NBA Playoffs 2011: Dwayne Wade of Miami Heat feeling better; expected to play tonight

MIAMI -- Dwyane Wade shook off effects of a migraine and took part in some of the Miami Heat's shootaround Monday morning.

Wade

He is expected to wear tinted glasses so he can play in Game 2 of his team's series with the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night.

Wade missed practice Sunday, the second time this season he's been knocked out with migraine symptoms. Light sensitivity has been an issue that usually lingers for Wade, and that again is the case.

After missing a game and several days of practice with a migraine in January, Wade wore tinted glasses but still scored 34 points in a game at Madison Square Garden.

"He just did some light shooting but he is feeling significantly better," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He was wearing shades, the guys were calling him 'Blade.' Hopefully he'll be ready to go."

The plan is for Wade to get an on-court workout Monday afternoon to test himself before a final decision on his availability is made.

"It was very encouraging [for him to be at shootaround]; we want to be as close to full strength as possible," LeBron James said. "To see D-Wade back on the court was great to see."

The 76ers expected Wade to play, and coach Doug Collins even had some comedy ready for the news that the 2006 NBA Finals MVP was back at practice.

"I have a set of cymbals that every time he runs by the bench, I'm slashing them," Collins said. "And I went out and bought the brightest flashlight I could find, and every time I get eye contact I'm shooting it at him. He's going to be great. He always is. He's a lot like [Michael Jordan]. I think his mental capacity to fight through these things is off the charts and we expect him to be terrific."

NBA Recap: HEAT -- TRAILBLAZERS

PORTLAND, Ore. -- LeBron James' crunch-time performance left even teammate Dwyane Wade in awe.

James had a season-high 44 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, Wade added 34 points and eight rebounds, and the Miami Heat beat the Portland Trail Blazers 107-100 in overtime Sunday night for their 13th straight road victory.

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"You look at games like this and moments like this and you really understand why we decided to team up and come together," Wade said. "I am a fan of his on the court and I am just glad I get to experience this in the same jersey he wears, instead of being on the other end."

James buried two deep 3-pointers and made two free throws in the extra period for the Heat (30-9), who have won 21 of their last 22 games after a slow start to the season. Chris Bosh added 18 points and eight rebounds. The Big Three combined for all but 11 of Miami's points.

Miami is three road wins away from tying the NBA record held by the 1971-72Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat needed to scramble to keep the streak going after Wesley Matthews hit a 3-pointer to put the Blazers up 89-82 with 2:13 left.

James took the game over from the there, making a 3-pointer and two more free throws to tie it.

"I had to do whatever it took to win," James said. "Coach put me in that position and it created a mismatch for them and I was able to use my athleticism and quickness against whoever was on me."

LaMarcus Aldridge had 31 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Blazers (20-18), who had an eight-game home win streak snapped. Nicolas Batum added 22 points and Matthews had 14.

Portland had the ball with 38 seconds left in overtime, trailing 104-100, but Aldridge traveled in the backcourt. James' second 3 in the extra period, from 26 feet out, put away the game.

"That's what big-time players do," Matthews said. "He was coming down, hitting big shots -- daggers -- and we couldn't do anything about it."

Portland's veteran players were well aware that James has a history of torching the Blazers in the Rose Garden -- he is averaging 33.5 points and 10.6 rebounds in his last seven games in Portland -- and there was some concern in the locker room that the intimidation factor would come into play if the game was close.

"I didn't want to jinx it pregame," Aldridge said, "but every time he's played here, he's shot the ball well. I didn't want to say that to my teammates, but he seems to save all his jump shots for us."

The Heat went into overtime for the second straight game after winning at Milwaukee on Friday. Portland led for most of the second half, but James tied it at 93 with two free throws with 24 seconds remaining. Andre Miller then missed two shots in the final seconds.

Wade made his first seven shots and had 15 of the Heat's first 19 points. Miami led 38-30 in the second after Wade, James and Bosh scored in succession. However, the Blazers went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to one. The Heat led 46-44 at the break.

The third quarter belonged to Portland. Aldridge scored twice and Matthews finished a fast break with a layup to put Portland up 58-52. Rudy Fernandez made a 3-pointer to make it 65-60. Portland led 76-68 with 7:48 remaining in the game after Patrick Mills hit a 3.

"There wasn't any panic in the huddle," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We just needed to clear up some of the things we were not doing to the best of our ability."

Game notes
Portland had beaten the Heat in five of their last six meetings. Of course, that was without James and Bosh. ... The Blazers' home winning streak was their longest since they won 12 in a row from Jan. 24 to March 9, 2009. They have a chance to start a new home winning streak, with eight of their next 10 at home. ... The Heat shot 56 percent from the field to Portland's 41 percent.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade too much for short-handed Bobcats

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- On a day when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade split the Eastern Conference player of the month award, the duo delivered yet another road victory and reached a new achievement.

Yes, the Miami Heat superstars can put up big numbers together.

James scored 38 points for his 10th game of 30 or more and Wade added 31 for his ninth. But Monday night's 96-82 victory over the short-handed Charlotte Bobcats marked the first time they each topped 30 in the same game.

"To look at us in the Boston game earlier this year, we didn't know what each other was thinking," Wade said. "Now we're on the same page. Us not being able to play together is not a conversation anymore. I think we do a good job of playing off each other.

"This is what we envisioned and it's starting to come true," he said.

The memories of the terrible opening-night loss to the Celtics and the 9-8 start are fading fast as the Heat cruised to their 18th win in 19 games and 11th straight on the road.

Playing for the first time against Paul Silas, his first NBA coach in Cleveland, James scored 26 points in the second half and added nine rebounds. Wade had 18 points in the first half and grabbed 11 boards.

"I guess ESPN needs to make a show of me an D-Wade now, '30 for 30,' " James joked.

With James and Wade playing like this, the Bobcats wouldn't have had much of a chance at full strength. With the lineup they put out there, they had none.

"When Wade is going and LeBron is going, you have to call it a day," Silas said.

Charlotte played without starting forward Gerald Wallace (ankle) and centerNazr Mohammed (knee) the same day tests revealed backup big manDeSagana Diop is lost for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

With Kwame Brown the only healthy center, the Bobcats fell apart offensively, missing 18 straight shots bridging the second and third quarters.

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Stephen Jackson scored 22 points and D.J. Augustin added 16 for the Bobcats, who shot 38 percent from the field with 15 turnovers.

It was a day of awards for the Heat, with Wade also named the East's player of the week and Erik Spoelstra picking up the coach of the month honor.

After worrying before the game that his players might get complacent amid their hot streak, Spoelstra had some concerns early in his 200th game on the bench.

Charlotte, one of the league's worst offensive teams, shot 63 percent in the first quarter behind Jackson's 12 points. The Bobcats led by seven in the second and went up 41-35 on Gerald Henderson's hoop with 4:05 left.

But Miami clamped down defensively and by the time the Bobcats got another shot to fall -- Augustin's 3-pointer with 5:30 left in the third -- Miami led 61-51.

After the Bobcats cut a 19-point deficit to 80-69 early in the fourth quarter, James beat the shot clock by swishing a 30-footer along the left baseline while double teamed. He then stole a pass and went in for a reverse dunk on the next possession and stared at Bobcats owner Michael Jordan sitting courtside.

"When you are making them take contested shots, and [James] is hitting those, what can you do?" Jackson said. "You have to give props when props are due and they're great, man. Two of the best players in the game and they played like it."

James, who joked the Heat are referring to themselves as the "Heatles" after the Beatles for attracting big crowds on the road, helped his old coach fall to 2-2 since replacing the fired Larry Brown.

Silas said Wallace would be out a "few games" after the 2010 All-Star aggravated his ankle injury in practice Sunday. Mohammed was scratched about an hour before the game with a bruised right knee, and the Bobcats were outrebounded 46-35 in their second straight loss.

Joel Anthony had 11 rebounds to help offset an off night by Chris Bosh, who had 11 points and four rebounds on 4-of-9 shooting as Miami (27-9) matched the best 36-game start in franchise history.

"We're having a blast," James said. "We're having a good time. We're playing good basketball."

Game notes
James on Spoelstra winning coach of the month honors: "Everybody was talking about him being on the hot seat in November to being coach of the month in December. It's kind of funny." ... Silas, fired by the Cavaliers in 2005, defended James from the criticism for announcing his free-agent decision on national TV. "I've been on buses where the general manager gets on the bus and tells a player he's traded. They don't let him know ahead of time," Silas said.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

Miami Heat to Open In Boston

The Miami Heat's new "Big Three" will make their NBA regular-season debut against the Boston Celtics, The Boston Globe reported, citing league sources.




The Heat, now featuring Chris Bosh and LeBron James in addition to Dwyane Wade, will open the season Oct. 26 in Boston in a game nationally televised by TNT, according to the report.

James' first regular-season game with the Heat will come on the same court where his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers ended, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

James signed with the Heat last month as a free agent after seven years in Cleveland, joining his Olympic teammates Wade and Bosh.

The Heat will enter the game with a substantially overhauled roster, while the Celtics also made changes and re-signed stars Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

The league will officially release its opening week and Christmas Day schedules Tuesday night on NBA TV.

LA Lakers free agent Derek Fisher meets Pat Riley in Miami

Lakers free agent point guard Derek Fisher has a meeting scheduled with Miami Heat president Pat Riley on Saturday, according to a source close to the situation.






Fisher's preference remains to re-sign with the Lakers, but he feels the need to explore his options and listen to Riley's pitch after the Heat landed free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Miami also re-signed Dwyane Wade and were reportedly closing in on Mike Miller.


According to a source, negotiations between Fisher and the Lakers have remained positive and the team has put an offer on the table that was stronger than what's been previously reported (one year, $2.5 million). Fisher returned from a trip to China on Wednesday, but he's had several conversations with both Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and Riley.


The Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets have also expressed an interest in the five-time NBA champion.

Earlier in the week, Lakers star Kobe Bryant expressed support for Fisher, who entered the NBA with him back in 1996.

"We need to have him back, it's as simple as that," Bryant told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin at his Kobe Bryant Skills Academy on the UC Santa Barbara campus. "It's not a question of if he will be back; it's a matter of when.

"I don't care what [the cost] is. ... They need to work that out and get him back because his significance to our ballclub and to me cannot be understated."

Last week, a source close to the negotiations told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher the Lakers are confident the point guard will return to the Lakers next season.

If Fisher signs elsewhere, Steve Blake, whom the team recently signed to a four-year, $16 million contract, would replace him in the starting lineup.



Ramona Shelburne  (columnist and reporter for ESPNLosAngeles.com) also contributed to this report.