HEAT 87 HORNETS 93 in OT

• Could tonight's game have been a battle for a first team All NBA spot? Dwight Howard, Lebron James, and Kobe Bryant are a lock, so there is an open spot in the frontcourt and in the backcourt. Dwayne Wade and Chris Paul are both deserving of that backcourt spot, it should be interesting to see who gets the votes. If only one of them could qualify for that frontcourt spot, cause there is nobody else in the NBA who should be talked about in the top 5 guys on the season.
  
• Another first quarter deficit for the Heat, this time 12. When is enough enough? I understand Beasley is looked at as a spark off the bench, but we need an influx of life into the starting lineup.
• Jermaine O'Neal with a great shot block in transition racing back to stop an easy layup by Antonio Daniels.
• There is nobody on the Heat who can stay in front of Chris Paul, but that is the same way throughout the whole league. The guy is a blur with the ball in his hands and uses his body to create space as well as anyone I have ever seen.
• The same could be said for Dwayne Wade, who had an up and down game, but seems to always fill the stat sheets. Tonight he finished with 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
• However, the most crucial play of his night turned out to be his missed free throw that could have put the game away.
• Instead Rasual Butler's hit a three with time running out that sucked the life out of the Heat and their fans.
  
• The Hornets got their second wind in the overtime, pick and popping the Heat to death. Paul and David West really have a good thing going. Hopefully Wade and Michael Beasley can develop into a duo like that one day.
  
• Speaking of Beasley, he played every minute of the second half and overtime, and had a great game. He was active on both ends of the court, and his inspired play lifted the Heat out of their first half daze. The extended minutes looks good on the young guy.
  
• Jamaal Magloire and James Jones were also strong off of the bench, but there are still too many holes on the roster.
  
• This was a forgettable night all around for Mario Chalmers. Maybe he was reminiscing too much about the shot he hit a year ago today to lead Kansas to the NCAA Championship. He is not Chris Paul's equal on any night, but the Heat needed better than a 1-10 night.
• Tough loss for the Heat, when take into account that they could have gone up a game and a half on the 76ers for the 5th spot in the East. Instead they are still only up a half a game with 4 to go. Up next Boston, so it does not get any easier.
• Paul's team got the best of Wade's tonight and maybe that will be the deciding factor in the All NBA voting. Not one game, but the two teams overall records at the end of the season.