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Dwyane Wade Talks Game-Winner vs. 76ers with Shooting Victim's Name on Shoes

Scott Polacek

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade was playing for more than just another victory Tuesday when he hit the game-winning shot against the Philadelphia 76ers with 5.9 seconds remaining.

ESPN.com noted the veteran scored 15 of his team's final 17 points in the 102-101 win with Joaquin Oliver's name written on his shoes. Oliver was a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and one of 17 victims who died in a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14.

"From the standpoint of away from the game of basketball, as I continue saying, just understanding how important we are as professionals," Wade said, per ESPN.com. "And for me, it's just giving whatever I can to people who believe in me, and especially people who were happy about me coming back here [after the trade from Cleveland earlier this month] who embrace me the way that I only can dream of with me coming back home. So just paying some due respect to [Oliver] and his family tonight."

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According to the ESPN.com story, Oliver's parents told the Univision talk show Al Punto their son was a Heat fan and buried in Wade's jersey.

The three-time NBA champion addressed the situation on his Twitter page:

Will Manso of Fox Sports Heat tweeted about how everything unfolded, underscoring how amazing it was: "The amazing part of night is that it comes a day after Wade got emotional in talking about Joaquin Oliver, who was killed in the Parkland tragedy and was buried in a Wade jersey. D-Wade dedicated rest of the season to him. Then leads Miami to huge win. Can't write that script."

Actress Gabrielle Union, who is Wade's wife, responded on Twitter as well:

Wade finished with 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, which marked his highest scoring total in a season that saw him traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers back to Miami—where he played the first 13 years of his career—earlier this month.

The eighth-seeded Heat are now just a game behind the seventh-seeded 76ers in the Eastern Conference's playoff race as a result of the win.

   

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