Miami ? And on the 12th day of Christmas, the Los Angeles Lakers received the same thing they got last year, and the year before that, a gift they’d just assume return if they could ever beat the Miami Heat on Dec. 25.

It was the only NBA game scheduled Monday, and it was never in doubt. The Lakers never led, trailed by as many as 19, and were broken down again and again by Dwyane Wade in a 101-85 Heat victory at American Airlines Arena.

Who needs Shaquille O’Neal when Wade plays like he did, scoring 40 points, collecting 11 assists and pushing the Heat onward with behind-the-back passes, fruitful drives to the basket and breezy jump shots.

Kobe Bryant couldn’t answer, didn’t come close really, making only four of 17 shots and scoring 16 points in his lowest-impact game of the season.

The Lakers’ big picture still remains clear – 18-10 overall and a respectable 2-2 on their current six-game road trip – but the prints of Sunday’s effort were definitely smudged.

“I told my coaches at halftime, I think I’ll stay in the locker room and watch ‘A Christmas Carol,’ and you guys can do the rest of this game, the way we were playing out there,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. “We weren’t right from the opening tap on in this game.”

The only thing the Lakers could take with them was a high-end toiletry bag stuffed with pricey supplies, a gift from the league for each player on the two teams.

Other than that, it was history repeating itself, the Heat re-gifting another victory, this time with Wade destroying the Lakers by coming off numerous high screen-and-rolls. A typical Heat possession: Bryant, who was guarding Wade, gets picked off by a screen, Wade blows into open space and scores easily, perhaps needing to fake a Laker big man out of the way, perhaps not.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, right, looks for an open teammate as Miami guard Gary Payton applies pressure. The Heat held Bryant to 16 points in their 101-85 victory Monday in Miami.

Bryant was more deferential in his post-game remarks than he was a week ago after Gilbert Arenas torched the Lakers for 60 points.

“Hell of a performance,” he said about Wade. “I mean, a hell of a hell of a young player. It was really masterful for him, coming off those screen-and-rolls and attacking. He’s a phenomenal young player.”

Bryant never found a rhythm, missing eight of his first nine and 11 of his first 13 shots. He faced scores of double-teams and, unlike Friday against New Jersey, only had four assists. He had 11 against the Nets despite being slowed by an upper respiratory infection.

“He was chasing Wade all night long, and it was just tough for him,” Jackson said. “Kobe just didn’t have a great night.”

History hasn’t been that great for the Lakers in this rivalry since they traded O’Neal: They are now 1-4 against the Heat. This was the most one-sided of their defeats, topping a 102-89 loss to the Heat in March 2005.