Miami
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
The crazy thing about Dwyane Wade is he just keeps improving. In the season opener he scored 21 points. Then he upped it to 28. Now he scores 37 points against a talented Washington backcourt to lead the Heat to a 118-106win and a perfect 3-0 record. What's he going to do when Miami hosts Washington on Tuesday? Scorch them for fifty?
Wade was also just two rebounds shy of a triple-double as he handed out 12 assists. For perspective, that's more than the top THREE Wizards COMBINED.
Both the scoring and the assists were career-highs and came against Washington's Gilbert Arenas, who has said that Wade couldn't shoot and that he's "no Kobe Bryant." Arenas had 27 points, 5 assists, and zero rebounds.
NEXT GAME
The perfect Heat (3-0) host the Wizards (2-1) tomorrow night at 7:30pm Eastern, Tuesday, November 9th. The game will be broadcast on the Sunshine Network and NBA League Pass. Will it be an instant replay of Dwyane Wade's heroics? Or will he continue to improve his already outstanding game?
TEAM NOTES
Win a Datewith Wizards’ Brendan Haywood, Ravens’ Will Demps and Wizards Dancers.
INJURY UPDATE
Jerome Beasley(undisclosed),Matt Freije(respiratory) and Dorell Wright(abdomen) are on the Heat's injured list.
Israel Gutierrez ofThe Miami Heraldwrites: Before Saturday's game, Heat coach Stan Van Gundy admitted he needed to get Jones more involved in the offense. But for the time being, he was impressed with the role Jones has taken on the defensive end.
Israel Gutierrez ofThe Miami Heraldwrites: Not only did Wade have to carry the Heat's scoring load with O'Neal in foul trouble, he also had to prove Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas wrong. Arenas had said Wade couldn't shoot and that he was no Kobe Bryant.So Wade scored a career-high 37 points, dished out a career-high 12 assists and grabbed eight rebounds in leading the Heat to a 118-106 win at the MCI Center. Included in those 37 points were four outside jumpers, including a three-pointer. No, Wade is no Kobe Bryant. He's something else.
Michael Cunningham ofThe South Florida Sun-Sentinelwrites: Wade has attempted at least 10 free throws in each of the first three games. He got that many attempts just six times all of last season."He should always be able [to do that]," Van Gundy said. "He is fast and it is very hard to stop him, and so people foul him. I don't read a whole lot into that. Last year he had to go through the whole rookie thing and people had to learn his game last year."