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The Heat barely beat the Pacers last night while the Panthers continue to fall. Dwyane Wade scored 33 points, including a game-saving layup with 4.3 seconds left, plus added eight assists and six rebounds as the Heat held on to beat the trade-depleted Indiana Pacers 104-101 on Thursday night. The Toronto Maple Leafs got off to a good start on a three-game road trip. Andrew Raycroft stopped 39 shots and the Maple Leafs defeated the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Thursday night. Gregory Campbell and Ville Peltonen scored for Florida, which lost for the fifth time in seven games. Alex Auld gave up three goals on just 14 shots and was replaced at the start of the third period by Ed Belfour. Belfour finished with five saves.

Last Nights Games

• Miami Heat 104, Indiana Pacers 101 – They wasted most of a 16-point lead in the final eight minutes, a performance that would ordinarily leave the Miami Heat angry and frustrated. This time, though, the only postgame emotion in the Heat locker room was relief. Jason Williams added 20 points and eight assists for the Heat, who led 91-75 with 8:05 left before the Pacers — who had only 10 players in uniform — got within two with a 23-9 run. But Wade hit a pair of free throws with 24.5 seconds left — and after Shawne Williams hit a 3-pointer with 13.8 seconds left — drove full-court for the clinching score.

• Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Florida Panthers 2 – Florida pulled to 3-1 on Campbell’s goal at 1:12 of the third. Joel Kwiatkowski took a shot from above the left circle near the blue line and Campbell got a piece of the puck before it went into the net. The Panthers closed to 3-2 on Peltonen’s goal at 10:08. Stephen Weiss shot from the right circle and Peltonen deflected the puck past Raycroft.

“We had chances before the third to make it a different game,” Peltonen said. “We came all out in the third but it wasn’t enough today. Close, but not enough.”

Tonights Games

• 7 p.m.: Heat-76ers, Sun Sports; 610 (WIOD), WQBA (1140, Spanish) – O’Neal will not be on the court for the Miami Heat (18-20) on Friday when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wachovia Center. The way Miami has played recently, it could be fine without its star center. O’Neal has played in four games — averaging 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds — for the Heat this season before having surgery to repair torn left knee cartilage on Nov. 19. He may be ready for Sunday’s home game against Dallas in a rematch of last season’s NBA finals.

“Shaq is working out, feeling good, getting better day to day,” Miami interim coach Ron Rothstein said Thursday. “That’s it. Case closed.”

Today is the day. That seems to be the slogan going around South Florida today as loyal Phin fans sit around waiting for the decision to fall on who the next coach will be of the Miami Dolphins. Sources report that Cam is the front runner as he has stayed an extra night in South Florida. Stay tuned for up to the minute updates on SporTech Matter, your home for the 2007 Miami Dolphins coaching search. Full preview for tonights Heat/76ers game can be found in the gameday thread. Enjoy!