Despite ailing LeBron James, Heat end road trip with win over Suns
Ailing star scores 21 points to help Miami finish long road trip with decisive victory over Phoenix
LeBron James playing while under the weather is better than him sitting on the bench.
That was James' thinking when he decided to play despite flu-like symptoms, and he scored 21 points to help the depleted Miami Heat close out a six-game road trip with a 97-88 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
"Me at 50 per cent or 60 per cent is better than me not playing at all," he said.
The Heat, playing without Dwyane Wade for the second game because of a left-foot injury, led by as many as 15 in the third quarter and were up by nine with 51/2 minutes to play. The Suns cut it to two before Miami scored the game's final seven points.
Chris Bosh scored 24 points, shooting 9-of-11for the Heat.
James, who missed the morning shoot-around, made only 8-of-20 shots, but still reached 20 points for the 11th time in 11 games this season. In the first quarter, he went to the dressing room, where he said he got sick and received some fluids.
"I can't remember the last time he missed practice or a shoot-around so when he missed today, obviously that makes you wonder and you know that it's pretty serious," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We knew yesterday that he hadn't had any food and he went the whole day and in the late afternoon he was able to down some Gatorade, but that was about it."