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Wizards-Heat Preview

Nov 27, 2009 - 3:56 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Washington (4-9) at Miami (9-5), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Dwyane Wade missed badly on a potential game-winning shot in the Miami Heat's last game, but Michael Beasley was there to bail him out.

Wade hasn't misfired this season against the Washington Wizards.

The Heat's star guard will try to lead his team to a season high-tying third straight win overall and its seventh in a row over the Wizards on Friday night in Miami.

As expected, Wade, the NBA's leading scorer last season, had the ball in his hands with Miami (9-5) trailing by one in the final seconds Wednesday night at Orlando.

What wasn't expected was Wade's 15-foot jumper straying well off target, but Beasley rose above the Magic's Matt Barnes to dunk the miss with 1.6 seconds left for a 99-98 victory.

Orlando tried to argue that the Heat forward committed goaltending but to no avail.

"When it touched my hand, I was just thinking, 'Dunk it. Dunk it. Dunk it,'" Beasley said. "Because I was so close to the basket, I honestly wasn't thinking about no offensive interference. Well, I was. But I looked directly at the ref, he was running down the floor, so I knew it was good."

Despite missing 16 of 22 shots, Wade finished with 24 points. He typically has a much better performance against the Wizards (4-9).

Averaging 27.8 points this season overall, Wade scored a season-high 40 in a 93-89 win at Washington on Nov. 4, and topped that effort six days later with 41 in a 90-76 home victory over the Wizards - the sixth loss of what would wind up being a seven-game losing streak for Washington.

"When you've got a team that's not playing as well and in disarray, you've got to take advantage of it," Wade said after the Nov. 10 victory.

The Wizards may have been frustrated and disgruntled before Tuesday night's home game against Philadelphia, but they seemed to unite after the death of 85-year-old owner Abe Pollin earlier in the day.

Washington avoided a three-game slide with a 108-107 victory - its second win in 10 games this month - after the 76ers' Louis Williams' 3-point attempt at the buzzer slid off the rim.

"I guess Mr. P, he probably contested that last shot better than anybody," Wizards coach Flip Saunders said of the club's late owner.

Antawn Jamison had a season-high 32 points and 14 rebounds in his first game since returning from a right shoulder injury, and Nick Young added a season-best 20 points while playing in just his seventh contest this season.

"It was a hard evening," point guard Gilbert Arenas said. "But at the end of the day Abe Pollin loved us so much that we couldn't feel the pain until after the game. We had to go out there and just play."

Arenas has averaged 26.5 points in the two matchups with Miami this season despite shooting 34.0 percent. Wade, meanwhile, has shot 50.0 percent and averaged 28.5 points during the Heat's six-game win streak over Washington.

The Heat are also seeking their fourth straight home win over the Wizards, whose last victory at the AmericanAirlines Arena was March 21, 2008.

Miami is 34-10 all-time at home against Washington.