Rookie Makes Heat Feel at Home

MIAMI —  Rookie guard Dwyane Wade sliced down the lane, took a pass from Lamar Odom and dunked over Jermaine O’Neal -- one of the league’s best defenders.

Nothing the Miami Heat does at home should be surprising anymore.

Wade scored 25 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and the Heat beat Indiana, 94-87, Monday night, handing the Pacers their first loss of the postseason.

Odom added 16 points and nine rebounds as the Heat extended its home winning streak to 17 games. Miami trails in the best-of-seven series, 2-1.

Game 4 is Wednesday in Miami, where the Heat hasn’t lost since March 2.

“Our guys really feed off the electricity and energy in this building,” Heat Coach Stan Van Gundy said. “They not only feed off the fans, but they want to perform for them. If I could bottle it up and take it on the road with us I would.”

The homecourt edge helped Miami beat the Pacers for the first time in 12 tries.

“They finally came to play,” said Pacer forward Ron Artest, held to 14 points after scoring 45 in the first two games. “Now we’ve got to come to play.”

The Pacers kept the game close thanks to nine three-pointers, including four in the fourth quarter.

The Heat used a 7-0 run to take a 79-72 lead with 2:55 to play. Wade made a pull-up jumper at the foul line, then dunked over O’Neal.

“Dwyane has very little fear for a rookie,” Van Gundy said.

Caron Butler made two free throws, and Odom added another to cap the run.

Miami got plenty of help from the Pacers, who made only one of their first 11 shots in the fourth quarter.

“We slipped a little tonight and they took advantage,” Pacer forward Jonathan Bender said. “Obviously when they get home they have more confidence. They got into it and they came out strong. Now we have to make this our house, play like we’re at home.”

The Pacers had been 6-0 in the postseason. They also set an NBA record by winning all six by double digits.

Meanwhile, O’Neal found his shooting touch. He scored 29 points on nine-for-21 shooting after being held to 31% from the floor in the first two games by Brian Grant.