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Wade, Heat hold off depleted Spurs

Nov 8, 2008 - 5:24 AM By Brian Guerra PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat added insult to injury Friday night, dealing the San Antonio Spurs their fourth loss in five games with a 99-83 triumph.

Wade collected 33 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as Miami won its second straight game.

"He was simply fabulous controlling the game on both ends. Defensively, he was everywhere, and offensively, he set the tone," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We were able to take the energy we have at home and bring it on the road."

The loss was even more painful to the short-handed Spurs because Tony Parker, the league's leading scorer entering the game, sprained his left ankle in the first quarter.

Tim Duncan said Parker left the building limping on crutches, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn't sound optimistic, either.

"It's pretty swollen," Popovich said. "He'll be out two to four weeks probably."

Fresh off a career-best 55 points in the Spurs' 129-125 double-overtime win on Wednesday, Parker limped off to the locker room after turning his left ankle while trying to drive to the basket with 1:56 left in the first. X-rays were negative, but an MRI will be performed Saturday.

"No question, his absence impacted the game," Wade said. "That's a guy who can turn it up any moment."

San Antonio, which is already without Manu Ginobili for at least another month, can ill-afford to lose another member of its star trio for an extended period. Ginobili is still recovering from offseason surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left ankle.

"We're already down one All-Star, and now we're down two All-Stars, so yeah, it's tough," Spurs guard Roger Mason said. "But we can't feel sorry for ourselves because nobody in the league is going to."

Miami was already pounding the Spurs, 24-9, when Parker hobbled off the court. The rest of the game wasn't much better for San Antonio, which never got closer than nine the rest of the game.

"Miami beat us in every way imaginable," Popovich said. "They did a great job on both ends of the court, thus the outcome of the game."

However, the Spurs were able to stage a late rally to climb into contention - without either Parker or Duncan on the floor. It was just too little, too late. After falling behind, 87-66, they went on a 14-2 run highlighted by Mason, who sparked the surge with a layup and added a pair of 3-pointers as the Spurs cut their deficit to 89-80.

But Daequan Cook hit a 3-pointer off Wade's penetration that gave Miami a 92-80 edge and killed San Antonio's run with 1:47 left in the game. The Spurs remained winless at home in three tries this season.

"This was a great maturity game," Spoelstra said. "It showed the maturity of a young team to take a hit and throw a punch back."

The Heat took control early - and decisively. The Spurs held a three-point edge midway through the opening period, but Miami used an 18-0 run to storm ahead. Wade and rookie forward Michael Beasley combining for 12 of those points as the Heat took a 24-9 lead.

"We had a poor start again," Duncan said. "For whatever reason, defensively, we're really bad. I don't know what it is. I don't know what to say."

Beasley chipped in with 20 points and eight rebounds for Miami, which improved to 3-2.

"Games like this make the future look positive," Wade said.

It was Miami's first win in San Antonio since a 90-79 triumph on December 23, 1996.

Duncan led San Antonio with 22 points and 11 boards, while Mason added 18 and six assists.