NEW ORLEANS – On the night when his new nickname of "Father Prime" was launched Dwyane Wade was clutch in crunch time and he got help from fellow closer Hassan Whiteside late in the 4th quarter to help the Miami Heat hold off the injury-ravaged Pelicans 113-99.
Wade scored 25 points and Whiteside had 24 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots.
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Miami moved a season-best 12 games over .500 to maintain a slim lead for the 3-seed in the East.
The Pelicans trailed by double digits for most of the night and closed within five points before Wade and Whiteside put the game out of reach in the 4th quarter.
The Heat next face the Spurs on the second of a back-to-back on Wednesday in San Antonio, where the Spurs have not lost all season.