Currently: Lamar Odom’s strong play could make the Miami Heat a playoff team.
After Odom recorded the Heat’s first triple-double in nine years, Miami continues its quest for a playoff spot when it hosts the lowly Orlando Magic.
Odom had 30 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Heat to a 102-96 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
The last Heat player to record a triple-double was Billy Owens on Jan. 5, 1995. Miami went 32-50 that season, missing the playoffs. Now, the Heat find themselves in a battle for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 19 games remaining.
It was the Heat’s fourth triple-double in franchise history and the eighth for Odom. He had a season high in points and a career high in rebounds, and he matched his career high in assists.
“That’s my favorite part of basketball—getting triple-doubles and filling it up a little bit,” Odom said. “If there’s one stat I could have, that would be it, whether it’s 10-10-10 or big ones like this. I’ll remember this game for a long time.”
The Heat’s stretch of 739 games without a triple-double was the longest in the NBA. Utah now has the longest at 390.
Miami used only seven players to beat the Kings. Rafer Alston had 20 points, seven assists and just two turnovers in 46 minutes. Reserves Rasual Butler and Udonis Haslem added 17 points apiece.
The Heat are a half-game behind Boston and Cleveland for the final playoff spot.
Orlando suffered its third loss in four games Sunday, 107-90 to the Kings.
Juwan Howard scored 26 points on 25 shots—both season highs. Tracy McGrady, Tyronn Lue and DeShawn Stevenson each added 13.
McGrady, going for his second straight scoring title, missed 11 of 15 shots.
Drew Gooden sat out because of infected hair follicles on his right leg. The unusual injury, first believed to be spider bites, ended Gooden’s streak of 83 consecutive games played since being acquired in a trade from Memphis last year.
Gooden was the only Orlando player to see action in all 64 games this season.
The second-year forward was limping at practice Saturday, and the infection required a visit to a hospital emergency room, a team spokesman said. His status for Tuesday’s game is uncertain.
Gooden is averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.
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Peninsula is Mightier
