Wade's defense helps lead Miami to Conference finals

The Heat needed five games to eliminate the Nets.
MIAMI (AP) -- Dwyane Wade struggled all night offensively, so he sent the Miami Heat into the Eastern Conference finals with a huge defensive play.
Wade stole Jason Kidd's inbounds pass with 1.4 seconds remaining Tuesday night, depriving the New Jersey Nets of one last shot to extend their season, and sealing the Heat's 106-105 victory to win the series 4-1.
Wade threw the ball into the stands as time expired, and the Heat raucously celebrated their second straight trip to the conference finals. They'll face either Detroit or Cleveland in that series, which won't begin until at least Sunday afternoon.
The Heat rallied from 12 points down, the biggest postseason comeback in franchise history. Antoine Walker had 23 points for Miami, Wade added 21 on 7-for-19 shooting, and four other Heat players were in double figures to offset a brilliant effort by Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson.
Four straight losses
Carter and Jefferson each scored 33 points for the Nets, who won the first game of the series.
Down by three with about two minutes left, the Nets frantically double-teamed Wade near midcourt, so he did the smartest possible thing. He found the man the New Jersey was ignoring, Walker, whose wide-open 3-pointer from the right corner gave Miami a 105-99 lead.
It wasn't over, though.
Carter, who'd scored three points in the previous 17 minutes, had three baskets from in close over the next 90 seconds, including a dunk that drew the Nets within 106-105 with 29.1 seconds left.
And after Gary Payton missed a 16-footer, the Nets corralled the rebound and called timeout with 1.4 seconds left. But thanks to Wade, they never got a shot off -- and Miami survived.
The Heat became the sixth team in 20 seasons to lose the first game of a playoff series, then win the next four to advance.
Shaquille O'Neal had 17 points on 8-for-10 shooting, Jason Williams scored 12, Alonzo Mourning had 11 and Payton finished with 10 for the Heat. Kidd had 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Nets, who got 14 points from Lamond Murray.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.