Mar 10, 2009, 16:43 GMT
Los Angeles - Take notice Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, fellow superstar Dwyane Wade is making his point as a top contender for league Most Valuable Player.
Wade had 48 points, 12 assists and stole the ball from John Salmons for a running three-pointer as time expired in the second overtime, lifting the Miami Heat to a dramatic 130-127 home-court victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
'If Mr Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr, if he's not legitimately considered for an MVP candidate, I don't know what he needs to do,' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the emotional win.
'We are currently a playoff contender and night after night, he's making incredible plays like this. This last play was kind of the epitome of the type of season he's having.'
Wade's three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation sent the game into overtime knotted at 104. However, he missed two key free throws and blew a wide-open reverse layup at the buzzer that would have given the Heat the victory in the first extra session.
'The Flash,' however, made up for it.
'After missing those free throws and layup, I took it upon myself to say I got to make something' Wade said 'And I got the opportunity.'
With the game squared at 127, the Bulls looked to have the final shot. Salmons received the ball above the free throw line after a timeout. But Wade came over, stripped him, and with three long striding dribbles, swished in his fifth triple of the game to beat the clock.
'I knew they were going to Salmons and I knew Udonis (Haslem) was taking him,' Wade explained. 'I know he likes to come back, so I just read it. When I got the steal I knew we had another timeout left. I was about to call it then I said, 'Nah''
Wade jumped on a court-side table to celebrate as referees reviewed the final play. Once they signaled the shot was good, the rabid fans at the American Airlines Arena went into a frenzy.
'We played a good game, so did the Bulls, credit them' Wade said. 'This is one of those games for the ages. It could have gone either way. I'm glad it went our way.'
Michael Beasley scored 18 points, and Mario Chalmers added 17 for Miami (34-29) which holds down the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Ben Gordon wasted a season-high 43 points, with eight three-pointers for Chicago (29-35) which dropped into tie with idle Milwaukee for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Salmons scored 29 and Derrick Rose finished with 23.
'I probably had Kobe and LeBron neck-and-neck for MVP with Wade third,' veteran Bulls guard Lindsey Hunter said afterward. 'That order has changed.'
Elsewhere: Portland Trail Blazers 111, LA Lakers 94 Brandon Roy scored 27 points, Travis Outlaw added 22 and the Trail Blazers moved into a tie with idle Utah atop the Northwest Division after beating the league-best Lakers for the seventh straight time at the Rose Garden.
The Trail Blazers lost Rudy Fernandez when the high-flying Spanish rookie crashed to the floor after taking a hard flagrant 2 foul from Trevor Ariza on a drive to the basket in the third quarter.
Fernandez remained down for nearly 10 minutes before being wheeled off the court on a stretcher with his neck in a brace, and taken to a local hospital for tests, though conscious and alert.
Kobe Bryant netted 26 while Spaniard Pau Gasol had 18 with 13 rebounds for the Lakers (50-13) who haven't won at Portland since February 2005
Houston Rockets 97, Denver Nuggets 95 Ron Artest scored 22 points and Aaron Brooks added 19, including two game-sealing free throws with three seconds left as the visiting Rockets (42-23) edged the falling Nuggets.
Chauncey Billups had 28 points for Denver (40-25) which has lost eight of 11 to tumble from atop the Northwest Division to seventh seed in the Western Conference playoff race.
Detroit Pistons 98, Orlando Magic 94 Richard Hamilton had 29 points with a career-high 14 assists, and the Pistons swept the three-game season series over the visiting Magic despite losing Rasheed Wallace (calf) in the opening quarter.
Dwight Howard had 27 points and 14 rebounds for Orlando (46-17) which had won its previous four contests,
Atlanta Hawks 89, New Orleans Hornets 79 Joe Johnson scored 30 points, and the host Hawks snapped the Hornets' season-high seven-game winning streak.
Chris Paul led New Orleans (9-23) with 24 points and 10 assists, while David West had 16 points and 20 rebounds.
Washington Wizards 110, Minnesota Timberwolves 99 Caron Butler scored 27 points, Antawn Jamison had 26 and the Wizards broke a five-game slide, while handing the T-Wolves their 10th straight loss.
Ryan Gomes and Sebastian Telfair had 18 points apiece for Minnesota (18-45) which lost starting guard Randy Foye to a right ankle sprain in the final quarter.
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