NBA Game Summary - LA Lakers at Miami

03.17.2005

Miami, FL (Basketball News) - Dwyane Wade scored a game-high 27 points, Shaquille O’Neal added 25 points with 12 rebounds and red-hot Miami rolled to its 11th straight win by routing the Los Angeles Lakers, 102-89, at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Keyon Dooling netted a season-high 17 points and Eddie Jones added 12 for Miami, which tied a franchise record by winning its 14th straight game at home and improved to an impressive 29-5 as host this season. Damon Jones chipped in 11 points in the win.

Kobe Bryant, who was facing his former teammate in O’Neal for the second and final time in the 2004-05 regular season, paced the Lakers with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Chucky Atkins added 23 points, while Lamar Odom posted a double- double with 11 points and 11 boards for Los Angeles, which has dropped three in a row.

In the first meeting between the clubs, Eddie Jones and Wade each scored four points in overtime to lift the Heat past the Lakers, 104-102, in the much- anticipated Christmas Day showdown at Staples Center. The game marked the return of O’Neal to Los Angeles, where he spent eight seasons with the Lakers and captured three NBA championships alongside Bryant.

However, despite that success, the two players were unable to establish a long-lasting relationship and O’Neal was eventually traded to the Heat in exchange for Odom, Brian Grant, Caron Butler and a first-round draft pick in July.

The Lakers raced out to a 9-2 advantage early on, but Miami fought back to take the lead. Eddie Jones’ trey from the corner ignited a 16-4 burst that was capped by Damon Jones’ three, staking the Heat to a 18-13 lead with under five minutes left in the opening period.

Miami then led 25-20 after one quarter of play and looked for some breathing room in the opening stages of the second. The home team used a 8-2 spurt ending on Dooling’s baseline jumper to grab a 33-22 lead with around nine minutes left in the first half.

The Lakers, though, fought back and closed the frame by outscoring the Heat, 23-14 to pull within a 47-45 score as both teams headed into the locker room. Bryant paced all players with 21 points for the Lakers, while Wade netted 16 to lead the Heat at the break.

The third quarter was tightly played as the Heat would take a slim 62-59 lead on O’Neal’s layup with under six minutes left in the frame. The Heat would then hold a 69-67 edge after 36 minutes of action.

Miami gained some breathing room in the fourth on Wade’s jumper which made the score 77-70 with under nine minutes to go. Moments later, Dooling’s two free throws pushed the home team’s advantage to 84-73 with around seven minutes remaining in the contest and the Heat cruised from there.

Miami’s last loss in front of its home crowd was on January 21st to the Indiana Pacers...The Lakers have allowed over 100 points in 15 of their last 21 games, while the Heat have scored at least 100 points in 19 of their last 24 games...Los Angeles fell to 11-20 on the road this season. It has lost eight of its last 11 as the visitor...Miami swept the Lakers for just the second time in franchise history. The last time was during the 1992-93 campaign.

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