USA - Herrmann rises to the occasion yet again to down Wade, Heat

NEW YORK (NBA) - Team USA captain Dwyane Wade finally made his return for the Miami Heat but Argentina’s Walter Herrmann helped the Charlotte Bobcats steal the show.

Herrmann scored 15 points and hit two three-pointers in the final minute of overtime to give the Bobcats a 111-103 victory over the Miami Heat in the first game of a home-and-home series.

In his first action since missing 23 games due to injury, Wade made a fadeaway jumper that pulled the Heat within one point and then he tied the game at 92-92 with 2.4 seconds left by making the back end of two free throws to send the game into overtime.

Wade had three points and four assists in a 16-2 run that saw Miami tie the game at 78-78, but Charlotte outscored the Heat, 19-11, in the extra session.

"We didn't feel sorry for ourselves," Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "Walter hit some big shots. We had 20 steals tonight so our deflections were really, really good. We just laced up our shoestrings in overtime."

Alonzo Mourning added a season-high 20 points off the bench for Miami, who had won 16 of their last 18 at home.

Wade, a three-time All-Star who suffered a separated shoulder in a 112-102 loss to the Houston Rockets on February 21, decided to rehabilitate the injury rather than have season-ending surgery after meeting with famed orthopaedic surgeon Dr James Andrews on March 5.

The combo guard came off the bench to a standing ovation with 3:58 left in the first quarter and immediately began making plays - but not enough to lead Miami to victory.

Parker erupts for 27 as Raptors win over Bulls

Anthony Parker scored a career-high 27 points and Team USA center Chris Bosh added 22 as the Raptors defeated the Chicago Bulls, 103-89.

Parker, one of Europe’s biggest stars at Maccabi Tel Aviv before switching to the NBA this season, nailed six three-pointers and Bosh grabbed 11 rebounds to pace Toronto,  who moved to within one and a half games of Chicago for the second seed in the Eastern Conference play-off race.

Bell tolls for Suns

Raja Bell made six of six three-pointers and scored 22 points while harassing Kobe Bryant and helping the Phoenix Suns defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, 115-107, to complete a successful road trip.

Steve Nash had 25 points and 11 assists and Brazilian international Leandro Barbosa scored 23 off the bench for the Suns (58-19), who moved two and a half games in front of San Antonio in the race for the second seed in the Western Conference.

Hawks downed Smith, Sixers

Joe Smith scored a season-high 18 points, including seven in overtime, as the Philadelphia 76ers battled back from a 17-point second-half deficit to post a 109-104 victory over the injury-riddled Atlanta Hawks.

Andre Iguodala added 25 points and eight assists as the 76ers won the season series, 3-1.

Ukraine international Slava Medvedenko, who had scored just 18 points since being signed in December, had 14 off the bench for the Hawks, who were without four starters due to injury, including leading scorer Joe Johnson.

Rockets lord it over Kings

Tracy McGrady scored 40 points to help the Rockets break a three-game losing streak with a 112-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Shooting 14 of 28 from the floor, including three of six from the three-point arc, McGrady also dished out 10 assists and grabbed eight rebounds and Luther Head added 18 points off the bench for Houston.

With the win, Houston climbed to within a half-game of Utah (48-28) for the fourth seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the Western Conference play-offs.

FIBA