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Slashing and Dunking, Wade sparks Heat
(AP)
Updated: 2006-03-01 09:09
MIAMI - Dwyane Wade broke toward the sideline to make an interception in
front of the Miami Heat bench, where coach Pat Riley watched in admiration.
"He was running at full speed," Riley said. "Anyone else that would have
caught the ball would have ended up in the first row."
Wade isn't like anyone else, so he was able to grab the ball and cut
simultaneously to stay inbounds. Then he sprinted the length of the court for a
fast-break dunk.
Even when he's 75 feet away and heading in the wrong direction, Wade finds a
way to get to the hoop. All but two of his 15 baskets Monday came from close
range, and he scored 32 points to help the Heat beat Toronto.
"He was at the rim all night," Riley said. "He has tremendous athleticism,
strength, force and instincts."
Wade's nickname is Flash, but perhaps it should be Slash. His ability to
penetrate is a big reason the Heat lead the NBA in shooting, and he has helped
them take advantage of a soft stretch in the schedule to win a season-high six
consecutive games.
They go for No. 7 on Wednesday at Boston.
Defending the Heat always starts with Shaquille O'Neal, but teams double-team
him at the risk of letting Wade get to the hoop. During the winning streak,
Wade's averaging 32.2 points a game and shooting 57 percent, remarkable for a
guard.
Wade made 12 consecutive shots against Toronto but fell short of O'Neal's 14
in a row two nights earlier.
"He's not that good," O'Neal said with a smile.
It helps Wade's shooting percentage that many of his attempts come from above
the rim, even though he's only 6-foot-4. He tied a season high Monday with seven
dunks, and he's on the verge of exhausting his repertoire with one-third of the
regular season still to go.
"There's good and bad," he said. "You start thinking, `What am I going to do
next?'"
"He has big hands for his size — hands like a 7-footer," teammate Alonzo
Mourning said. "He can grab the ball and palm it. And he has great athletic
ability."
It's on best display in breakaway situations, which produce many of Wade's
highlight-reel baskets.
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