TAMPA, Florida, 17 October 2004 — Shaquille O’Neal sat out with a tight left hamstring, but Dwayne Wade and Udonis Haslem did what they could to help make up for his absence as the Miami Heat beat Orlando 95-89 in a National Basketball Association preseason game Friday.
Wade and Haslem each scored 18 points as Miami rested their new superstar.
Wade, who was a unanimous choice for the NBA’s All-Rookie Team last season, had nine points in the third quarter, while Haslem scored 11 points in the first half and added 11 rebounds.
O’Neal played 22 minutes in his debut with Miami against Houston on Monday and scored 17 points with seven rebounds. He also may sit out Miami’s meeting against the NBA champions Detroit Pistons.
The Magic held a brief early lead, and got within four points when Cutino Mobley hit a jumper at the end of a 12-5 run, cutting Miami’s advantage to 89-85 with 1:38 remaining.
Rookie Dwight Howard, who was the top overall pick out of high school last June, combined with Steve Francis and Jameer Nelson to lead Orlando with 17 points apiece. Howard also pulled down 10 rebounds.
The Magic lost for the third time in four nights and have dropped nine of their past 10 preseason games dating back to last season.
Sonics’ Allen Blasts ‘Selfish’ Kobe Bryant
Seattle Supersonics star Ray Allen has slammed Kobe Bryant for being “selfish” and predicted the Lakers’ team leader might request a trade if Los Angeles can’t build a National Basketball Association winner.
“If Kobe doesn’t see he needs 2 1/2 good players to be a legitimate playoff contender or win a championship in about a year or two he’ll be calling out to (owner) Jerry Buss that ‘We need some help in here,’ or ‘Trade me,’ “Allen told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
“And we’ll all be saying, ‘I told you so,’ when he says that.”
Allen is just the latest to lob verbal jabs at Bryant, who has taken a lot heat in the past few weeks from former teammate Shaquille O’Neal and ex-coach Phil Jackson.
“He’s going to be very selfish,” Allen predicted of Bryant who signed a seven-year, $136 million deal three months ago.
“And he feels like he needs to show this league and the people in this country that he is better without Shaq. That he can win championships without Shaq. So offensively, he’s going to jump out and say, ‘I can average 30 points. I can still carry the load on this team.’
“He has the talent, he can do it. But is his attitude going to allow him to take a back seat and let Lamar Odom shine and let Caron Butler have his nights and bring those big guys along with him?”
Seattle guard Allen squared off against Bryant in the exhibition opener for both teams on Tuesday in Anaheim.
Allen, who was drafted the same year as Bryant in 1996, scored 25 points while Bryant finished with 35 points in an 87-80 losing effort.
The Lakers’ next game against Seattle is an exhibition contest October 25 in San Diego.
