Sweep Is a Rested Development for Shaq

Until Shaquille O’Neal’s sore thighs get better, Dwyane Wade is quite capable of leading the Miami Heat in the playoffs, even to a series sweep.

Wade more than filled the void of O’Neal’s scoreless first half by scoring a postseason career-high 34 points and setting up the center for most of his 17 second-half points as the Heat completed a first-round sweep of the New Jersey Nets with a 110-97 victory Sunday.

“He’s been a superstar, even last year,” O’Neal said of Wade. “It’s just now you guys are recognizing it.”

Wade put up spectacular numbers with O’Neal hobbled, averaging 26.3 points, 8.8 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals, a block and 42.5 minutes.

His big game Sunday in Miami’s seventh straight win over Jason Kidd and company guaranteed that O’Neal will have at least a full week to rest his legs before the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The layoff could last nine days, depending on the other series.

“I’m a little more confident,” Wade said in comparing his play with that of his rookie season last year. “I know my teammates depend on me a lot more. I know what to do more now.”

The Heat cruised past the Nets by hitting shots and getting contributions up and down its lineup from the likes of Eddie Jones, Damon Jones, Udonis Haslem, Keyon Dooling and Alonzo Mourning, the former Net who was booed unmercifully the last two games.

“Everybody stepped up, some nights guys you didn’t expect to play well, played well,” said O’Neal, who averaged 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 33 minutes. “The whole team played well. We had six or eight guys play well.”

And the Heat figures to be a lot better when O’Neal is healthy.

Eddie Jones added 21 points Sunday and O’Neal shot seven for nine in the second half after missing all five of his attempts in the first half. Miami shot 54.9% from the field with Wade leading the way, making 13 of 20.

New Jersey, which qualified for the playoffs on the final day of the regular season by winning for the 15th time in 19 games, was eliminated early because it shot poorly the entire series. Game 4 was another lowlight, a 39.5% effort that included a woeful six for 22 by Vince Carter.

“It says a lot when you beat a team four straight times,” Net Coach Lawrence Frank said. “Normally, there is a letdown. Those guys kept on coming. Our guys made a big run. Once we got it up three, they took it to another level.”

Kidd, who struggled most of the series, had his best game, scoring 25 points on nine-for-19 shooting. Carter added 23 points and Richard Jefferson and Nenad Krstic had 17 apiece.