Wade turns back clock to rescue Heat with jumper
Guard makes go-ahead shot in fourth quarter with 5.9 seconds left.
Welcome back, vintage
MIAMI — Dwyane Wade.
The legendary Heat guard knocked down a 21-foot jumper with 5.9 seconds to play to give
the Heat a 102-101 victory Tues-
day over the Philadelphia 76ers in a game with a playoff feel.
The Sixers had one last chance, but J.J. Redick’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer hit the front of the rim and bounced off. Wade then turned and waited for his teammates to surround him. The first one to greet him was Kelly Olynyk, who hugged the exhausted Wade.
Wade scored a season-high 27 points, including 15 of the team’s final 17 points, all coming in the final 4:57. The Heat, who trailed by 10 points with 9:21 to play,
tied it at 95.
“There’s something about Dwy
ane Wade when he puts that Miami Heat jersey on and plays in front of these fans,” coach Erik Spoel-
stra said.
Redick was fouled shooting a three and made all three to give Philadelphia the lead. After Hassan Whiteside and Joel Embiid traded baskets, Wade drew a foul taking a three with 27 seconds to play and made all three to tie it at 100.
The Heat then made an apparent gutsy move. Wade fouled 56.9 percent free- throw shooter Ben Simmons on the inbounds pass and the Sixers rookie point guard made one of two. Wade then held the ball for most of the next possession, weaving through the Sixers to free himself for the go-ahead shot.
Spoelstra said the foul was not intentional, saying there was a miscommunication and he did not instruct Wade to foul Simmons.
Goran Dragic added 21 for the Heat, who improved to 32-29. The Sixers (32-27) were led by Embiid’s 23 points.
Olynyk and Rodney McGruder returned Tuesday. Olynyk missed six games with a strained shoulder and McGruder made his Heat season debut after having surgery on his left leg in October.
And they will be needed with Wayne Ellington the latest to go down. Ellington suffered a bruised left quad in the second quarter and did not return.
Tyler Johnson appeared to reinjure his left ankle in the third quarter. He went back to the locker room and although he eventually returned to the bench, he did not return to the game. Here are our five take- aways: Riding the Wade wave: For those who forget just how special Wade was during the 2000s and championship seasons alongside LeBron James, this was a reminder. Wade, 36, started the fourth quarter and took a 3½-minute break and re-entered with 5:55 to play. Wade’s points were the most since rejoining the Heat six games ago, topping the 16 he had against the Pelicans on Friday. Wade had his best shooting night since returning, making 10 of 16 shots, including half of his four 3-point attempts. Wade entered shooting 34.5 percent in a Heat uniform this season. Olynyk makes impact in return: Spoelstra had hoped to ease Olynyk back in to the action, but the Heat big man played a big role in the team’s 18-2 second quarter run. Olynyk wound up playing 24:47 after missing six games because of a strained left shoulder. He entered the game less than a minute into the second quarter, was short on his first shot (a three) and then made a three to start the Heat’s 18-2 run. He finished with three points, three rebounds and three assists. Look for Olynyk, who has the top plus-minus on the team, to find his way back into the starting lineup, perhaps as early as Thursday. McGruder makes season debut: McGruder played in final G League rehab game in Ontario, Calif., on Monday night, the game ending after midnight Eastern Time. McGruder then took the red-eye to Miami and walked into the Heat facility after the team’s shootaround on very little sleep. Spoelstra said before the game McGruder was available but was not sure he was going to play. But McGruder entered the game with 3:03 to play in the third quarter and knocked down his second shot, a 3-pointer. McGruder finished with three points in 9:08.
So much for all those healthy bodies: On the night that Olynyk and McGruder returned to the bench, the Heat lost Ellington. Miami’s 3-point shooting specialist left in the second quarter with a bruised left quad and did not return. Ellington leads the Heat with 174 3-pointers, which is fifth in the league.
Making a move: It wasn’t long ago that the Heat were fourth in the Eastern Conference. But losing 7 of 8 sent them spiraling down to No. 8, the final playoff spot. But could Miami be making its move back up? With its victory Tuesday, the Heat now are just a game behind No. 7 Philadelphia. The Heat can make up more ground in the next six days with three more games to close out this fivegame homestand, all against teams with losing records.