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Miami Resumes Three-Game Homestand By Welcoming Lakers To Town
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Udonis Haslem hit the go-ahead basket in overtime and Carlos Arroyo sealed the game at the foul line, as Miami upended the Lakers, 114-111, at American Airlines Arena.
Dwyane Wade dished out a season-high 14 assists to go with 27 points, while Quentin Richardson scored 25 points behind 7-of-11 shooting from three-point range for the Heat, who have won two straight on the heels of a four-game slide.
Kobe Bryant ended with 39 points but was whistled for a charge going in for the potential tying basket late in OT for Los Angeles, which was coming off a 3-0 homestand.
Lamar Odom recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum added 12 and 10 in defeat.
The were 19 ties and 31 lead changes in the game, an NBA season-high for the latter.
Late in the fourth, Odom grabbed an offensive carom, put in a layup while being fouled and hit the free throw to pull the Lakers within 94-90 with 2:26 left to play in regulation.
Derek Fisher followed with a three, and Wade and Bryant traded field goals.
Wade then missed a three, and Richardson fouled Bryant with 42.6 seconds remaining. Bryant, who hit the game-winning three at the buzzer to beat Miami, 108-107, on December 4th earlier this season, made both attempts from the foul line to give the Lakers their first -- and only -- lead of the final quarter.
Jermaine O’Neal was whistled for a moving screen on the ensuing inbounds pass prior to Wade getting a piece of Bryant’s jumper from the top of the key.
Haslem grabbed the air ball, and Richardson drilled a contested, go-ahead three from the right wing with 11.1 ticks left.
After a timeout, Bryant drove the lane, rose from just outside the right elbow and calmly sank the tying fadeaway with 3.3 showing.
Wade similarly tried to weave his way to the basket from the left side, but Odom forced a double-pump on his fallaway attempt, which fell way off the mark to send the game to overtime.
It was a one-possession game throughout the extra session until the final minute. Haslem's jumper broke a 109-all tie with 37.3 seconds left, and after Pau Gasol's offensive rebound, O'Neal stepped in front of a driving Bryant and took the charge just outside the circle.
Arroyo, who ended with 17 points, made two free throws with 18.4 seconds showing, and Bryant’s miss from long range at the other end essentially sealed the game’s outcome.
A closely-played first quarter ended with LA holding a slim 27-26 lead, and a sloppy second saw the visitors take a 47-44 edge into the locker room.
Richardson hit two threes to spark a 9-0 run late in the third for a 70-63 lead, and the Heat owned a 74-68 advantage going into the final stanza.
Haslem donated 12 points and 11 rebounds, while O'Neal finished with 13 points for the Heat, who made 21-of-25 free throws in the win...Fisher scored 14 points for LA, which received 10 points each from Ron Artest and Gasol...The Lakers made just 15-of-25 from the stripe.
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