Dwyane Wade (left) of the Miami Heat drives on Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder during their NBA at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, on Thursday. (AFP)

 

DPA/Los Angeles


In a game of changes, Dwyane Wade was the difference-maker. Wade hit a pair of tie-breaking free throws with 1.5 seconds left to cap a 28-point effort Thursday, lifting the Miami Heat to a thrilling 97-95 victory over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder.
Neither team held more than a six-point advantage in an intense December battle that featured an NBA season-high 38 lead changes and 11 ties.
“That was like the playoffs,” said Wade, who scored the Heat’s final eight points. “We really executed. It was our best win of the year.”
Chris Bosh scored 16 points, Slovenian Goran Dragic added 14 for Miami (11-6) which has split its last four decisions.
“It really felt like a playoff game,” Dragic said. “There was a lot of emotion.”
The game was knotted at 97-apiece when OKC’s Kevin Durant missed a 3-pointer with nine seconds left. Bosh grabbed the rebound and quickly called a timeout to set up a final play with 7.7 seconds left.
Wade took the in-bound pass, drove the left baseline past Dion Waiters and was fouled by Serge Ibaka. The perennial All-Star guard calmly sank the go-ahead free throws.
“I got a favorable whistle,” said Wade. “I went to the line and got two.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra marvelled over Wade’s move saying, “He’s the only one who could make that kind of play and then somehow find daylight to get to the rim.”
The Thunder had a final shot at the win but Russell Westbrook missed a desperation 3-point heave off the glass from the right side out of a timeout to end the game.
Durant and Westbrook finished with 25 point apiece for the Thunder (11-8) losers for just the second time in the last six outings.

Elsewhere
San Antonio Spurs 103, Memphis Grizzlies 83: Kawhi Leonard hit seven consecutive triples en route to 27 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 18, and the visiting Spurs (16-4) manhandled the Grizzlies for their seventh win in the last eight games. Spaniard Marc Gasol and Mike Conley netted 15 points apiece for Memphis (11-9) which shot just 37.5 per cent from the field and were outscored 54-36 in the middle quarters.  

Portland Trail Blazers 123, Indiana Pacers 111: Damian Lillard had 26 points with 10 assists, C.J. McCollum netted 21, and the Trail Blazers (8-12) buried 18-of-36 from behind the arc to snap the visiting Pacers’ six-game success. C.J. Miles drained eight triples en route to 27 points but Paul George finished with just 11 - 16 below his season average - for Indiana (12-6) which lost starting guard Monta Ellis to knee in back injury.    

Denver Nuggets 106, Toronto Raptors 105: Back-up guard Will Barton scored 22 points, Italy’s Danilo Gallinari added 21, and the visiting Nuggets (7-13) led all the way to end an eight-game slide after trimming the Raptors (12-8) despite DeMar DeRozan’s season-high 34 points.

Orlando Magic 103, Utah Jazz 94: Tobias Harris scored 17 points and Nikola Vucevic had 16 to pace six players in double figures, as the surging Magic (11-8) beat the host Jazz for their first five-game winning streak in nearly four years. Gordon Hayward tossed in 24 points and Alec Burks added 21 off the bench for Utah (8-9) which was outscored 26-16 in the decisive fourth quarter.

Boston Celtics 114, Sacramento Kings 97: Isaiah Thomas and Kelly Olynyk scored 21 points apiece, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder each added 20, and the Celtics (11-8) crushed the Kings in Mexico City for their fourth win in five games. Rudy Gay scored 18 for Sacramento (7-12) losers in three of its last four contests.