GAME: Detroit Pistons at Miami Heat.

PLAYOFF SERIES: Eastern Conference finals; Heat lead 2-1.

TIME: Monday, 8 p.m. EDT.


Odds: Miami -2.5, Total 183

In eight seconds, Dwyane Wade transformed the Miami Heat from a team on the verge of fumbling away Game 3 to one that can take a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference finals against the Detroit Pistons.

Given a chance to take a 3-1 series lead against the Pistons for the second straight year, the Heat hope to capitalize on the opportunity this time around as the teams continue their series at the American Airlines Center in Miami on Monday.


On Saturday, the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Pistons, began the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run to close within 74-73. Wade, who committed two turnovers and missed two free throws in a 1:55 span during the run, regrouped to block a dunk attempt by Pistons forward Antonio McDyess and converted a 10-foot runner in the lane as he was fouled on the ensuing possession.

Wade made the free throw to restore a four-point lead and steady the Heat, who then pulled away for a 98-83 victory to retain home-court advantage.

``My teammates depend on me, guys look at me and say, 'It's your time,' said Wade, who made 13 of 17 shots from the field. ``That's all you need. I go out there, they put the ball in my hands. I find a way to make the right play.'

Pistons coach Flip Saunders saw the end-to-end sequence as the turning point of the game.

``I thought Wade was great,' Saunders said. ``I mean, the play of the game was we're down one, we're making a run, (**)Dyess has a dunk and Wade comes down and blocks it and they come down and get a three-point play.

``Instead of us being up one we're down four. I thought he really, really took control for most of the game.'

Wade has averaged 30.7 points on 68.8 percent (33 of 48) shooting from the field, but he also knows his opportunities to penetrate into the lane would be far less without Shaquille O'Neal - who added 27 points and 12 rebounds.

``Any time I drive to the rim and his man leaves him, he always tells me throw it up,' Wade explained. ``I try to do it at least 75, 80 percent of the time. Just two of them a game from me and he's happy, so I do everything in my power to keep the big man happy. It's a high percentage shot for us. He's put most of them down, and we want them. If we can throw it, we'll throw it to the basket.'

Last year, the Heat entered Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals series with a chance to take a 3-1 lead, only to see O'Neal succumb to early foul trouble and score just 12 points in a 106-96 road defeat to Detroit. O'Neal, remembering the lost opportunity last year to put a stranglehold on the series, knows how important this game is for the Heat, who would relinquish home-court advantage with a loss.

``We knew that this was an important game, but Monday is a game that we must also play well,' O'Neal said. ``Monday is a big game for both teams, a real big game for us. We've just got to continue to play well.'

The Pistons also realize the importance of winning Game 4 since they have not won three straight playoff games in a series since their 4-2 semifinal series victory last year over Indiana.

Chauncey Billups, who had a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth-quarter run, all but labeled Game 4 a must win for his team.

``It's a huge game. It's the biggest game of the series pretty much, Monday's game,' Billups said. ``I know they know that and we know that. We've got to come in and play with a sense of urgency early in the game, and hopefully it carries over throughout the game.

``We're down 2-1 right now, and we want to go home tied up. We want to go home 2-2.'

Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince looks to bounce back from a miserable game Saturday after scoring just three points on 1-of-7 shooting in 46 minutes. Heat coach Pat Riley had his players try to limit Prince's penetration after he matched a playoff career high with 24 points in Game 2.

``Tay had some good looks, missed some of the ones he's been very efficient as far as this time, but it's not where they were taking away a lot of his cuts and went in a different direction,' Saunders said. ``I think the biggest thing is their forwards were much more aggressive offensively, and our forwards had Tay back on his heels a little bit.'

The Heat have shot 52.0 percent from the field in their first three games, while the Pistons are shooting just 41.2 percent. Detroit also has not topped 44 percent in any of the games thus far.

The series will return to suburban Detroit for Game 5 on Wednesday.

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Heat - 2nd seed; beat Chicago Bulls 4-2, first round; beat New Jersey Nets 4-1, conference semifinals. Pistons - 1st seed; beat Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, first round; beat Cleveland Cavaliers 4-3, conference semifinals.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Heat - F Antoine Walker, F Udonis Haslem, C O'Neal, G Jason Williams, G Wade. Pistons - F Prince, F Rasheed Wallace, C Ben Wallace, G Billups, G Richard Hamilton.

PLAYOFF TEAM LEADERS: Heat - Wade, 27.0 ppg and 6.4 apg; O'Neal, 9.5 rpg. Pistons - Hamilton, 20.5 ppg; Ben Wallace, 10.9 rpg; Billups, 6.1 apg.