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SI.com's Marty Burns looks at the best and worst of the NBA Playoffs each night
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Jamie Squire/Getty Images
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Dwyane Wade, Heat
With Shaquille O'Neal sitting out to rest his bruised right thigh, Wade carried his team. He had 31 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Heat won at Washington to take a 3-0 series lead. The All-Star guard shook off a sloppy start to score nine points during a pivotal 22-5 third-quarter run that sent Miami on its way. For the night he hit 14-of-27 shots, several in his usual spectacular fashion. He got help from Alonzo Mourning (14 points, 13 rebounds) and Udonis Haslem (12 points, 12 rebounds), but Wade once again showed he's the real deal.
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Jeff Reinking/NBAE via Getty Images
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Ray Allen, Sonics
Yes, he finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. And it's true his Sonics beat the Spurs 92-91 in Game 3 to pull within 2-1 in their series. But otherwise it was a mostly miserable night for Allen, who missed 17-of-23 shots (including seven of eight 3-pointers) and committed four turnovers while being hounded by Bruce Bowen. After Bowen forced him into a missed fadeaway that could have given the Sonics a three-point lead with 2.9 seconds left, Allen cursed at the Spurs' forward as the two headed off the court for a timeout. C'mon, Ray, you're better than that.
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Otto Greule Jr./NBAE via Getty Images
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After Allen missed his jumper, the Spurs had one final chance. Tim Duncan took an inbounds pass on the left block and attempted a short hook over Seattle center Vitaly Potapenko that clanged off the rim just before the buzzer. It was a fitting end to a frustrating night for Duncan (23 points) and the Spurs, who killed themselves by missing 8-of-16 foul shots in the fourth quarter. It was also vindication for a much-maligned Sonics frontcourt that came through with a physical and more determined effort in Game 3.
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Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
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The Suns were 5-0 in the postseason until the Mavs derailed the Solar Express in Game 2 to even their series at a game apiece. Now Steve Nash (right, with Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki) will try to get his team back on track when Phoenix invades Dallas for Friday night's Game 3 (9:30 p.m. EST/ESPN). It's sure to be an emotional night for Nash, who spent six seasons in Big D before leaving this summer as a free agent. Like the Suns, the Pistons also seek to reassert their dominance after a series-tying home loss when they visit the Pacers (7 p.m./ESPN) in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference series.
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