HEAT DROP KNICKS BEHIND D-WADE’S CAREER HIGH 55

While the Miami Heat will enter the NBA playoffs as the 5^th seed in the Eastern Conference, Dwayne Wade took the opportunity of his team’s game against the New York Knicks on Sunday to make a personal statement.  Wade scored a career high 55 points as the Heat beat the Knicks at home 122-105.  Miami will face Atlanta in the opening round of the NBA playoffs starting next weekend.

Wade’s day was one of utter domination.  Through three quarters he had scored 50 points—3 more than the rest of the Heat combined.  Wade shot 19 of 30 from the field and reached another career high with six three pointers.  His scoring output was the second most in franchise history, and he would have had a good shot at breaking Glen Rice’s mark of 56 points were it not for coach Erik Spolesta who took ‘D-Wade’ out of the contest with just over a minute remaining.  His rationalization?:

"He's broken every other record. Let's leave one of them to Glen Rice."

Before he left the game he was summoned to the Knicks’ bench by their coach Mike D’Antoni who told Wade:

"It's kind of ridiculous that you're this good."

Wade commented after the game that he’d prepared to make an impressive showing:

"I came in early and I was very focused. My teammates thought something was wrong with me because I wasn't talking."

Wade obviously led his team in scoring, adding 9 rebounds and 4 assists in the process.  Michael Beasley posted a ‘double/double’ with 28 points and 16 rebounds, while Mario Chalmers just missed one with 15 point and 9 assists.  Al Harrington and Wilson Chandler tied for the Knicks’ scoring lead with 21 points each.  Quinton Richardson scored 14 off the bench, while David Lee notched a ‘double/double’ with 11 points and 11 boards.  Jarred Jeffries and Larry Hughes rounded out the double digit scorers for New York with 10 points apiece. 

At this point, neither New York or Atlanta has much to play for in their remaining regular season games.  Miami will look toward their playoff series with Atlanta, and will get a close look at the Hawks as they play at the Phillips Arena on Tuesday before wrapping up their schedule at home on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons.  New York’s lone remaining game is Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden when they’ll host the New Jersey Nets.