Bosh, Wade provide big spark
Miami improves to 10-2 on Christmas, league’s best mark.
There’s no team MIAMI— better on Christmas than the Miami Heat.
Chris Bosh scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, DwyaneWade added 19 points, and the Heat survived some shaky moments late to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 94-88 in overtime on Friday.
The win moved the Heat to an NBA-best 10-2 all-time on Christmas, including seven straight wins. Portland, at 14-3, is just behind. Bosh and Wade combined for 13 of Miami’s 16 points in overtime. “When the pressure is highest, that’s when they show the most courage,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Miami is 9-1 against teams from theWestern Conference — and only 8-10 against Eastern Conference opponents.
“Just an ugly game by both teams, but in this league you’ve got to win the pretty ones and the ugly ones,” saidWade, the Eastern Conference’s All-Star leading vote getter among guards so far this season. “It wasn’t going right for us — Chris had it going to keep us afloat — but at the end I think it just came down to getting some great stops and we got some timely buckets.”
Hassan Whiteside had 17 rebounds for Miami in just under 25 minutes.
Anthony Davis was stellar in his Christmas debut, leading the Pelicans with 29 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and four steals. But he missed a contested jumper on New Orleans’ final possession of regulation, and the Heat controlled the extra session.
“That’s why I get paid the big bucks, to win games for us down the stretch,” Davis said. “I was actually missing shots in the fourth and the team actually did a good job of carrying me.”
Ryan Anderson scored 18 points, including a tipin with 1:45 left in regulation that gave New Orleans its first lead, and Eric Gordon, celebrating his 27th birthday, finished with 16 for the Pelicans. Gordon’s four-point play with 31 seconds left in overtime got New Orleans within four, but they got no closer.
The Heat had 18 turnovers in the game — and New Orleans scored on only one of them. Miami outrebounded the Pelicans 57-45, and Bosh responded with 21 of his points in the second half.
“Christmas Day against one of the best in the league,” Bosh said. “I’m going to rise to the occasion.”
Davis had more points than his teammates combined in the first half, the reason why New Orleans still had a shot.
Friday’s victory started Miami’s first, and only, stretch of four contests in five days this season.