TORONTO, 19 March 2005 — Dwyane Wade had 27 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the streaking Miami Heat in their 102-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
Shaquille O’Neal’s 25 points and 12 rebounds helped the Heat win their 11th successive game and allowed O’Neal to once again get the better of his former team mate Kobe Bryant.
It was the second match-up between the two, who helped the Lakers win three NBA championships before O’Neal was dealt to the Heat in the off season. Miami beat the Lakers 104-102 in overtime in Los Angeles on Dec. 25.
Miami improved to 51-16 with the win, their 14th successive victory at home, and gave them a nine-game lead over the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference overall standings.
The Lakers have lost three successive games, slipping 1 1/2 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the final playoff spot in the West.
Bryant had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers. Keyon Dooling added 17 points for the Heat, who pulled away in the fourth quarter after leading by just two after three quarters.
In Dallas, Josh Howard had 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Mavericks to a 98-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Michael Finley scored 17 points and Marquis Daniels added 16 for the Mavericks. Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Damon Stoudamire both had 20 points for Portland, who have lost nine of their last 10 games.
In Oakland, James Richardson scored 40 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 100-97 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Baron Davis added 15 points and 10 assists for the Warriors.
Cuttino Mobley led Sacramento with 28 points and nine rebounds while Brian Skinner added 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Magic Fire Coach Johnny Davis
Meantime, Johnny Davis was fired on Thursday as coach of the Orlando Magic, which has lost six straight NBA games and is on the verge of falling from playoff contention.
Assistant Chris Jent was named interim coach.
“We work in a bottom-line business,” general manager John Weisbrod said in a statement. “It is our responsibility to do everything possible to create the best opportunity for success.”
Davis was dismissed along with assistant coach Ron Ekker hours after Wednesday’s 110-102 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, dropping the Magic to 31-33 and leaving it tied with Philadelphia for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
The team, in the middle of a West Coast road swing, plays on Friday at Seattle.
Davis told the Orlando Sentinel he was “surprised and disappointed” by the firing with just 18 games left in the season and the club still trying to make the playoffs.
“It caught me completely off guard,” Davis told the newspaper.
Jent, who spent two seasons in the NBA and was a member of the 1994 champion Houston Rockets, became a Magic assistant this season and is a head coach for the first time. He was promoted over assistant Paul Westhead, who coached the Los Angeles Lakers to the 1980 title and later coached the Denver Nuggets.
Davis was hired as coach on Nov. 17, 2003, replacing Doc Rivers when last season’s team was 1-10 and on its way to losing 19 straight. Later in the season under Davis, the team lost 13 straight, including an NBA-record seven straight by at least 15 points and finished 21-61. In the offseason, the team traded All-Star forward Tracy McGrady to Houston. Orlando showed improvement before its recent slump.
In Sunday’s 98-82 home loss to New Jersey, the Magic received several technical fouls and scuffled with the Nets. Reserve guard DeShawn Stevenson booted the ball into the stands at the buzzer, and forward Stacy Augmon squirted lotion on reporters in the locker room. Davis’ overall record with the Magic was 51-84. He also coached Philadelphia in 1996-97, going 22-60 there.
