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Sixers wilt in fourth, can't beat Heat

Feb 4, 2012 - 4:53 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Dwyane Wade scored a game-high 26 points as the Miami Heat used a dominant fourth quarter to take a 99-79 decision over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.

LeBron James added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat, who rebounded from a 105-97 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday with their ninth straight regular season victory over Philadelphia.

"The most important thing is that this team improved in 48 hours," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "This was a very good team win against a very good team that has been playing well."

Thaddeus Young paced the Sixers with 16 points off the bench, while Jodie Meeks and Lou Williams contributed 13 points apiece as Philadelphia closed out a season-long, seven-game homestand with a 5-2 record.

Philadelphia trailed 51-47 at the half, and Jrue Holiday's layup near the three-minute mark of the third quarter was the only points for either team in the second half until a pair of Meeks free throws tied the game at 51 with 7:16 left in the third.

A Chris Bosh putback soon after put the Heat back on top, sparking an 8-2 spurt by the Heat to put them ahead 59-53.

The Sixers battled back with an 8-2 run to knot the game at 61, but Miami responded again, as James netted his team's next six points and the Heat owned a 67-63 advantage after three.

Miami then dominated the fourth quarter, opening the frame with a 7-2 spurt to take the game's first double-digit lead at 74-64. Philadelphia would not get any closer than eight from there, as the Heat ripped of a 15-0 run to jump out to a 23-point lead with just over three minutes to play.

The Heat outscored the Sixers by a mark of 32-16 in the game-changing final stanza.

"Those guys cranked it up a little on us and forced us into taking a few bad shots, but we did just go cold," Young said about the fourth quarter. "We have to find a way to make shots and we couldn't do it tonight."

A Young layup gave the Sixers their first lead of the game, 21-20, with two minutes left in a hard-fought first quarter.

But the Heat scored five of the next eight points and took a 25-24 lead into the second on Norris Cole's three-pointer with 5.9 seconds left on the clock.

Philadelphia stayed within striking distance through the first half of the second quarter and after Wade's three-point play gave Miami a 37-32 lead, the Sixers reeled off six straight points to take a one-point advantage.

The Heat responded with a 10-2 run, including five straight points by James, to go up, 47-40, but the Sixers closed out the half with a 7-4 swing to get within 51-47 at the half.

Game Notes

The Heat went 5-for-7 from three-point range in the first half and finished the game shooting 8-for-13 from beyond the arc...Miami made just 11-of-20 free throws, while Philadelphia went 10-for-14 from the foul line...The Sixers fell to 12-3 at home this season...Philadelphia held a 40-36 advantage in points in the paint.