Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Bass (2) fouls Miami Heat guard Tyler Johnson (8) as he goes to the basket in the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, in Miami. AP
MIAMI, Florida—Moments after the game was over, Dwyane Wade and his son Zaire walked to midcourt to meet Kobe Bryant for some hugs, handshakes and photos.
It was an image the Wade family won’t forget.
The numbers Chris Bosh put up in the game were more important for the Miami Heat.
Bosh scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Hassan Whiteside had 19 points and 15 rebounds in only 27 minutes of work, and the Heat pulled away in the second half to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 101-88 on Tuesday night.
Luol Deng scored 14 and Wade added 12 for Miami. The Heat led 50-49 at the break, then by as many as 18 later on against a Lakers team that was without Bryant for the first time this season.
“I think we did a fantastic job coming out in the third quarter,” Bosh said. “We kind of sparred with them and in the fourth we blew it open.”
Nick Young made his first five shots, four of them from 3-point range, and finished with 17 for Los Angeles. Lou Williams and Metta World Peace each scored 14 while Bryant sat out with a back problem.
It was unclear how the injury flared up; Bryant said Monday he was anticipating playing against the Heat.
“If he can’t go, you know he’s hurt,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said. “The level of concern is pretty up there right now.”
Bryant downplayed the injury, saying it comes with the territory of being a 20-year veteran.
“It’s wear and tear,” Bryant said. “It’s soreness, something I can knock out with a little rest and treatment.”
After the Bryant-Wade postgame summit, Bryant walked off the court – giving high-fives to a few fans who lingered for possibly their final look at him in Miami. Bryant is contemplating retiring after this season.
“It was a cool moment,” Wade said. “I had an opportunity to speak to Kobe last night and he asked me if the boys were coming. I was like, ‘Nah, school night.’ So he hinted to me that he wanted to see them, so I was able to bring them and have a cool moment.”
Bryant had a message to Wade’s son Zaire in their postgame talk: Shoot the ball.
“I asked him how many times he shot the ball,” Bryant said. “Dwyane said not enough. And I said ‘Are you going to be like Uncle Kobe and shoot a lot more?’ Dwyane said, ‘See, I told you.’ So we had a nice little laugh about that.”