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Wade leads balanced attack as Heat ends three-game slide

Jan 31, 2007 - 5:09 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- Superstar Dwyane Wade did not need the final quarter to put an end to the Miami Heat's woes.

Wade scored 28 points in three quarters as the Heat snapped their three-game losing streak with a 110-80 triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks.

A three-time All-Star, Wade connected on 12-of-17 shots and made all four of his free throws. He also collected six rebounds and two steals.

"We were really just trying to be aggressive," Wade said. "We really had to come out and establish ourselves early to remove any doubt that anybody might have in their head about us. We played well, especially in transition, made the right plays and got a big lead."

Jason Kapono scored 15 points and Michael Doleac finished with season highs of 11, 11 rebounds and five steals for Miami, which shot 60 percent (47-of-78) from the floor.

"I thought we were much more consistent with our defensive effort," Miami interim coach Ron Rothstein said. "So when you're making that kind of an effort and everyone is in it together and on the offensive end you're sharing the ball, it can sometimes make the game significantly easier."

The 6-4 Wade poured in 13 first-quarter points during an impressive 20-4 burst to close the period and open a 35-14 advantage.

Despite Miami not having starters Shaquille O'Neal (calf) and Jason Williams (abdominal strain) in the lineup, Milwaukee did not recover.

A ninth-year pro, Doleac was stellar off the bench in the absence of O'Neal, registering his first double-double since March 25, 2002.

"It just feels good to make a contribution in a win like this," said Doleac, who played a season-high 31 minutes. "We needed to take any step in the right direction. We need to keep doing that. It's been a rough beginning to the year and anything that's positive right now is very welcome for us."

Reserve Charlie Villanueva scored 17 points and Mo Williams added 14 for the Bucks, who have dropped six of their last seven games.

"That effort out there was terrible," Bucks swingman Ruben Patterson said. "We are professionals. There's no way we should be embarrassed like that. They did what they wanted to do to us. It was just bad out there, man."

"It's more disappointing than anything that we came out as flat as we did," Milwaukee coach Terry Stotts said. "The first five minutes were fine but then they put it to us pretty quickly and we didn't recover."

Milwaukee fell to 2-10 without its leading scorer Michael Redd, who remains sidelined with a strained patellar tendon in his left knee.