Miami Heat 130, Golden State Warriors 129 (Beyond the Box Score)

OAKLAND— This time Dwyane Wade didn’t have to play hero.

            The Heat won 130-129 in overtime thanks largely to Udonis Haslem, Chris Quinn and rookie Michael Beasley. Point guard Mario Chalmers, who had scored 12 points and had 6 assists, and Shawn Marion, who had 21 points and 15 rebounds and three steals and one blocked shot, fouled out late in the fourth quarter. This was perhaps the Heat’s most impressive win of the season because the team showed resilience on the road. It’s worth noting that while Wade starred again he didn’t have to do all the heavy lifting. After a crushing and controversial one-point loss to the Clippers Saturday, the Heat bounced back. It’s a good sign for a young team, on a tough five-game road trip. There’s a big difference between going to the final stop Utah being 2-2 vs. 1-3. The Heat improved to .500 (9-9) and the confidence this team likely gained from this win should not be understated.

            “Our team grew up,” Wade said.

            He also was thrilled to see several guys step up because he said he doesn’t want to score 30 points a game and as the season goes on he expects to be able to count on his supporting cast more and more.

Player of the Game: There was no singular performance that deserves all the attention. Wade scored 37 points, had 13 assists and seven rebounds, but this game was won because several players came through down the stretch. Haslem, who had 21 points and 15 rebounds, made a huge play by scoring a put-back layup just before the buzzer to force overtime. Chris Quinn hit a three-pointer to tie the game in overtime at 129 with 5.7 seconds left. Michael Beasley stole an inbounds pass from Andris Biedrins, missed a layup but got his own rebound, drew a foul and hit a free throw to win the game.

Surprise, surprise: Daequan Cook scored 11 points off the bench, including a game-tying three pointer with 1:59 that made it 111-111. He was 4 of 8 from the field, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. Cook had been 9 of 30 in the three previous games, and one thing the second-year guard is showing this season is that he can break out of shooting slumps. Last year it seemed like funks turned into prolonged slumps. 

Tough Night: With such a big win by the Heat and so many contributors it’s hard to pick on anyone. But one thing that was noticeable, particularly early was that despite Joel Anthony’s defensive presence and energy he is an offensive liability. He certainly doesn’t need to be an integral part of the offense, but it would help if the Heat could count on him to score when he’s by the basket. He was 0 for 3, but there were several instances that the Heat appeared to avoid passing to him because he is shaky. He has soft hands at the free throw lines but sometimes it still looks like he’s trying to catch a brick when the ball is thrown his way.

Light Em’ Up: Golden State's Jamal Crawford feasted on the Heat with the Knicks, and now with Golden State he did the same. In his fifth game since being traded to the Warriors, Crawford had a game-high 40 points on 11 of 22 shooting (including 4 of 8 from beyond the arc and the Heat even fouled him three times in three-point range. Crawford got a nice open look to try to win the game, his six-foot fadeaway jumper rolling off the rim with 0.4 seconds in overtime. It seemed like the only time that Crawford was human.

Stat of the Night: The Heat outrebounded the Warriors 51-36 and this was so key because those extra opportunities, including 21 offensive rebounds, allowed the Heat to win. A few key rebounds: Haslem’s rebound of  Beasley’s miss on a 20-foot jump shot with 2.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Haslem got a layup with 0.4 seconds left to tie the game at 115 and send it to overtime. Or how about Beasley’s rebound on his own miss with 4.6 seconds left in overtime, and how that led to him being fouled and going to the line where he hit 1 of 2 free throws to give the Heat the win.

That Says It All: “Coach told everybody to get back (on defense). I was the only one that didn’t get back.”-Beasley said smiling as he explained his steal with 5.7 seconds left in overtime.

Next Up: Heat at Jazz, Wednesday, 9 p.m.