cent (28-for 51) from the floor.
'We don't want to get too high and mighty,' O'Neal said. 'Our job's not done yet.'
Miami let a 3-2 lead slip away in last year's conference finals and the Pistons rallied to win in seven games with Wade and O'Neal injured. But with both healthy, the Heat will get three chances for redemption.
'We're going to do everything not to have this feeling of incompleteness that we had last year,' Wade explained 'We're all on the same page and we all want this same thing.'
Heat coach Pat Riley is confident his club can take out the 2003 NBA Champions and finalists to San Antonio last year Wednesday night in game five at Detroit.
'I think they're hungry and they're going to go and get it,' he said. 'We have great respect for the Pistons, but I think our heart is into moving on. That's what our objective is.'
Tayshaun Prince had 15 points and Chauncey Billups added 14 for the Pistons, who will be looking to avoid elimination while becoming just the ninth team to ever overcome a 3-1 playoff deficit.
'We got a lot of fight in us and we have been down 3-1 before but not against a team as good as the Heat,' Billups said. 'They're playing great. But the bottom line is we're going home, we're a great home team and we have got to get one game.
'We have to look at it as a one-game series the rest of the way,' he continued. 'If we don't focus in on that one game then the season will be over.'
With Wade scoring 16 points and O'Neal adding 11, the Heat built a 14-point cushion but the Pistons closed on a 10-2 to pull within 44- 38 at halftime.
The Pistons opened the third quarter on a 19-9 run led by Rasheed Wallace, who scored nine of his 12 points, including a three-pointer to grab 57-53 lead with 5:04 left in the period.
During that time, Wade was held without a shot until hitting a pair of free throws with 1.5 seconds left to put Miami up 62-60 entering the final frame.
'In the third quarter they were taking me out of the game by double-teaming me and I was getting off the ball,' Wade said. 'But in the fourth quarter, I wasn't going to let them do that. I knew I was going to be more aggressive, take the ball to the basket and see what happens.'
After the Pistons pulled to one, Wade turned up his game with eight points to spark a decisive 17-6 run that gave the Heat a 79-67 advantage with 5:01 to play.
Wade began by driving the lane and flipping in an acrobatic shot over his shoulder while being floored by Antonio McDyess on a hard foul. He converted the three-point play to put the Heat ahead, 65-61.
The budding superstar then drilled a jumper from the left corner with Hamilton in his face to beat the 24-second shot clock for a 69- 63 edge.
After Prince made two free throws at the other end, Wade hit a turnaround jumper and a free throw around a basket by Haslem, extending to 74-65 with 6:15 remaining.
Billups hit a jumper to cut the deficit to seven, but James Posey buried a three-pointer and O'Neal banked in a short jumper that increased Miami's margin to a dozen. Ahead by 11, Gary Payton drained a three-pointer of his own with 3:02 left opening up an 85-71 cushion that sealed the victory.
'You have to exert so much energy that sometimes you just don't have enough juice to finish it off,' Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. 'But Dwyane Wade was phenomenal. He's on an unbelievable roll right now. He's making unbelievable plays.'
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