Washington ? Knowing his bad leg would keep him out of the game, Shaquille O’Neal pulled Alonzo Mourning to the side during the Miami Heat’s morning shootaround.

“I need you tonight,” O’Neal told Mourning.

“Say no more,” Mourning replied.

The 35-year-old with the transplanted kidney stepped in for the Diesel and played 35 minutes, scored 14 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked four shots. Sure, he looked every bit his age when he was slow getting downcourt a few times, but Mourning and Dwyane Wade had more than enough Thursday night to lead the Heat to a 102-95 victory over the Washington Wizards.

“I’ve worked my butt off for this type of opportunity,” Mourning said, “and I’m anxious to see the reward at the end.”

The Heat lead the series 3-0 and are unbeaten in seven games in the postseason. They can complete their second straight playoff sweep Saturday night.

“We continue to prove people wrong. This is not a one- or two-man team,” Mourning said. “We have a lot of guys who understand the goal that we set for ourselves. The reason why this team was assembled was to win a championship.”

Five Miami players scored in a 13-0 third-quarter run that swung the game, and Wade steadied himself after committing five first-quarter turnovers to finish with 31 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Eddie Jones and Damon Jones added 16 points apiece, and Udonis Haslem had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Wade made 14 of 27 shots and finished with eight turnovers, but Mourning’s performance — including a couple of energetic goaltending calls — was the most inspirational.

“It’s fatigue that’s keeping him from getting up and down the floor,” coach Stan Van Gundy said. “But when it’s the moment — and the moment for ‘Zo defensively is protecting the basket — he’ll summon the energy.”

Miami center Alonzo Mourning goes up for a shot as Washington's Michael Ruffin (5) and Larry Hughes (20) trail the play in the second quarter of the Heat's 102-95 victory. Miami won Thursday at the MCI Center in Washington.

Added Mourning: “I haven’t forgotten how to play this game. I just had a transplant that set me back a little bit.”

The deep thigh bruise that has bothered O’Neal for weeks caused him to miss a playoff game for the first time in his career, ending a streak of 164 straight postseason games.

“I was ordered by the powers-that-be to take it easy,” O’Neal said. “I looked bad the other night in the fourth quarter, and they didn’t want it to get any worse. They have confidence in the team, and so do I. The team just played fabulous today.”

O’Neal absence appeared to open a golden opportunity for the Wizards, who had won seven straight at home and needed some momentum after back-to-back losses in Miami. Now, it’s hard to imagine them stealing a single game in the series: Washington has lost 11 straight to the Heat.

“Shaq’s not playing, and it’s our first game at home,” Jared Jeffries said. “We’ve got to bring a lot more energy than this.”