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MIAMI: Superstar Shaquille O’Neal collected 31
points and 15 rebounds Friday to lead the depleted Miami Heat to an
85-82 victory over Eastern Conference rivals Detroit in a National
Basketball Association game.
Antoine Walker scored 22 points
and James Posey added 10 and 7 rebounds for the Heat, who won for
just the third time in 14 regular-season matchups against Detroit.
The Pistons saw their four-game
winning streak end.
Behind 25 points by O’Neal, the
Heat held an impressive 50-31 lead after two quarters. But the
Pistons stormed back in the third to make things interesting.
Detroit made 10-of-19 shots en
route to outscoring Miami, 26-11, to close within 61-57 at the start
the decisive fourth period.
Antonio McDyess drained a jumper
from the top of the key and Tayshaun Prince scored on a breakaway
layup with 3:14 left in the game, giving the Pistons their first
lead of the game—74-73.
A few minutes later, O’Neal
drew a charge against Prince, then found Walker for a 3-pointer as
the Heat grabbed an 80-78 lead with 1:04 left. It was just
O’Neal’s second charge taken this year.
After both teams traded baskets,
Jason Williams and Eddie Jones made 3-of-4 free throws as Miami
opened an 85-80 bulge with 12 seconds to play.
Following two foul shots by
Chauncey Billups, Detroit had a chance to send the game into
overtime after Prince picked off Gary Payton’s pass. But Billups
misfired on a 3-pointer and Richard Hamilton also missed from long
range as time expired.
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