• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Wade helps Heat end road trip with win over Suns

Dec 11, 2007 - 6:24 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Dwyane Wade and the frontcourt helped the the Miami Heat end its longest road trip of the season on a high note.

Wade scored 31 points and Shaquille O'Neal added 18 and 11 rebounds as the Heat held off the Phoenix Suns for a 117-113 victory on Monday.

Forwards Dorell Wright and Udonis Haslem also posted double-doubles, combining for 37 points and 24 rebounds as the Heat shot 59 percent (47-of-80) from the field en route to their second straight win after a five-game losing streak.

"It's the best win for us this year," Miami coach Pat Riley said. "We need them. Sometimes in April or March you'll look back and say there might have been a breakthrough game, a confidence game for you when you have to get through a lot of stuff."

It was the third consecutive 30-point game for Wade, who shot 13-of-21 from the field and added six assists.

"I'm getting more comfortable with my game especially with my jumper," Wade said. "I wanted to come out and be real aggressive early and out some pressure on them."

The Heat also outrebounded the Suns, 46-29, while concluding their six-game road trip with a 2-4 record.

"Now we need to develop some consistency," O'Neal said. "It was a good game. We wanted to make a breakthrough game and everybody played well."

With the game tied at 80-80 late in the third quarter, Miami used an 11-0 run to bridge the final two periods and led by at least six points until the final minute of play.

Grant Hill made a 3-pointer to cut the Suns' deficit to 110-105 with 55 seconds remaining and, after Ricky Davis made one free throw for the Heat, Steve Nash drilled a shot from the arc to cut Miami's lead to 111-108 with 32 seconds to play.

But Wade sealed the Miami victory with a steal and a dunk - after Haslem made two free throws - to give the Heat a seven-point bulge with 10 seconds left in the contest.

The Suns, who were coming off a 100-93 loss to Minnesota on Saturday, also allowed their opponents to top the 100-point plateau for the ninth straight game.

"The Heat is another team that we felt that we should have been able to come out and stick it to them early," Suns guard Raja Bell said. "They did a god job. They had some timely baskets and timely stops. It is hard to tell you what is not working."

Wade made his first seven shots and scored 16 points as Miami shot 73 percent (19-of-25) from the field en route to a 40-29 lead after the first quarter.

Miami led by as many as 14 early in the second before Phoenix used an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to 60-57 with 2:01 left in the first half. The Heat shot 68 percent (32-of-47) in the first half and led, 67-63, at the break.

"We didn't do anything to put a stop on anybody," Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Then we had a hill to climb. The defense was not fast to the ball, we are not getting to people and when they are scoring all those points it puts so much pressure on the offense."

The Heat built its lead back up to 11 points early after halftime, but the Suns went on a 13-2 run - keyed by seven from Brian Skinner - to tie the game at 80-80 with 3:08 left in the third.

Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire each scored 19 points to lead seven Phoenix players in double figures. Steve Nash added 11 points and 14 assists for his seventh straight game with at least 14 assists.