Wade steals sportlight from Yao-Shaq showdown
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-31 09:01

Dwayne Wade scored 23 of his 30 points in the second half to lift Miami past Houston 104-95, overshadowing the National Basketball Association showdown of star centers Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal.

Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal (R) is defended by Houston Rockets center Yao Ming during the first period of their NBA game in Miami, Florida January 30, 2005. [Reuters]

Wade scored 11 points in the third quarter and 12 more in the final period as the Heat held off a Rockets rally in the final seconds and improved to an Eastern Conference-best 33-13 record.

O'Neal, the NBA's most accurate shooter, made 6-of-11 from the field to finish with 15 points and five rebounds.

Yao, the Chinese star who leads vote-getters in NBA All-Star balloting, scored 22 points. Yao made 8-of-14 shots and all six free throw attempts in addition to grabbing nine rebounds for the Rockets.

Both big men struggled with foul trouble, opening the door for the backcourt playmakers to decide the outcome.

Houston's Tracy McGrady scored 28 points, including a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left that brought Houston within 100-95. But Wade sank two free throws and finished the scoring with a breakaway dunk with 19 seconds to play.

Yao, who has had to adjust to a new supporting cast this season, has 53,838 more votes than second-place "Shaq" in All-Star voting. The two are set to be the starting centers for next month's All-Star showdown in Denver.

Yao averages 4.7 fouls a game against O'Neal but only 3.1 against all other NBA rivals.

Miami's triumph gave coach Stan Van Gundy a 2-1 edge in the career rivalry with his brother Jeff Van Gundy, Houston's coach.

Damon Jones and Udonis Haslem scored 16 points apiece for the Heat, who won their third game in a row.

Bob Sura scored 15 of Houston's first 29 points and finished with 21 before leaving with 56 seconds left for X-rays with an apparent left hand injury.

At 24-21, the Rockets are eighth in the Western Confernence, just ahead of O'Neal's former club, the Los Angeles Lakers, for the final playoff berth in the West. The two teams meet next Sunday.

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