Heat 94 - 90 Cavaliers
Final - OT
  for this game

Heat can clinch playoff berth

Apr 5, 2007 - 3:09 PM Miami (40-34) at Cleveland (45-30) 7:00 pm EDT

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Dealing with injuries has become routine for the Miami Heat.

The defending NBA champions look to clinch a playoff spot when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. A win by Miami or one more loss by Indiana would seal a postseason berth for the Heat.

Miami (40-34), which has been without its two best players - Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade - for a combined 67 games this season, has gone 14-7 in Wade's absence. In those games, the Heat have made up six games on Washington (39-35) and moved into first place in the Southeast Division.

The Heat are the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, 1 1/2 games behind Toronto (42-33) O'Neal collected 16 points and 12 rebounds in the Heat's 92-89 win over Toronto on Tuesday.

The Cavaliers (45-30) have alternated wins and losses over their last eight games. LeBron James scored 31 points and hauled in 12 rebounds in a 101-88 win over Minnesota on Tuesday.

Miami leads the season series, 2-1. O'Neal had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Jason Kapono added 17 and 11 in the Heat's win over Cleveland on February 25.

But the Heat have lost their last three games in Cleveland, which is three games behind No. 1 seed Detroit (48-27) in the East.






  • 96
    roots
    RUWTbot Added 96 roots

    Heat vs. CavaliersApr 5 9:50 PM


  • NBA
    MIAMI 69
    CLEVELAND 56 END, 3RD QTR

    Apr 5 9:08 PM


  • NBA
    MIAMI 53
    CLEVELAND 46 HALFTIME

    Apr 5 8:23 PM


  • NBA
    MIAMI 24
    CLEVELAND 24 END, 1ST QTR

    Apr 5 7:47 PM

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