Dwyane Wade returned to the Miami Heat lineup on Sunday and helped his team beat the New York Knicks 86-79.
Wade had missed seven games over nearly three weeks with a hamstring injury. In his return, Wade had 27 points to go along with five assists and five rebounds. The guard was at his strongest in the fourth quarter when he took the game over and led Miami to the win. Wade turned the ball over seven times but the Heat were still +6 with him on the court.
The Heat are now 9-7 on the year and have been very strong on the road. Counting this win in New York, the team is now 5-2 when playing away from American Airlines Arena. This was also the third win for Miami in its last four games.
Chris Bosh nearly had another double-double with his 20 point, nine assist game. One of his makes was a critical three-pointer towards the end of the fourth quarter. With the Knicks battling back, Bosh drained a three to silence the crowd and stifle the rally.
Mario Chalmers who had excelled while in a starting role for Miami took a step back in this game. Over 24 minutes, Chalmers had three points and turned the ball over three times. It was a rare hiccup in what has been a strong season for the veteran.
The clock continues to tick on Shawne Williams in terms of his starting job. Josh McRoberts played four more minutes than Williams and out-produced him in several categories. It is likely that McRoberts will take over the starting small forward job soon.
Miami will play the second game of a back-to-back on Monday in Washington, D.C. against the Wizards.
