Heat have 3 reach 30 in 125-119 win over Rockets
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LeBron James (6) of the Miami Heat drives against center Chuck Hayes of the Houston Rockets at American Airlines Arena on Sunday in Miami, Fla. Miami defeated the Rockets 125-119. Marc Serota / Agence France-Presse |
With the playoffs looming, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are finding a new gear.
And they accomplished something on 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 Luis 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.
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 on 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 after 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.
