WASHINGTON, May 14 (AFP) - An amazing 42-point performance from Dwyane Wade that looked like something out of Star Wars'' sparked the Miami Heat past Washington 99-95 here Saturday to complete a sweep of their NBA playoff series. Superstar center Shaquille O'Neal was absent for the second game in a row with a right thigh bruise but The Force’’ clearly was with Wade, whose perfect shooting in a 22-point third quarter led Miami to the Eastern Conference final.
I felt like I couldn't miss,'' Wade said. I came out and started attacking. I got a couple easy shots. I got comfortable. You start making shots, you get into a zone. You just get into a rhythm. I just got into a flow.
``It felt like I was in ‘The Matrix’. I just couldn’t miss.’’
Wade’s 7-for-7 effort from the field and 8-for-8 free throw shooting in the third quarter was as unstoppable as Neo from The Matrix'' and as devastating as Darth Vader, who returns to screens Thursday in the newest Star Wars’’ film.
Have you ever been to a good movie where the plot gets good and you don't want to get up and go get popcorn? I've found myself that way 65 or 70 times watching that guy in action,'' teammate Damon Jones said of Wade. He’s fearless. He’s aggressive and what makes him a great player is his hungriness.’’
O’Neal will have at least another eight days of rest before the Heat begin the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final against either Indiana or defending champion Detroit. Shaq could reach his fifth NBA final in six years.
We're going to need a lot from Shaq,'' Wade said. We want him to get healthy. We’re going to ride him when he gets back. We know when he comes back he’s going to be hungry. You know what happens when you have a mad Shaq.’’
Wade broke the Heat one-game playoff scoring record of 38 set in 1997 by Tim Hardaway against New York, keeping Miami unbeaten in the playoffs to stretch the Heat win streak over the Wizards to 12 games.
That was pretty unbelievable,'' Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said. Dwyane was fabulous.’’
Bypassed in the 2003 NBA Draft for such rival guards as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, Wade scored 10 points in a 21-7 Miami run that gave the Heat their biggest lead at 89-76 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Miami missed 16 shots in a row in the final period and Washington made a 12-0 run to seize a 95-94 edge, but a double-covered Wade passed to uncovered Eddie Jones, who made a 3-pointer with 14.9 seconds remaining, and Wade later hit two clinching free throws.
To me, it's a remake of 'A Star is Born','' Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. He did a terrific job. He’s a bona fide star in this league. He raised his game, especially with Shaq out.’’
Wade knew a sweep was vital to help O’Neal heal.
That was very important. That was something we all came in and wanted to do so we can have him be the best 'Diesel' he can be,'' Wade said. Even though Shaq didn’t play he was as big a part of these two wins as anybody.’’
We have to get that big man healthy,'' added Jones, who hit four 3-pointers in a row in the third quarter. When he’s 110 percent, he’s a dominant force.’’
O’Neal averaged 22.9 points and 10.4 rebounds a game this season and was the NBA’s most accurate shooter. His replacement, Alonzo Mourning, got into early foul trouble and spent most of the first three quarters on the bench.
``We can’t win it all unless the big fellow is in there,’’ Mourning said.