Heat Make Easy Work of the Pistons

The Miami Heat took care of the Detroit Pistons early and went on to win easily, 97-72.  After getting out to an 11 point lead at the end of the first quarter, they maintained that margin until the third quarter.  In the third, the Heat shut the Pistons down, allowing them to score only 9 points in the quarter.  The game was well in Heat’s control as they coasted through the fourth quarter on to victory while resting their starters.    

The Heat had a balanced offensive attack, and finished with 5 players in double figures.  This was a direct result of excellent movement on the offensive end, primarily with off-the-ball cuts and weak-side cuts through the lane.  

LeBron James led all scorers, finishing with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.  Dwyane Wade struggled with foul trouble early in the game, playing only 9 minutes in the first half and not even attempting a shot.  Wade came out strong in the second half, and contributed 16 points on 7 for 9 shooting, in only 18 minutes of playing time for the entire game.  Chris Bosh added 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.  Miami’s bench also contributed to the win, as Juwan Howard added 12 points, Eddie House contributed 10, and James Jones had 9.  

The Heat’s defense was strong, as they held Detroit to 36% shooting on the night.  Also, not one starter for the Pistons scored in double digits.  It was the type of defensive intensity head coach Erik Spoelstra has stressed since preseason, and the Heat got back to it last night.  

With the rout of the Pistons behind them, Miami travels to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers in James’ first game back since he left the team last summer.  This game is going to be hard in all aspects, but the Heat will have to overcome off-court issues and fan reactions as they attempt to win on the court.  

"Tomorrow will be a very competitive, passionate game," Spoelstra said. "And we want to take care of two of our own.  We will be tested tomorrow, physically, emotionally, all the above."

Wade’s Strong Third Quarter Leads Heat Past Wizards

With the Washington Wizards playing without John Wall, Miami handled them fairly easily, winning 105-94.  The Heat did this with a balanced offensive attack and a strong third quarter, when Dwyane Wade led them to a 13 point lead which they did not relinquish the rest of the game.

With 10:30 left in the third quarter, Miami was leading by only 6 points, 55-49, when Wade stepped up and took charge.  In the next 6 minutes Wade scored 15 points - through jumpers, driving layups, and free throws – and gave Miami a 76-63 lead which they would not give up en route to winning by 11 points.  

The Heat changed their offensive setup in many possessions - having Wade and James line up on opposite sides of the court more often than they have been, giving both players more space to work with.  As a result, they each had more room to drive and go for layups or pass the ball out to the open man, and good things came of it.

Wade finished with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.  Twenty-two of Wade’s 26 points came in the second half as the Heat looked to him to lead them to victory.  LeBron James, meanwhile, appeared to lead the team in the first half, as he scored 20 points in the first 24 minutes of the game.  James finished with 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists on the game, but also 7 turnovers.

"Slowly but surely I'm starting to learn how D-Wade manages his game," James said. "He always likes to try to get a feel for the game early. If he's trying to get a feel for the game early, then I can't be trying to get a feel for the game early, either. I think I'm starting to feel the things out, just to kind of come out aggressive from the beginning and see what happens and then let D-Wade do what he does."  

“Tonight was probably the second time this year we both felt comfortable with each other taking over and not worrying about when we going to get a shot,” Wade said.

Chris Bosh also contributed to the win, with 20 points and 7 rebounds.  The big three of Wade, James, and Bosh combined for 35 free throw attempts, of which they made 29, and 76 of the team’s 105 points. 

Feeling the Heat in Miami

The Miami Heat have been under scrutiny from the moment LeBron James and Chris Bosh signed with the team, especially since the season started and has not been going so well.  The Heat have a record of merely 9-8, and have lost 4 of their last 5 games.  Following their last loss, the Heat held a players-only meeting, to discuss what was going on and what they need to change.

"It was a well-needed team meeting where everybody had a chance to get off whatever they had on their chest or in their head about us figuring things out," James said. "Right now we are a 9-8 team and we have to own up to that. Does our record speak of the quality of team we can become? I don't think so. But right now we're 9-8 and we're playing like that."

The Heat’s troubles have been discussed thoroughly in the media, and everyone seems to have an opinion on what should happen.  The popular opinion seems to be that Erik Spoelstra is not the right coach for the Heat, and that Pat Riley should come back to coach the team.  This seems to be everyone’s “easy fix” for the Heat, as most people think that changing the coach will solve all the team’s problems.  

Yet some people know that this is not what will fix everything.  Dwyane Wade is stepping forward and taking responsibility, stating that the Heat’s problems do not rest solely on the coach, but that it is up to the players to play better and work through their issues.  

After the last loss, Wade stated, "I never would put anything on the coach -- win, lose or draw -- because they can give us the game plan but they're not on the court playing. ... Now it's time to take ownership. This is our team, even though we respect our coaches for what they do."

It is very important that this is realized - that while a good head coach will affect a team, when it comes down to it, it’s on the players to perform on the floor and get the win.  A coach can lay the foundations for the team - designing the plays, determining what the team needs to work on to improve, running through drills at practices, telling players what is going wrong during a game, and so on – yet it is up to the players to perform during the game.  

Wade realizing and stating this, especially at a time when James is being scrutinized for bumping into Spoelstra on the way to the bench, shows that he is indeed the leader of the Heat and is trying to work at establishing that.  It has been stated by a member of the Heat organization that the team is indeed suffering from a lack of leadership, but that it is missing leadership from its players, rather than the media’s view that the coaching leadership is not there.  

"They don't want to step on each other's toes," the person said. "There's no leader on the team. Somebody has to speak up and be the leader on the team. They can't be afraid to step on people's toes. They need a vocal leader who's going to make everybody accountable. I don't think it's on the coach. It's on the players."

If that is indeed the case, perhaps Wade will be able to prove himself as that leader, considering he has already realized and publicly stated that Spoelstra is not the one to blame for the team’s troubles. 

Heat Make the Sun Set in Miami

The Miami Heat anticipated a tough matchup when the Phoenix Suns came to town, but two big runs, a great performance by Chris Bosh, and balanced scoring led them easily past the Suns 123-96. 

The Heat opened the game strong and play went back and forth until they went on a big run, outscoring the Suns 24-9 to end the first half.  Leading 64-43 at the break, the Heat came out strong after halftime and ended the third quarter with another run, outscoring the Suns 18-3 to take a 27 point lead into the fourth quarter.    

The Heat took care of the Suns with those two runs and a balanced offense that saw everyone contribute.  Chris Bosh started the game strong, hitting his first four shots and contributing 14 points in the first nine minutes of the game.  He continued his aggressive play and had his best game of the year so far, finishing with 35 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in only 30 minutes of playing time as he sat out the fourth quarter.  With Bosh playing so well, Phoenix was forced to double team him, which led to open driving lanes and open shooters on the three point line.  

As a result, ball movement was strong and many got involved in the Heat offense.  LeBron James narrowly missed a triple-double, as he added 20 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds in only 23 minutes of playing time.  Dwyane Wade played just 31 minutes and contributed 17 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds.  Eddie House came off the bench to add 15 points for the Heat.  Udonis Haslem barely missed his third straight double-double, as he finished with 8 points and 10 rebounds.  Carlos Arroyo added 10 points to round out the scoring for the Heat.

“We kept playing, kept pressing on, and we found our shots and we knocked them down,” Bosh said. “Luckily today that rim was looking good for us, but that’s because we moved the ball and found each other.”

After struggling defensively of late, the Heat spent their two previous days of practice rededicating themselves to working hard on the defensive end of the floor.  As a result they played well on the defensive end, stopping drives and closing out on open shooters well, causing them to rush shots.  For the first time all year, they were able to contain a great point guard, as they held Steve Nash to only 2 assists all game.  The Heat also forced 17 turnovers while committing only 11.    

“What I told the guys after the game was they made each other better the last two days, really pushing each other,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “There was a really serious tone and edge, going at a pace very similar to what you saw here. It carried over without question.”

"We were focused in tonight," Wade said. "No matter what the score got to, I think we would have been fine.

Wade Leads Heat Past Raptors

The Heat opened the game with a 7-0 run and did not look back from it, as they beat the Toronto Raptors 109-100.  This game snapped the two game losing streak the Heat had.

Toronto, with a record coming into the game of 2-7, was not as easy of an opponent as their record shows; as they were riding an emotional high coming off of a big win in Orlando the night before.  Although the Heat started the game strong and kept the offensive intensity all game, they saw 10 double digit leads evaporate in the first half.  

This trend continued, and with the Heat leading 73-55 in the third quarter they allowed Toronto to go on a 16-3 run and get within five points.  Yet the Heat stayed together, did not give up, and built the lead back up to ten points going into the fourth quarter.  Toronto got as close as four points with 6 and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter, but Miami went on a 12-2 run to put the game away.  

Dwyane Wade led the team on the offensive end.  Wade drove to the hoop every chance he got and got fouled often, finishing the night with 31 points on 11 for 16 shooting from the floor, along with 8 rebounds and 2 assists.  LeBron James played well as a distributor for the Heat once again, driving and dishing to the open teammates, and finishing with 23 points and 11 assists.  

The Heat got offensive contributions from many players, as James Jones came off the bench to add 14 points, and Bosh - struggling with foul trouble all game therefore only playing 22 minutes - added 12 points against his former team.  Udonis Haslem came off the bench and had his second straight double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.  

This game saw the first big lineup change for the Miami Heat, as Zydrunas Ilgauskas started at center in place of Joel Anthony.  According to head coach Erik Spoelstra, this was done in attempt to open up the floor more for the drives of Wade and James.  It worked out well, mainly because Ilgauskas is a much better shooter than Anthony, which he proved by hitting his first six shots of the game and finishing with 12 points.  

“He gives a lot of room for D Wade and myself because a lot of guys are afraid to leave him on the perimeter, or put their bodies in front of us because of how well he can shoot the ball,” James said of Ilgauskas.  “You could see that tonight.  We kept their bigs in a bind either to put two on the ball and, if they did, D Wade turned the corner a few times.”

While it was not a big win, a win is a win and the Heat will take it.  They will continue learning from every game, and work on improving for the long run.  

“Not every game is going to end up in a blowout,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Being in a situation like that in the 4th quarter where you have to execute and get stops, is probably a good thing.”

“We cannot go into games thinking about blowouts,” Wade said. “We have to understand that teams are going to give us their best shot. We have to win ballgames and that is what we did tonight."

The Heat face a tough opponent on Wednesday when the Phoenix Suns come to town, and will have to work to defend the excellent point guard Steve Nash. 

Heat Lose Second Straight to Boston

On a night they looked forward to since the day after opening night of the season, the Heat fell short against Boston yet again, this time losing 112-107.  The Heat let the Celtics get off to a good start, and were losing by as many as twenty points in the third quarter before trying to make a late-game comeback that proved to be too little, too late.

LeBron James came one assist shy of his second-straight triple double, as he finished with 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists.  Udonis Haslem stepped up in the wake of Dwyane Wade’s bad offensive game and had a double-double as well, with 21 points - on 9 for 10 shooting - and 10 rebounds.  Chris Bosh added 15 points and 7 rebounds, and Eddie House came off the bench to add 13 points for the Heat.  Wade had a bad game, similar to the last time these two teams faced off, and finished with only 8 points on 2 for 12 shooting, including 0 for 5 from three point range.  

Yet even more hurtful to the Heat was what happened on the other side of the floor.  The defense struggled on all accounts – in transition, in the half-court set, and against specific key players.  Issues guarding a good point guard continued for the Heat, as they had trouble guarding Rajon Rondo again.  After allowing Rondo to have 17 assists in their first matchup, he had 16 last night.  Aside from that, the Heat could not stick with Ray Allen in transition or in the half court set.  They allowed Allen to get in a rhythm, and he poured in 35 points on 13 for 23 shooting, including 7 for 9 shooting from three point range.  

"He is always on the move and he shoots the ball very well," Wade said. "I watch a lot of games and I don't really see him shoot as well against other teams as he does against us. He shot it very well tonight and got them off to a great start."

The Heat have been having trouble with the Celtics for the past couple years, and they have now lost 13 out of the last 14 regulation season matchups.  Even with the new additions to the team this year, they are still having issues matching up with the Celtics.  This could lead to a big problem come playoff time if the Heat don’t figure it out the next two times they play them this season.  

Yet the Heat are taking everything - including this two game losing streak - in stride, knowing that it is early in the season and realizing that they still have a lot of work to do.   

"Nov. 11, right now, we're not there," Spoelstra said. "We did not play well tonight. But, again, we have a different timeline and this is going to be a process. And it won't always been an easy one.

"Of course, you don't think you'll be 5-4 at this time, but we are 5-4," Wade said. "You can't run from your record. I think we're better than 5-4. We're the best 5-4 team in the league, how about that? Everyone says adversity hits, you just don't expect it to hit early."

"You need to face adversity," Spoelstra said. "You need to stumble, you need to feel this pain to be able to respond. This is what makes you stronger." 

Let’s see if the Heat respond when they play the Raptors on Saturday. 

Wade, James Lead Heat in Disappointing Loss to Jazz

LeBron James had a triple double - with 20 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds - and Dwyane Wade had 39 points and 6 rebounds, but it was not enough to lead the Heat past the Jazz as they lost a bizarre game 116-114 in overtime.  The Heat led by as much as 22 points at one point, and were winning by 8 points with only 30 seconds left in the game.

Then Utah’s hero for the night, Paul Millsap, scored 11 of his career-high 46 points, to send the game to overtime.  Millsap swished three straight three pointers and then got the rebound off the C.J. Miles miss and scored to force the game to overtime.  Prior to this game, Millsap was 2-20 from three point range in his entire career.  The Heat did what appeared to be the right thing - stop Deron Williams’ drives and force him to dish the ball out to a poor shooter.  Yet in this case, three times in a row Millsap stepped up and drained three pointers.

“The basketball gods were with him and he made the shots,” Wade said of Millsap.  “The man was on fire.”  

The Heat had a chance to close the game out at the end of regulation, but both Wade and Carlos Arroyo missed free throws in the closing seconds.  They swallowed what happened at the end of regulation and built a five point lead in overtime, but then relinquished that lead as well.  Losing 112-111, the Heat missed shots three straight times down the floor – a layup missed by James, a jumper missed by Udonis Haslem, and a jumper missed by Wade.  

Two free throws made by Andrei Kirilenko gave the Jazz a three point lead, but Wade came down the court and drained a three pointer to tie the game with 17 seconds left in overtime.  Francisco Elson was fouled by Wade and made both free throws to give the Jazz the lead 116-114.        

Wade scored all 10 of the Heat’s points in overtime, but it was not enough as they were losing by two points with 0.4 seconds left to play.  For the second time in as many chances, the ball was given to Eddie House for the last-second shot, which he missed again.  Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said the play was drawn up to give James a lob pass at the rim for a tip-in, but the Jazz took it away and House had to heave up an off-balance three as time expired.    

Aside from Wade and James’ strong offensive performances, the Heat got small contributions from others.  Chris Bosh finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds, James Jones added 11 points, and Arroyo added 10 points.  The big three of Wade, James, and Bosh finished with 76 of the Heat’s 114 points.  

The Heat’s troubles guarding good point guards continued last night, as Williams finished with 21 points and 14 assists for the Jazz.  Also, prior to this game, the Heat have come out of the locker room at halftime and blown the majority of their opponents out of the water in the third quarter, yet this was not the case last night.     

"We came out flat in the third quarter," Bosh said. "We didn't have the sense of urgency that we needed. We had a chance to put them away and we didn't."

After allowing only 32 points in the first half, the Heat gave up 84 points in the second half and overtime.  In the fourth quarter alone, the Heat allowed the Jazz to score 42 points while shooting 70.8%, on 17 for 24 shooting.  The Heat had every opportunity to win this game, yet they did not finish the game strong on offense or defense, and they missed free throws on top of everything else.

“It's a very disappointing loss and hopefully a lesson we'll learn from this game - when you have an opportunity to keep on grinding and close a team out, particularly on the defensive end, you have to take advantage,'' Spoelstra stated.