Miami Vise-Grip

Around the beginning of the fourth quarter, Sean Kelley said that it was going to be the Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade Show thereafter, and he knew whereof he spoke. The Hornets scored a surprising 37 points in the second quarter to take a 63-54 halftime lead; a vestigial Third-Quarter Drought™ enabled the Heat to tie it up briefly; the Bees ran up a 9-point lead in the fourth, only to see Miami go up 98-97 with 50 seconds left. CP3 scored with 18 seconds left to tie it at 99; D-Wade took the inbound, held it as long as he dared, and dropped it through at 0:013, and that's where it ended: Heat 101, Hornets 99, and Wade 29, Paul 26.

The Hornets shot just under .500 from the floor, and even made half their 3-balls (7 of 14, four by Rasual Butler, who had 21 points). Good numbers for a change, but not quite as good as they needed. And only one double-double on the court: Alonzo Mourning, standing in for Shaq, who scored 11 and pulled down 10 boards.

Meanwhile, Peja Stokajovic is recovering from disc surgery yesterday; tomorrow, David West will have arthroscopic surgery on his elbow. No word on Bobby Jackson's rib.

To Mouseburg to play the Magic on Wednesday, then back to the Ford, where the Grizzlies and the Spurs will show up on consecutive nights.

Posted at 9:14 PM to Net Proceeds