Wade's big night leads Heat past Detroit 103-91

[February 25, 2009]  MIAMI (AP) -- Not only did Dwyane Wade continue his run of career highs, he sent the Detroit Pistons to a new low.

Wade scored 31 points and set a personal best with 16 assists, leading the Miami Heat to a 103-91 win and handing the Pistons their seventh straight loss -- Detroit's longest slide in more than seven years.

Daequan Cook scored 16 points, Jermaine O'Neal added 14 and Jamario Moon added 12 for the Heat, who took control with a 22-8 run to close the third quarter and held on from there.

Allen Iverson scored 22 points and Tayshaun Prince added 18 for the Pistons (27-28), who fell under .500 this late in a season for the first time since 2000-01.

Michael Beasley scored 11 points and Udonis Haslem finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds for Miami. Antonio McDyess shot 8-for-10 and scored 17 for Detroit.

Playing for the first time since Sunday's career-best 50-point outburst at Orlando, Wade missed his first four shots before getting on track. He had his 70th career double-double before the third quarter was done and finished 11-for-20 from the field, getting 10 points in the final 12 minutes to keep Miami in front.

His jumper with 2:02 left gave Miami a 98-87 lead, sealing the outcome that provided the Heat with a much-needed boost in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Miami (30-26), which has now doubled last season's win total with 26 games still to play, moved within two games of idle Atlanta for fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Detroit (27-28) fell into a tie for sixth in the East with Philadelphia, and needs to win in New Orleans on Wednesday to avoid matching the franchise's longest skid since 1995.

The key for Miami was defense in the third quarter, which finally got the Heat some breathing room.

Iverson's layup with 9:05 left in the third put Detroit on top 60-58. The Pistons proceeded to miss 12 of their 13 shots over the remainder of the period, with only six free throws in the final seven minutes of the quarter keeping Detroit within striking distance.

McDyess' three-point play with 10 minutes left got Detroit within 82-76, but the Pistons got no closer. Wade scored Miami's next three points, then found Cook for a 3-pointer that restored a 10-point lead.

Miami outrebounded Detroit 44-34 -- an impressive stat, considering the Heat had been outrebounded by an average of 18 in their last three games.

Notes: The last time Detroit lost seven straight was in December 2001. The next season started a current run of six straight appearances in the East finals. ... Pistons F Rasheed Wallace is within two points of 15,000 in his career. He had six Tuesday. ... Moon had a steal and dunk with 7:31 left in the second quarter, getting downcourt so fast the ballboy mopping sweat off the floor had to run for cover. ... Cook left in the third quarter after getting hit in the midsection by Iverson, but returned for the fourth. ... Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, in town to promote next month's World Baseball Classic, sat courtside.

[Associated Press; By TIM REYNOLDS]

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