East Rutherford, N.J. ? Their bloodied superstar was in the locker room and the game was threatening to get away from the Heat.

Oh, but there was one piece of good news for Miami.

“I knew I was coming right back,” Dwyane Wade said.

Wade scored 30 points, half in the final 41â2 minutes, and added 10 assists and seven rebounds to lead the Miami Heat over the New Jersey Nets 103-92 on Friday night in Game 3 of the best-of-seven series.

Knocked out of the game briefly by an inadvertent elbow during a stretch when New Jersey was threatening to take control, Wade helped the Heat come back to win the first competitive game in the series and take a 2-1 lead.

“Very, very unique player,” Heat coach Pat Riley said. “He makes it look real easy and I know how hard it has to be. He’s just a blessing for us and this franchise.”

Shaquille O’Neal added 19 points and nine rebounds, and Antoine Walker scored 16 points for the Heat.

Game 4 of the series is Sunday in New Jersey.

“Now that we’ve got this one, we don’t want to play around with these guys. We want to get the one on Sunday,” O’Neal said.

Vince Carter scored 43 points, but had a few costly turnovers in the fourth quarter that helped the Heat finally shake the Nets.

“We were just making silly mistakes on both ends,” he said.

Richard Jefferson added 17 points – none in the final period.

“I played terrible in the second half,” he said. “I couldn’t get anything going. My teammates and coaches expect better from me.”

Jason Kidd was also scoreless in the fourth, finishing with 10 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.

New Jersey was without key reserve Clifford Robinson, who was suspended five games by the NBA earlier Friday for violating the anti-drug policy. The news came as a tough surprise to the Nets, who learned of the penalty at around noon – after Robinson had already taken part in the morning shootaround.

The teams traded easy victories in Miami, but this one was close throughout. Neither team led by more than nine points until the final minute.

Carter gave New Jersey its last lead at 81-80 with just over 41â2 minutes left, but Wade answered with a three-point play to put Miami ahead for good at with 4:22 to play. Gary Payton followed with a steal and layup before Wade made four straight free throws to give the Heat an 89-81 lead with 3:13 remaining.

New Jersey couldn’t get closer than six points again. Wade was 6-of-6 from the line and added another basket in the final minute.

“We still had the opportunity,” Nets coach Lawrence Frank said, “up one with I think 4:30 and change when Carter made the layup. And we just didn’t help ourselves.”

Suns 94, Clippers 91

Los Angeles – Phoenix showed it can play a little defense, hit the boards, and win when Steve Nash isn’t at his best.

Shawn Marion had 32 points and 19 rebounds and the Suns rallied past Los Angeles, giving them a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Game 4 is Sunday night at Staples Center.

The Suns won by outscoring the Clippers 12-6 to finish the game.

Marion got it started, making a 3-pointer with 2:58 remaining to tie it at 85. After a foul shot by Shaun Livingston gave the Clippers a one-point lead, Nash made two free throws and Thomas added two more, putting the Suns on top 89-86 with 2:04 left.

Marion’s three-point play with 49.2 seconds to go gave the Suns a six-point lead, but the Clippers weren’t finished: Elton Brand’s three-point play with 46 seconds to play and two free throws by Quinton Ross with 28.4 seconds left cut Phoenix’s lead to one.

But the Suns ran the clock down before league MVP Nash, who shot just 3-of-9, made a 14-foot jumper with 3.6 seconds to go.

Vladimir Radmanovic, who scored 14 of his 18 points in a span of less than four minutes early in the fourth quarter, missed a 3-pointer as time wound down, and Phoenix’s Boris Diaw got the rebound.

Raja Bell scored 14 points for the Suns before fouling out with 2:36 to play.