Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
With the playoffs looming, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Boshare finding a new gear.
And they accomplished something Sunday that hadn’t been done in more than 50 years.
Each of them had 30-10 nights — James with 33 points and 10 rebounds, Bosh had 31 points and 12 rebounds, and Wade shook off a bruised tailbone to finish with 30 points and 11 boards — as the Miami Heat beat the Houston Rockets 125-119 for their eighth win in nine games.
It was the first time since February 1961 that three teammates finished with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a non-overtime game.
“Unbelievable,” James said.
“That’s why we get paid the big bucks,” Wade said.
The last time a team had three players score 30 in the same game was Feb. 26, 2010, when Houston had Martin, Aaron Brooks and Scola combine for 94 against San Antonio. Before that, you’d have to go back all the way to Nov. 14, 1997, when Portland’s Isaiah Rider, Brian Grant and Arvydas Sabonis all had 30-plus points and 10 or more rebounds in a quadruple-overtime win over Phoenix.
But doing it in regulation, the last time that happened was a half-century ago, when Oscar Robertson, Jack Twyman and Wayne Embry — Hall of Famers all — did it for the Cincinnati Royals in a loss to the Philadelphia Warriors.
“One of the things we talked about when we came together was making history,” Bosh said.
Mike Bibby added 14 points for the Heat, who beat Houston by the same score on Dec. 29.
Kevin Martin scored 29 points, Luis Scola added 28 and Kyle Lowry — who tweaked an ankle late — had 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Rockets. Chase Budinger scored 16 for Houston, which had a five-game winning streak snapped.
“We started man-to-man and Wade and James just ran by us,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “Then we went to a zone and we knew that was going to be a problem. Even then, we didn’t put a body on people. We were trying to keep them from getting the easy opportunities and we didn’t do it.”
Wade sealed it with 33 seconds left, taking a handoff from James and making a left-handed layup while getting knocked into a row of courtside photographers for a 120-115 lead. The Heat never trailed in the fourth quarter, taking the lead for good when James Jones made three free throws with 9:22 remaining.
The Rockets are 0-3 when trying to win six straight games this season, and haven’t had a run of that many wins since February 2009.
“We gave everything we had,” Martin said. “We just didn’t execute well enough.”
The Heat noticed late in the game that Bosh had 28 points, and after Miami’s star trio combined for 91 points Friday in a win over Philadelphia, they talked about what it would be like for each of them to score 30.
That chance came exactly one game later. And Bosh needed two trips to the foul line, but he got it done — only to learn afterward of the historical ramifications.
“That’s what makes great players special,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “They can be great during the year and still find another gear and another level to go to. I think that’s what you’re seeing with those three guys.”
It wasn’t anywhere near as easy as their stat lines would indicate.
Scola played off James at the top of the key with 3:35 left, the two-time reigning MVP made a stepback jumper, and the Heat lead was 116-106. Lowry tipped in his own missed layup with 51 seconds remaining to get Houston within 118-115, but Wade came through on the next Miami possession, and the Heat survived.
“Too many points,” Scola said. “When you play a team with Bosh, James and Wade, that’s very dangerous.”
Much like the 125-119 Heat win at Houston earlier this season, this was another track meet. Miami’s 38 first-quarter points were its second-highest total of the season — and Houston’s 37 points after 12 minutes were the third-most the Heat had given up this season.
It was 71-68 at the half, Miami’s highest-scoring opening two quarters in more than five years.
Still, it didn’t provide much of a cushion.
The bigger concern was Wade, who bruised his tailbone after appearing to trip over teammate Juwan Howard’s feet while trying to grab an offensive rebound midway through the second. He finished the half, but missed the first 7 1/2 minutes of the third quarter while being tended to in the Miami locker room.
And the Rockets took advantage.
Martin had 11 points in the third quarter, nine coming in an 89-second span. He made a 3-pointer with 5:20 left in the period, slapping his hands in frustration and yelling that he got fouled. So he drew shooting fouls on each of Houston’s next two possessions, including one while shooting a 3 with 4:30 left. He made all three foul shots and the Rockets were up 87-81.
That’s when Wade returned, and Miami got a spark.
The Heat closed the quarter on a 12-4 run over the final 3:17, capped by James blowing past Patrick Patterson for a dunk that knotted the game at 93 entering the fourth.
by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
