ATLANTA (AP) -If the Hawks lose again in the opening round of the playoffs, they may remember that pesky bird flying around their arena, disrupting the opening minutes of Game 2.
Then again, if the Hawks had shown as much feistiness as their real-life mascot, they might have done a better job coping with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.
After getting blown out in the series opener, the Heat bounced back for a 108-93 victory Wednesday night that evened the series with Atlanta. Not surprisingly, it was Wade leading the way – showing up early for some extra shooting, admonishing his teammates to get serious before the game, scoring 33 points to spark the win.
“I’ve been feeling it coming, feeling it coming,” Wade said. “I didn’t see nothing but the basket, and it was getting bigger and bigger.”
ed it over eight times in a 90-64 loss.
Now, the Heat have the home-court advantage. Game 3 is Saturday in Miami.
“It’s just one game,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. “It’s a long series and we have to go back and get a game in Miami.”
Only once during the regular season was Wade held to less than 20 points in consecutive games, and he wasn’t about to let it happen again in the playoffs. This was vintage D-Wade – 6-of-10 from 3-point range, 11-of-20 overall, five rebounds, seven assists, two blocked shots and a steal.
“He set the tone,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Before I came out to talk to the team, right before the game, there was some joking and laughing in the locker room and I heard him tell everybody to shut up and get their minds on the game.”
After trailing by as many as 18, the Hawks twice closed within five points in the fourth quarter – but never got over the hump. Wade delivered the decisive blow when, with the shot clock running down, he threw up a long 3-pointer. The shot was errant, but it banked in for a basket that was just as good as a swish.
“I didn’t call ‘bank,”’ Wade quipped. “Just like everybody in the building, I’m not going to tell a story, I was shocked, too.”
The improbable shot pushed the Heat to a 101-91 lead, and Atlanta was done.
down from the rafters during the pre-game introductions, decided to hang around for the tipoff. The game had to be halted for a couple of minutes when the fierce-looking bird landed on the top of the backboard; he finally flew to his handler and was led out of the building.
Turns out, the real hawk showed more aggressiveness than any of the players wearing Hawks across the front of their jerseys until the fourth quarter, when Atlanta finally came to life.
“We didn’t start the game with a sense of urgency, like the start of the first game,” Smith said. “We didn’t play together. Put those two negatives together, and that’s what caused us to lose. We were playing selfish on offense.”
Unlike the loss in Game 1, when only one other Miami player scored in double figures, Wade had plenty of help this time. Daequan Cook scored 20 points, going 6-of-9 from 3-point range to make up for an 0-for-5 showing beyond the arc on Sunday night. Jermaine O’Neal scored 19 points, giving the Heat a presence on the inside. Michael Beasley added 12 and Udonis Haslem 10.
Mike Bibby led the Hawks with 18 points, but the home team shot only 44 percent from the field and struggled at the foul line, making 19-of-30.
a difference.
Blame it on the bird.
Magic 96, 76ers 87
At Orlando, Fla., rookie Courtney Lee had 24 points, Hedo Turkoglu scored 16 and the Magic blew another 18-point lead before evening the series at a game apiece.
Dwight Howard had 11 points and 10 rebounds but fouled out late, and Rashard Lewis made a pair of big jumpers in the final minutes to help Orlando win its fourth in five games against Philadelphia this season.
Andre Miller had 30 points, and Andre Iguodala scored 20 of his 21 points in the second half for the Sixers, who closed the gap to 5 points and almost erased the same deficit they faced in the series opener.
Game 3 is Friday in Philadelphia.
Nuggets 108, Hornets 93
At Denver, Chauncey Billups scored 31 points in the Nuggets’ second straight blowout.
The best-of-seven series shifts to New Orleans for Game 3 on Saturday night with the Nuggets holding just the third 2-0 edge in their 33-year NBA history.
This is the first time the Nuggets have won the first two games of a playoff series since 1985, when they took care of Utah in five games in the Western Conference semifinals.
Carmelo Anthony, quiet in Game 1 with just 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting, scored 22 points and dished out nine assists. J.R. Smith added 15 points.
The Hornets, losers of eight of their last 10, were led by David West’s 21 points.
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