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MIAMI -- Udonis Haslem had two things to say to Dwyane Wade after the Heat's triple-overtime win against the Jazz on Saturday. Both brought a smile to Wade.
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| 'He's having an MVP season by far,' Deron Williams says of Dwyane Wade. (Getty Images) |
"I know," said Wade, as if he wasn't aware. Wade has done nearly everything else this season but record a triple-double and has only three in his career.
The other comment was about Syracuse taking six overtimes to beat Connecticut on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. It took the Heat three overtimes to beat the Jazz 140-129, and Wade and Haslem were ready for a nap.
"How did they go six?" Haslem asked.
"I couldn't imagine going three more overtimes," Wade said. "I'm ready to go lay down."
He deserves the rest. Wade is carrying the Heat toward a playoff spot and making a strong case as an MVP candidate.
This week, Wade beat Chicago on Monday in double overtime with a running three-pointer at the buzzer and followed it with a win over the defending champion Celtics on Wednesday. He then tied his career high with 50 points and set several records against the Jazz.
Wade passed Alonzo Mourning to become the Heat's all-time leading scorer, and he set new highs in field goals made (19) and attempted (39). He has scored at least 20 points in a game in 21 consecutive outings, which is the longest streak in the NBA since LeBron James did it for 49 consecutive games from Dec. 14, 2007-March 26, 2008.
Don't think James won't take notice that Wade did something special. The two are well aware of what each are doing as they compete with Kobe Bryant for the MVP award.
James went for 51 points in overtime at Sacramento on Friday night after getting three straight triple-doubles in his previous three games against Miami, the Clippers and Phoenix. It's a fantastic back-and-forth between the two stars.
Wade fought through nagging injuries to his hip and ankle to play a season-high 52 minutes against the Jazz. No wonder he was thinking of Syracuse because the Orangemen played six overtimes against UConn and then another overtime game against West Virginia in the semifinals.
Wade was having none of that. He wanted this game to end in three overtimes before heading to Philadelphia for Sunday's game -- even though Wade missed game-winning shots at the end of the first two overtimes.
The Heat overcame a seven-point deficit with 55 seconds left in regulation and an eight-point deficit in the first overtime to win their third in a row and stay in a tight race with Atlanta for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Wade got plenty of help from his teammates.
James Jones and Haslem hit crucial free throws at the end of regulation and the first overtime. Jermaine O'Neal (28 points, eight rebounds and five blocks) had his best game since coming to Miami in a trade with Toronto. And rookie point guard Mario Chalmers added five steals.
The Jazz, meanwhile, lost their second in a row following a 12-game winning streak. It's not like Utah is falling apart, but this was a tough defeat on a five-game road trip that ends Sunday at Orlando.
"We did a how-to on how to lose a basketball game," Jazz point guard Deron Williams said. "We were fouling when we didn't need to. We were trying to score when we definitely didn't need to instead of using our clock. It wasn't very smart. It should've never gone into overtime in the first place. We should have never been in that position. This is a game we are going to be thinking about because we pretty much gave it away."
Williams is glad he won't have to see Wade again. The two were teammates on Team USA in the Olympics, and Williams said he could see in the summer Wade was ready for a big season.
Williams said Wade is finally healthy, and he worked a lot on his three-point shot to improve his range. That has helped Wade become a more lethal scorer and opened up his game.
Williams said Wade trails in the MVP race because James and Bryant have better team records, but Wade is in the running as a strong contender.
"He's definitely making the case," Williams said. "It's tough to call. As far as his performance, he's having an MVP season by far. He's a great player. He takes and makes tough shots. It's tough for one person to stop him."
The Jazz tried to stop Wade and failed, as has the rest of the league this season. Wade is doing everything he can to lead the Heat into the playoffs and possibly steal the MVP award.
All he needs now is rest after Saturday's game. After three overtimes and the week he's had, a nap sounds pretty good right about now.
