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Miami's Dwayne Wade - Source: Getty Images -
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Dwyane Wade scored 32 points to continue his recent surge as the
Miami Heat held off the short-handed Boston Celtics to win 107-99
on Thursday.
The All-Star guard tallied eight points in the final quarter and
recorded seven assists to lead his team to a rare win over the
Celtics, winners in their last six meetings with Miami.
Five other Heat players scored in double figures to lift Miami to
its second straight victory.
"Everybody stepped up and contributed because we saw that Wade was
a little bit tired," rookie guard Mario Chalmers told reporters
after he posted 10 points and seven assists.
"It's a win we'll take. They're the (number two) team in the
Eastern Conference."
Wade once again shined as he continues to boost his candidacy for
the league's MVP.
He was coming off of a 48-point, 12-assist performance against the
Chicago Bulls on Tuesday when he made a dramatic three-pointer at
the buzzer to seal the victory.
Boston (49-16) were led by 27 points from Ray Allen along with 23
and 13 rebounds from forward Leon Powe.
However, the defending NBA champions have now lost two games in a
row as they struggle to cope with a roster ravaged by
injuries.
Starters Kevin Garnett (knee) and Rajon Rondo (ankle) were missing,
along with reserves Glen Davis (ankle), Tony Allen (thumb) and
Brian Scalabrine (concussion).
The Celtics were still able to mount a late charge with a 16-2
spurt that pulled them within a point of the Heat with 4:52
remaining in the contest.
Wade responded with five straight points and a late three-pointer
to put the finishing touches on the win.
The Heat (35-29) is currently in fifth place in the Eastern
Conference, one-and-a-half games behind the Atlanta Hawks.
"We're trying to push for Atlanta and that fourth spot," Heat
forward Jamario Moon said. "Our coach comes to practice every day
and lets us know our position, and we've come out the last couple
games and gotten the job done."
Boston fell two games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for the
East's best record.
