Wade shows he means business
Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat reacts to a basket during Game 2. (April 30, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
MIAMI -- He hit jumpers. He made layups. And he threw a shoe.
Dwyane Wade proved to be the most ruthless of competitors Monday night, taking advantage of the loss of the Knicks' top perimeter defender and scoring 25 points in the Heat's 104-94 victory in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series. Miami has a 2-0 lead, with Game 3 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
Wade, who struggled at times in the first game of the series, scored 11 of the Heat's first 15 points as Iman Shumpert, the rookie who defended him so well in Game 1, watched from the bench with his torn left ACL. Wade seemed determined to do anything he could to step on the Knicks' throat, as one moment early in the second quarter aptly demonstrated.
Mike Bibby grabbed a defensive rebound but lost his right shoe in the process. Wade ran over to the shoe, picked it up and threw it toward the baseline away from Bibby. Bibby, who was Wade's teammate on the Heat last season, momentarily froze in apparent shock before scrambling to retrieve his sneaker.
Though the Knicks scored on the ensuing four-on-five possession, the footwear fling seemed to underscore just how determined Wade is to give himself and his team every advantage they can take in the series.
"I'd never done that before, so that was fun," Wade said. "We both wear the same brand, too, so I told him he should have had my shoe on, that's why I threw it. It was all in fun."
The Knicks weren't having much fun trying to figure out how to contain Wade, though.
"There's no question Dwyane came out very aggressive," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Tonight was a total team effort. We had good performances from a lot of different people, and that's what we're going to need."
A total and devastating team effort seemed to underscore that although the Knicks have an incredible offensive weapon in Carmelo Anthony, the Heat has multiple weapons that it can turn to on any given night.
In Game 1, LeBron James carried the offensive load, scoring 32 points to lead the Heat's 100-67 romp. Wade wasn't terribly happy with his performance in that game. After taking off most of the final three weeks of the regular season to rest some minor injuries, he definitely looked a little out of sync, scoring only 19 points. He was much happier after Game 2.
Said Wade: "I just tried to be aggressive. I was getting touches in my sweet spot. My teammates did a great job of screening for me and passing the ball where I could make easy shots."
And leave the Knicks feeling rather uneasy as the series heads to the Garden.
