Recap: Phoenix vs. Miami
Sports Network | November 28, 2008
Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Dwyane Wade torched the Suns for a season-high 43 points on 15-of-24 shooting from the field, as the Miami Heat cruised to a 107-92 victory in Phoenix.
Udonis Haslem and Daequan Cook chipped in 16 and 15 points, respectively, for the Heat, who had lost their previous two games. Haslem also pulled down a team-high 11 boards.
The game featured the key ingredients to last season's mid-season trade between the clubs. Shawn Marion scored 10 points, grabbed nine rebounds and handed out six assists in his first game in Phoenix as a visiting player.
"I gave my heart and soul to [Phoenix] and that team over there," Marion said. "I think [the crowd] knew that and they felt that and they gave me a standing ovation. I love Phoenix. I had a great time here but I'm a Miami Heat player and it felt good to get this win here."
Shaquille O'Neal, meanwhile, scored 12 points and pulled down nine rebounds in his first game against Miami since being traded.
The Suns sorely missed Steve Nash, who missed the game with a bruised right thigh, as the club committed 19 turnovers. Leandro Barbosa and Raja Bell paced Phoenix with 20 and 16 points, respectively, in the team's first loss in four games.
"We're still having this turnover problem and once we get rid of that and learn how to stop some people and do that on a consistent basis, then we'll be on our way," O'Neal said.
Miami immediately took charge when it went on a 12-2 run midway through the opening quarter. Wade scored five in the span and Marion capped it with a dunk at the 5:12 mark.
The lead expanded to 32-19 after a quarter of play, and the teams matched one another basket for basket in the second frame, as Miami led 57-44 at the break.
An O'Neal layup made it a 72-60 game with 5 1/2 minutes to play in the third, but once again Wade had an answer with five consecutive points.
Barbosa and Bell connected on back-to-back three-pointers later in the frame and the Suns trailed 81-70 with 12 minutes to play.
Miami scored eight of the first 10 points of the fourth and the Suns never seriously threatened the rest of the way, as Marion threw down an alley-oop to cap his return in the waning minutes.
"I put in a lot of hard work this offseason to really take that next step, to be in that class of [Wade], LeBron [James] and Dwight [Howard]," said Suns power forward Amare Stoudemire, who finished with a below-average 14 points and six rebounds. "I put in that hard work this off season to be in that class and right now I'm a little frustrated, but I'm just going to keep working, keep trying to find it and being patient with the offense."
In four plus seasons, the Suns are now 5-14 when Nash does not play...The Heat have won consecutive games over the Suns in Phoenix for the first time since the 1995-96, 1996-97 seasons...Mario Chalmers scored 13 points for Miami.
