More than three hours after tip-off, Dwyane Wade ran across the floor, hopped onto a courtside table and threw his arms in the air.
Exhausted yet exhilarated, Wade pulled off a Miami miracle.
He scored 48 points, the last coming on a running 3-pointer to beat the buzzer in double overtime, and the Heat pulled out a wild 130-127 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
"Mr. Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr., if he's not legitimately considered for an MVP candidate, I don't know what he needs to do," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
He couldn't have done much more against the Bulls.
Wade — who shot 15-for-21 and added 12 assists — made a desperation 3-pointer from near midcourt at the end of the first half, then forced overtime with another 3 with 11.5 seconds left in regulation.
By 11:01 p.m., those were almost long forgotten.
Miami's MVP candidate stole the ball from John Salmons with 3 seconds left, dribbled downcourt and swished the runner as time expired.
"Always wanted to do that," Wade said of his postgame table-hop.
Michael Beasley had 18 points, Mario Chalmers added 17 and Jamario Moon scored 13 for the Heat, who stayed within 1 1/2 games of Atlanta for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.
Ben Gordon scored a season-high 43 points for the Bulls, including eight 3-pointers. Salmons scored 29 and Derrick Rose added 23 for Chicago, 0-3 against Miami this season.
The Bulls used only seven players Monday night. Rose played 55 minutes; Salmons played nearly 54; Gordon nearly played 50. And Chicago was right there, until Wade said enough was enough.
"Basically, that's how the game was going to end — who had the ball last," Gordon said. "Whoever made the last best play was going to win the game and D-Wade made a spectacular play. He willed his team to win."
They needed every bit of Wade's will at the end.
The game was tied three times in the second overtime, the last coming when Salmons answered a basket by Wade with 37.9 seconds left.
Chicago went to Salmons again on its final possession, and the former University of Miami standout drove into the lane against Heat forward Udonis Haslem. Wade came from the back side, tapped the ball free, then swished the runner at the buzzer.
"I made a move and he came out of nowhere," Salmons said.
Dribbling downcourt, Wade said he was thinking about something Spoelstra said in the game's final stoppage, telling players they had one more timeout left.
"I was about to call it," Wade said. "And then I said, 'Nah.'"
It was the 78th straight game where Wade scored in double figures, matching his franchise record. He's also scored at least 20 points in 19 straight games, putting him one away from matching the Heat record in that department — which he also owns.
But that seemed irrelevant in the end.
"Right now, man," Moon said in the locker room, pointing to Wade's stall, "there ain't nobody in the league playing better than him."
Trail Blazers 111, Lakers 94
At Portland, Ore., Brandon Roy scored 27 points and the Trail Blazers beat the Lakers in a game that included a scary moment when Portland's Rudy Fernandez was carried off the court after a hard foul.
Fernandez was hurt late in the third quarter when he was fouled by Trevor Ariza while going up for a shot. He was carried from the court on a stretcher with his neck in a brace.
Fernandez was conscious and alert when he left the court, and he had full movement of his extremities, the team said. But he was experiencing chest pain and was taken to a hospital.
Travis Outlaw added 22 points for the Blazers, who have won 12 straight at home.
Kobe Bryant had 26 points for the Lakers, who haven't won at the Rose Garden in their last seven tries.
Hawks 89, Hornets 79
At Atlanta, Joe Johnson scored 30 points and the Hawks ended the Hornets' season-best seven-game winning streak.
Chris Paul had 24 points and 10 assists, and David West added 16 points and 20 rebounds for New Orleans.
Wizards 110, Timberwolves 99
At Minneapolis, Caron Butler had 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead the Wizards in a matchup of teams that had lost 14 straight combined.
Antawn Jamison added 26 points for Washington, which had lost five in a row and seven of their last eight.
Kevin Love had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Ryan Gomes scored 18 for the Timberwolves, who have lost 10 in a row and 15 of their last 16.
Pistons 98, Magic 94
At Auburn Hills, Mich., Richard Hamilton scored 29 points and had a career-high 14 assists to lead the Pistons.
Detroit, already without Allen Iverson (back) for the sixth straight game, lost Rasheed Wallace to a calf injury late in the first quarter. Antonio McDyess, though, added 13 points and 18 rebounds to help the Pistons finish off a 3-0 season sweep of the Magic.
Dwight Howard had 27 points and 14 rebounds for Orlando.
Rockets 97, Nuggets 95
At Denver, Ron Artest scored 22 points and Aaron Brooks added 19 for Houston.
The Nuggets, who were the No. 2 seed in the West at the All-Star break, have slipped all the way to seventh in the conference with eight losses in 11 games.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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