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.
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