With questionable officiating, the Detroit Pistons began to self-destruct, allowing the Miami Heat to take a 2-1 series lead with a 113-104 win.

"We're too good of a team to have a meltdown like we had tonight," Detroit's Richard Hamilton said. "This late in the season, the Eastern Conference finals, we can't afford to have those types of letdowns. We let little ticky-tack stuff bother us, and we can't do that."

Dwyane Wade scored 36 points on 12-21 shooting, while Shaq scored 24.

Dwyane Wade atoned for his poor Game 1 performance with one of the best night's of this season's postseason.  Wade scored 20 of his game-high 40 points in the 4th quarter, including an emphatic dunk with under two seconds left in the game, giving the Miami Heat a 92-86 victory.

Wade was 15-28 from the floor, making a variety of different types of baskets, including flat foot tip-in's, alley-oop dunks and improbable layups.  He also had 8 rebounds and 6 assists and a key block down the stretch.

Shaquille O'Neal had 17 points and 10 rebounds, but badly missed two important free-throws late in the game.

Rip Hamilton led the Pistons with 21 points as the series shifts to Detroit with each team holding one win.

Heat center Shaquille O?Neal has joined a Department of Justice task force that tracks down sexual predators who target children on the Internet.

"I put a lot into it, and when I am done playing, I plan on going undercover and then being the sheriff or chief of police somewhere, either Miami or Orlando, I don't know yet," O'Neal said recently. "Everyone knows the love I have for the people who defend the streets and the people who defend our country, the armed forces, the Army, Navy, Marines. I want to do something like that, help the community."

The National Basketball Association (NBA) returns to Puerto Rico on October 14 with a marquee match-up between the Miami HEAT and the Memphis Grizzlies in San Juan, it was announced today by the NBA.  Both teams are expected to travel with their full preseason rosters, bringing to the island stars such as Miami HEAT All-Stars Shaquille O?Neal and Dwyane Wade and Memphis Grizzlies star forward Pau Gasol. The on-sale date for the event to take place at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Mario Agrelot will be announced at a later date.  

?The 2005 Puerto Rico game is another example of the league?s commitment to reaching fans around the world and serving the Latin America market,? said Arturo Nu?ez, Vice President and Managing Director of the NBA Latin America and U.S. Hispanic.  ?We will continue reaching out to fans, while increasing awareness and participation in the sport of basketball in Puerto Rico and throughout Latin America.?

Rasheed Wallace scored 20 points, Chauncey Billups added 18, Richard Hamilton had 16, and Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince each scored 13 as all five Detroit starters reached double figures.

Shaquille O'Neal returned to the Heat line-up and scored 20 points, while Eddie Jones had 22.

Dwyane Wade stuggled against Detroit's swarming, shooting 7-25 from the field.

"We didn't shut them down. We just wanted it a little bit more," Rasheed Wallace said. "There's no homecourt advantage just like with Indiana. We still have to go out and play. We have one more here."

This was Miami's first loss of the postseason.

Shaquille O'Neal returned to practice on Saturday but his status for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit on Monday night is uncertain.

It was the first time O'Neal had practiced or played since May 10.

"It's all right. ? It's a little sore, O'Neal said. "This is usually an eight- to 10-week injury. Hopefully [today] when I wake up it will be nothing left."

Still hampered by a thigh injury, Miami Heat center Shaquille O?Neal told the Miami Herald on Wednesday that he was unsure as to whether he will be able to play in Monday?s Eastern Conference Finals match-up against the Detroit Pistons.

"It's not that it got worse," O'Neal said. "It's just that it's there, and I need it not to be there. ... I'm trying to get myself as close to 100% as possible."

Detroit?s Ben Wallace is skeptical and is planning on Shaq being out on the court for Game 1.

"He'll be all right and out there playing," predicted Wallace, who had 11 rebounds and three blocks in the Pistons' 88-79 victory Thursday night over Indiana to advance to the East finals.

In his final game in a Pacers uniform, Reggie Miller completed his 18th season in Indiana with 27 points, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot to keep the cold-shooting Pacers in game.  It was not enough, however, to defeat the Detroit Pistons who continued to grind the Pacers down, answering every Pacer run with a run of their own.

With the game lost, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle called a timeout with 26 seconds left and pulled Miller.  As he walked to the bench the Indiana legend received a heartfelt applause from the fans, referees, the Pistons and anybody else in the arena.  The applause went on for several minutes with many fans caught on camera shedding tears for the retiring sharpshooter who has been a staple in Indiana for so many years.  The majority of the crowd remained after the game expired to cheer on Miller chanting ?one more year? repeatedly in hopes that Reggie might return for season #19.

On the Pistons side, Richard Hamilton led Detroit with 28 points and Ben Wallace made a key block on a Miller 3-pointer in the last minute to secure the win.  A block not to be mistaken with the Tayshaun Prince block on a Reggie Miller lay-up in the Eastern Conference Final last year.  Miller had to force the deep-3 up as time on the shot clock was set to expire.  

Detroit will now travel to Miami to face the Heat who are sure to be well rested after a 4-game sweep of the Washington Wizards.  Shaquille O?Neal?s status remains uncertain for the series as he is still not practicing with Heat as he tries to heal his thigh injury.

Miami Heat center Shaquille O?Neal is still uncertain as to whether his right thigh will be ready from the Conference Finals next week.

''Hopefully,'' O'Neal said when asked about being ready for the start of the series, while making it clear he doesn't know for certain.  

O?Neal has made it public that there hasn?t been much improvement on his right thigh contusion since the injury occurred.

''It was the same thing,'' O'Neal told The Herald. ``I was getting information, talking to people. They were showing me what to do to strengthen that area. This is a common football injury.''

Shaquille O'Neal missed his second straight game and the Miami Heat won their eighth straight playoff game, defeating the Washington Wizards 99-95.

Dwyane Wade scored a playoff-high 42 points and 22 in the 3rd quarter.

``It was just about taking what the defense gave me,'' Wade said. ``I had confidence in my pull-up, and I was taking that. Then the defense started getting confused, and I was able to get to the lane and make the basket down low.''

Alonzo Mourning, starting for the injured O'Neal has 0 points and 7 rebounds.

Gilbert Arenas scored 25 points, but it was on 5-17 shooting and he fouled out for just the second time this season.