Bucks 90 - 85 Heat
Final
  for this game

Heat host Bucks in south Florida

Apr 6, 2011 - 3:12 PM

Video

(Sports Network) - The Southeast Division champion Miami Heat continue their push to the postseason Wednesday by hosting a Milwaukee Bucks team teetering on the brink of elimination.

The Heat wrapped up the Southeast crown on Sunday when LeBron James finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds, leading Miami to a 108-94 victory over the Nets. The win, coupled with Orlando's loss at Toronto, secured the division for the Heat.

"We'll take whatever we can get right now," said Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. "That's the first step. It's not our ultimate goal, but we want to gobble up as many of those things as possible."

Currently, Miami is deadlocked with Boston for the second seed in the East, three games behind Chicago, with just five games to play.

Dwyane Wade, who left Sunday's game briefly because of a right thigh contusion, added 18 points in Miami's third consecutive win. The 2006 NBA finals MVP sat out practice Tuesday and is questionable for tonight's contest.

James, meanwhile, is on the verge on more history. The reigning two-time MVP is just two points shy of collecting 2,000 points in a season for the seventh time. He will be just the eighth player and NBA history to do that and at age 26, the youngest.

"It means a lot," James said. "There's a lot of hard work that goes into it and I just try to go out on the court and be the best player I can every night."

Every other player scoring 2,000 points in seven different seasons -- Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Alex English, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Dominique Wilkins -- is already in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Things aren't nearly as rosy for the Bucks, who fell last night in Orlando, 78-72, when Dwight Howard led a balanced attack with 18 point and 17 rebounds, for the Magic.

Drew Gooden had 18 points off the bench for the Bucks, who have dropped four of six and are now 3 1/2 games behind Indiana for the final playoff spot in the East with just five games to play. Keyon Dooling netted 10 points in a reserve role.

"We had our chances as poorly as we played. Our defense hung in there and gave us a chance to win and we couldn't take advantage," Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said.

Miami has won four in a row against the Bucks.






Related News