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[AC-Milan]

this topic is about everthing in the season of Nba ;rumors, statistics,games,players and etc.

here ill start us of

Miami 106, Washington 83

MIAMI, Dec. 13 (Ticker) -- With his running mate down, Shaquille O'Neal put in a vintage performance.

O'Neal scored a season-high 40 points to help the Miami Heat overcome Dwyane Wade's ankle injury to post a 106-83 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Wade, Miami's star second-year point guard whom O'Neal has nicknamed "Flash," left the game with three minute left in the second quarter because of a mild left ankle sprain. He did not return.

"My ankle went one way and my body went another," said Wade, who missed two games earlier this season with a left ankle sprain. "It was more a precaution. ... The best thing was for me to rest."

"Flash told me that he wanted me to get 40 or 50 points," O'Neal said. "I told him I would take care of him."

In his first season in Miami, O'Neal had notched only one game with at least 30 points but dominated the Wizards inside in this one. The 325-pound center grabbed 12 rebounds, sank 10-of-16 free throws and blocked five shots.

"They were not doubling me tonight, and I was really aggressive," O'Neal said. "When I came here my goal was to keep everyone involved. I am not here just to get my points every night. I learned that philosophy from Phil (Jackson). Tonight, we were short one guy, and I told Flash that I had his back."

It was the first 40-plus point performance by a Heat player since Alonzo Mourning had 43 against New Jersey on February 23, 2000.

"I told my teammates that I wanted it tonight," said O'Neal, who had nine dunks. "I told them Flash wanted me to take over the game. Coach (Stan) Van Gundy was gracious enough to keep calling my plays. I told him I wanted it tonight. Whenever I am scoring like that, and whenever I am hitting free throws like that, I want Coach to call my play. I was very happy he granted my wishes tonight."

"I think the key to the game tonight is that I now have had two and a half months to work with Shaq on his post moves, and with my expertise down low, his game is coming along," Van Gundy joked. "He was fabulous tonight. We got Shaq the ball, and he delivered."

Miami (16-7) has won five games in a row and secured first place in the Southeast Division - and the best record in the Eastern Conference - over their new divisional rival.

"This is one of our first solid wins in a long time," O'Neal said. "It was nice that it was against a team above .500 that is right at the top with us."

Washington's "big three" of Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes was held to a combined 42 points on 15-of-57 shooting. The trio had averaged almost 63 points entering the contest.

"I think we got good looks," Hughes said. "We can't shoot the ball like that and expect to win. We may have taken a a few bad ones, just trying to get something going. But for the most part, we had decent looks."

The Heat held the Wizards to 36 percent (31-of-86) shooting, improving to 10-0 when holding opponents to less than 40 percent.

Miami never trailed in the second half, and Washington never got closer then seven down the stretch. An 11-2 Miami run midway through the final quarter - featuring two monster dunks by O'Neal - turned the game into a rout.

"I'm just happy and excited for Shaq to come out and play a dominant game like he said he would," Wade said.

"He was their first, second and third option," Hughes said of O'Neal.

Kwame Brown scored 16 off the bench for the Wizards, but was plagued by foul trouble - and Shaq.

"There's no game plan against Shaq," said Brown, who was suspended one game last week for conduct detrimental to the team. "Anybody who tried to tell you that there is, is crazy. ... If you give any ground, then it's a dunk."

courtesy of nba.com

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[Will p]

cool! living in england there isnt much NBA, i watch it when its on though! i support boston, what about you AC? do you know any good websites for NBA?

[AC-Milan]

yea well i support lakers and bull

sure will i know a few good site

www.nba.com- best one for basketball, has scores,stats,team sites,players everything
www.slam.com

[Will p]

cool, they are good sites, there are some good NBA games at Planters

[AC-Milan]

hey wil you should make a forum for american sports or just basketball
cause it doesn't desreve other sports

[Will p]

Yeh ok, ill look into it

did u see that match i think it was houston rockets, won in the last second getting 13 points in 35 seconds!

[AC-Milan]

yeah i think it was thankx to T-mac

[T-Mac]

Damn this topic is dead, how good were Houston a couple of days ago with T-Mac hitting a massive 38 points and Yao contributing with 27 points and a career high 22 rebounds, and they beat one of the championship favourites Pheonix by 20 points.

[AC-Milan]

yea thats mad from houston tehy doing good now
i cant bragg bout lakers though

yer this topic is dead i was the only one interested
but then i gave up since no one was on