Miami Heat thrashed the Denver Nuggets 119-116 Saturday night. Both teams displayed an aggressive game, but in the last few seconds, Miami took the decisive lead.
Ray Allen received a pass from LeBron James and his four-point play with just about 6 seconds left, which put Miami ahead of the Nuggets.
Allen, who was playing his third game for the Heat, said, ''LeBron found me. It was curtains. I was thinking when I stepped up to the line 'please make this free throw. I knew it would be a better story to tell."
Allen was left alone when Denver's Corey Brewer, who was shadowing him, moved in after seeing James' drive. Allen slipped to his favorite spot, to the left corner. James threw the ball to him. Allen was, however, knocked to the ground by Brewer as he took the shot. His free throw gave the Heat a significant three-point lead.
''We've been on the other end, as the recipient of that type of pain, in the locker room when he puts the dagger to your heart with a 3 - and the and-one, just for the heck of it. Do we expect him to do that every single night? That's not necessarily what he has to do. It's what he's done his whole career, but he's found a way to fit in,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Allen contributed with 23 points while James had 20 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds.
For Miami, Dwyane Wade contributed with 14 points. Kenneth Faried and Andre Iguodala scored 22 points each for the Nuggets. Andre Miller had 17 points.
''Right now we just need to get a win. This would have been a great win for us. It would have salvaged the trip. It doesn't feel good. It never feels good,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said.
The Miami power forward Chris Bosh scored 40 points.
''Good teams find a way to win. We haven't been playing our best basketball. We know we've gotten off to a slow start defensively. We have to pick that up. We have to make a better. I'm just glad we got out of here alive tonight,'' Bosh said.
Dwyane Wade expressed his joy about having Allen on the team. "I'm glad he's on our side. We've been burned by Ray so many times. No one hits it from the deep corner like Ray," he said.
The game could have swung either way in the last three minutes, as both teams played frantically. The Nuggets looked very much in control, however, James and Allen, who seem to be playing well in tandem, proved to be the saviors for Miami Heat.
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