*}{}{*}{}{*Official 2012-2013 Miami Heat Thread*}{}{*}{}{*
- Thread starter Mask
- Start date
Dwyane Wade, LeBron James lead Heat past Timberwolves
ESPN.com news services
MIAMI -- The*Miami Heat*were outrebounded by 28, matching the second-largest margin in team history. They finished with only 24 boards, matching the second-lowest total in any game over the franchise's quarter century of existence.
Somehow, none of that mattered.
Dwyane Wade*scored 24 points,*LeBron James*added 22 points and 11 assists and the Heat survived a strangely one-sided night on the glass to beat the*Minnesota Timberwolves*103-92 on Tuesday night.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Heat are the first team to win a game in which they were outrebounded by 29 or more since the Warriors defeated the Spurs on Jan. 6, 1994, despite being outrebounded, 71-36.
"I don't know how many times I've seen that, where you get doubled up on the rebounding and still escape with the win," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That's a tough team. They're unique. Relentless on the glass. There's not many teams like them."
The final rebounding margin: Minnesota 52, Miami 24.
Chris Bosh*scored 15 points and*Mario Chalmers*added 12 for the Heat, who gave up 21 of the game's first 24 rebounds.
Andrei Kirilenko*scored 22 for Minnesota, which played without guard*Ricky Rubio, who's being eased back after recovering from knee surgery. The Timberwolves dropped their second straight.*Kevin Love*finished with 11 points and 18 rebounds, and*Nikola Pekovic*had a 18-point, 12-rebound effort for the Timberwolves.
"We were pretty active. What we take away from it is we've got to be more physical," Love said. "I'm not saying we're soft but we definitely need to be more physical. And we are in stretches."
James topped the 20-point mark for the 27th straight regular-season game and 43rd straight.
"We're getting better every night," James said.
A 24-9 run in the second half was the deciding blow for Miami, with James leading the way, getting 11 of those points and assisting on three other scores during the spurt. James had a pair of 3-pointers during the run, including one that put Miami up by 10 late in the third, and then he capped it with a three-point play after connecting on a running jumper with 10:26 left.
In eight minutes, what was a 63-62 deficit became an 86-72 Miami lead.
And when James took an alley-oop from*Ray Allen*for a dunk in transition with 7:36 left, the lead was 16 -- then Miami's largest -- and the reigning NBA MVP's streak of 20-point games was extended as well. On the next Miami possession, James found*Shane Battier*for a 3-pointer along the left wing. The lead was 97-78 with 7:09 left, and James walked back to the Heat bench pumping his right fist with satisfied emphasis.
"That's an unbelievable rebounding team," Wade said. "We made up for it with our energy."
That, and 14 blocks, tied for fourth-most in Heat history. Miami blocked 15 shots on three other occasions.
Wade -- generously listed at 6-foot-4 -- blocked a two-handed dunk try by the 6-10 Love at the rim to spark one second-quarter burst, and also registered a block against the 6-11 Pekovic later in the period.
Wade had a pair of spectacular plays at the rim in the second as well, and he set Chalmers up for a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the half to send Miami into the break with a 52-49 edge.
It was the fifth straight time the Heat have beaten the Timberwolves. The last time Minnesota beat Miami was Feb. 23, 2010 -- not all that long ago in real time but eons ago in Heat time, considering none of the five players in the starting lineup for that loss were even on last season's championship team, much less on the current roster.
Luke Ridnour*scored 13 and JJ Barea added 10 for Minnesota.
"I like the way our guys battled," Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman said. "We just have to respond."
Minnesota's frontcourt of Kirilenko, Love and Pekovic knew it had a size advantage, but what it managed on the glass in the early going was ridiculous. Minnesota's rebounding edge was 13-2 after nine minutes -- Love already had seven -- and 18-3 after the first quarter.
The Timberwolves had 17 second-chance points in the first quarter alone, after coming into the night averaging 15 per game all season.
Game notes
Miami plays at Dallas on Thursday, which would be just the second road game for the Heat since Nov. 17. It's only a one-game trip, with the Heat back home to face Utah on Saturday and then host Oklahoma City in an NBA Finals rematch on Christmas Day. ... Adelman said before the game that there's no need to rush Rubio back into the lineup, and also lauded Spoelstra -- who he's known for years. ... Love had 10 rebounds by the midpoint of the second quarter. No Heat player finished with more than seven rebounds. ... Pekovic had nine offensive boards. Miami, as a team, had six.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report....
ESPN.com news services
MIAMI -- The*Miami Heat*were outrebounded by 28, matching the second-largest margin in team history. They finished with only 24 boards, matching the second-lowest total in any game over the franchise's quarter century of existence.
Somehow, none of that mattered.
Dwyane Wade*scored 24 points,*LeBron James*added 22 points and 11 assists and the Heat survived a strangely one-sided night on the glass to beat the*Minnesota Timberwolves*103-92 on Tuesday night.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Heat are the first team to win a game in which they were outrebounded by 29 or more since the Warriors defeated the Spurs on Jan. 6, 1994, despite being outrebounded, 71-36.
"I don't know how many times I've seen that, where you get doubled up on the rebounding and still escape with the win," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That's a tough team. They're unique. Relentless on the glass. There's not many teams like them."
The final rebounding margin: Minnesota 52, Miami 24.
Chris Bosh*scored 15 points and*Mario Chalmers*added 12 for the Heat, who gave up 21 of the game's first 24 rebounds.
Andrei Kirilenko*scored 22 for Minnesota, which played without guard*Ricky Rubio, who's being eased back after recovering from knee surgery. The Timberwolves dropped their second straight.*Kevin Love*finished with 11 points and 18 rebounds, and*Nikola Pekovic*had a 18-point, 12-rebound effort for the Timberwolves.
"We were pretty active. What we take away from it is we've got to be more physical," Love said. "I'm not saying we're soft but we definitely need to be more physical. And we are in stretches."
James topped the 20-point mark for the 27th straight regular-season game and 43rd straight.
"We're getting better every night," James said.
A 24-9 run in the second half was the deciding blow for Miami, with James leading the way, getting 11 of those points and assisting on three other scores during the spurt. James had a pair of 3-pointers during the run, including one that put Miami up by 10 late in the third, and then he capped it with a three-point play after connecting on a running jumper with 10:26 left.
In eight minutes, what was a 63-62 deficit became an 86-72 Miami lead.
And when James took an alley-oop from*Ray Allen*for a dunk in transition with 7:36 left, the lead was 16 -- then Miami's largest -- and the reigning NBA MVP's streak of 20-point games was extended as well. On the next Miami possession, James found*Shane Battier*for a 3-pointer along the left wing. The lead was 97-78 with 7:09 left, and James walked back to the Heat bench pumping his right fist with satisfied emphasis.
"That's an unbelievable rebounding team," Wade said. "We made up for it with our energy."
That, and 14 blocks, tied for fourth-most in Heat history. Miami blocked 15 shots on three other occasions.
Wade -- generously listed at 6-foot-4 -- blocked a two-handed dunk try by the 6-10 Love at the rim to spark one second-quarter burst, and also registered a block against the 6-11 Pekovic later in the period.
Wade had a pair of spectacular plays at the rim in the second as well, and he set Chalmers up for a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the half to send Miami into the break with a 52-49 edge.
It was the fifth straight time the Heat have beaten the Timberwolves. The last time Minnesota beat Miami was Feb. 23, 2010 -- not all that long ago in real time but eons ago in Heat time, considering none of the five players in the starting lineup for that loss were even on last season's championship team, much less on the current roster.
Luke Ridnour*scored 13 and JJ Barea added 10 for Minnesota.
"I like the way our guys battled," Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman said. "We just have to respond."
Minnesota's frontcourt of Kirilenko, Love and Pekovic knew it had a size advantage, but what it managed on the glass in the early going was ridiculous. Minnesota's rebounding edge was 13-2 after nine minutes -- Love already had seven -- and 18-3 after the first quarter.
The Timberwolves had 17 second-chance points in the first quarter alone, after coming into the night averaging 15 per game all season.
Game notes
Miami plays at Dallas on Thursday, which would be just the second road game for the Heat since Nov. 17. It's only a one-game trip, with the Heat back home to face Utah on Saturday and then host Oklahoma City in an NBA Finals rematch on Christmas Day. ... Adelman said before the game that there's no need to rush Rubio back into the lineup, and also lauded Spoelstra -- who he's known for years. ... Love had 10 rebounds by the midpoint of the second quarter. No Heat player finished with more than seven rebounds. ... Pekovic had nine offensive boards. Miami, as a team, had six.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report....
Love is better though... Why would the Wolves even want Bosh???
I'm not exactly sure if it is legit trade talk at this point. Let me find a link but it's just chatter at this point. I'm sure the Heat wouldn't mind though.
Heat-Mavericks Preview
STATS LLC
Dirk Nowitzki is getting closer to making his debut for the Dallas Mavericks, though they'll certainly need more than just his presence in the lineup to improve one of the NBA's worst defenses.
A day after getting the good news that Nowitzki is on the mend, the Mavericks will have a serious challenge against one of the league's highest-scoring teams Thursday night as they look to avoid a third straight loss to the visiting Miami Heat.
Nowitzki has been recovering from offseason knee surgery and took a major step forward by participating in full-contact practice drills for the first time Wednesday. Though he said there's no timetable for his return, he's hoping it will be shortly after Christmas.
"We'll just see how it goes. I mean, this is the first day we're stopping, pushing off, moving and we'll just see how it reacts," Nowitzki told the team's official website. "Get at least a couple practices under my belt, but there's no real date set, so we'll just have to wait and see how the knee responds to the first couple of workouts."
While the Mavericks (12-13) sure could use the franchise's all-time leading scorer, it's their defense that has caused a good portion of their struggles. They rank near the bottom of the league by allowing 101.5 points per game and have given up fewer than 90 only once.
The offense carried Dallas in a 107-100 home win over Philadelphia on Tuesday, as the Mavs shot 54.2 percent after going winless on a three-game road trip.
O.J. Mayo scored 26 points and Chris Kaman added 20 while combining to score 17 of the team's final 19 points. Kaman hadn't logged fourth-quarter minutes in the previous five games.
"We try to involve those guys in a lot of things because they're both playing well," coach Rick Carlisle said. "(Mayo's) aggression was really the key."
Not only will Nowitzki not be available, but Dallas won't have starting point guard Derek Fisher in the lineup due to a strained right knee. Fisher will miss three games after getting hurt in the first quarter Tuesday.
The Mavericks won their third straight at home to begin a two-game homestand before hitting the road for tough tests at Memphis, San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
"It was important for us to come home and get a win," Mayo said.
Dallas had won nine straight regular-season home matchups with Miami before LeBron James scored 37 points and Dwyane Wade added 26 in a 105-94 win last Christmas Day to open the lockout-shortened season.
The Heat swept the season series with a 106-85 victory March 29 and will seek their first three-game regular-season winning streak over the Mavericks since beating them 16 straight times from 1992-1999.
James has been the catalyst for a Miami offense averaging 103.1 points, becoming the first player to score at least 20 points his team's first 22 games since Utah's Karl Malone in 1989-90 after netting 22 in Tuesday's 103-92 win over Minnesota.
"We're getting better every night," said James, who added 11 assists, seven rebounds and four blocks.
Wade scored a game-high 24 points for the Heat (16-6), who won despite being outrebounded 52-24.
"You better be strong in other areas of the game," Shane Battier, who hit three 3-pointers off the bench, told the team's official website. "That's a not an easy to way to win a game. But you have to do your work elsewhere to make up for it."
It marked the second-fewest rebounds they have grabbed in franchise history.
"We made up for it with our energy," Wade said.
James is averaging 30.4 points in his last seven regular-season games in Dallas.
STATS LLC
Dirk Nowitzki is getting closer to making his debut for the Dallas Mavericks, though they'll certainly need more than just his presence in the lineup to improve one of the NBA's worst defenses.
A day after getting the good news that Nowitzki is on the mend, the Mavericks will have a serious challenge against one of the league's highest-scoring teams Thursday night as they look to avoid a third straight loss to the visiting Miami Heat.
Nowitzki has been recovering from offseason knee surgery and took a major step forward by participating in full-contact practice drills for the first time Wednesday. Though he said there's no timetable for his return, he's hoping it will be shortly after Christmas.
"We'll just see how it goes. I mean, this is the first day we're stopping, pushing off, moving and we'll just see how it reacts," Nowitzki told the team's official website. "Get at least a couple practices under my belt, but there's no real date set, so we'll just have to wait and see how the knee responds to the first couple of workouts."
While the Mavericks (12-13) sure could use the franchise's all-time leading scorer, it's their defense that has caused a good portion of their struggles. They rank near the bottom of the league by allowing 101.5 points per game and have given up fewer than 90 only once.
The offense carried Dallas in a 107-100 home win over Philadelphia on Tuesday, as the Mavs shot 54.2 percent after going winless on a three-game road trip.
O.J. Mayo scored 26 points and Chris Kaman added 20 while combining to score 17 of the team's final 19 points. Kaman hadn't logged fourth-quarter minutes in the previous five games.
"We try to involve those guys in a lot of things because they're both playing well," coach Rick Carlisle said. "(Mayo's) aggression was really the key."
Not only will Nowitzki not be available, but Dallas won't have starting point guard Derek Fisher in the lineup due to a strained right knee. Fisher will miss three games after getting hurt in the first quarter Tuesday.
The Mavericks won their third straight at home to begin a two-game homestand before hitting the road for tough tests at Memphis, San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
"It was important for us to come home and get a win," Mayo said.
Dallas had won nine straight regular-season home matchups with Miami before LeBron James scored 37 points and Dwyane Wade added 26 in a 105-94 win last Christmas Day to open the lockout-shortened season.
The Heat swept the season series with a 106-85 victory March 29 and will seek their first three-game regular-season winning streak over the Mavericks since beating them 16 straight times from 1992-1999.
James has been the catalyst for a Miami offense averaging 103.1 points, becoming the first player to score at least 20 points his team's first 22 games since Utah's Karl Malone in 1989-90 after netting 22 in Tuesday's 103-92 win over Minnesota.
"We're getting better every night," said James, who added 11 assists, seven rebounds and four blocks.
Wade scored a game-high 24 points for the Heat (16-6), who won despite being outrebounded 52-24.
"You better be strong in other areas of the game," Shane Battier, who hit three 3-pointers off the bench, told the team's official website. "That's a not an easy to way to win a game. But you have to do your work elsewhere to make up for it."
It marked the second-fewest rebounds they have grabbed in franchise history.
"We made up for it with our energy," Wade said.
James is averaging 30.4 points in his last seven regular-season games in Dallas.
First Heat game I've watched in weeks.
Whats up with this defense? Have they finally decided to turn it up?
Whats up with this defense? Have they finally decided to turn it up?
Heat turning the corner defensively
They been extra crispy offensively
@ ninjas saying Wade ain't the same you right he is evolving his game like MJ did in becoming a post player
Yup....prolonging his career
containing the penetration helps, gotta protect the paint from dribble drives(which didn't happen early on)
Heat dominating these Mavs.
Damn Miami killing these niggas.
How good is Dallas? I don't want to get over hyped about them beating down some scrubs. lol
How good is Dallas? I don't want to get over hyped about them beating down some scrubs. lol
Time to let these niggas (naysayers) know what time it is
Now it's time for the Heat to walk niggas down the rest of the season...
I'm glad Haslem gave them that pep talk... No matter what you do nobody likes us was his words
They adopted the attitude to get up and play every game... Fuck these niggas
Now it's time for the Heat to walk niggas down the rest of the season...
I'm glad Haslem gave them that pep talk... No matter what you do nobody likes us was his words
They adopted the attitude to get up and play every game... Fuck these niggas
Scrubs or not at the beginning the heat didn't get up to play mofos so that's why teams like the wizards won the first meeting
Nah team got to get up and play EVERY TEAM and they are doing that now and it's good to see
Dallas misses Dirk tonight, but OJ Mayo and the team have done better than I think people expected. Dallas has played well this year IMO. But its almost like the Heat have made a point to "get up" for the Mavs every time they face them since losing to them in the Finals 2 years ago. They blew em out in Dallas last year in the first game of the season.
Whatever it is they need to stay focused and keep this up. Them Knick ass niggas getting a little too comfortable 
Its a Dirkless Mavs. Theres nothing "killer" about whats going on.
The 2.5 Heat look nothing like they did last year. And the Love for Bosh trade talks are bs. TRUST ME. The Bulls have a better shot at getting Love in FA than the Heat do via a trade.
BULLS!!!!!!!!
But you will admit though, if you going to put away scrub ass teams, this is the way you do it. Not letting them linger in the game and flirt at a chance at winning. Pure blow out fashion.
Shut up nigga your act is beyond lame now
Focus on getting rose back and stop talking shit
Y'all lost to the mavs tho
Preview: Utah Jazz at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
** TV: Sun Sports. Radio: 790-AM, 104.3-FM, 760-AM, 710-AM (Spanish).
** Scouting report: This is the first game of the two-game season series . . . The Heat lost the lone meeting during last season's lockout-compacted schedule 99-98 in Utah on a missed jumper by power forward Udonis Haslem just before the final buzzer . . . The Jazz have won three of the last four meetings, but the Heat have won seven of the last eight matchups at AmericanAirlines Arena . . . The Heat enter 12-2 at home, including 9-0 at home when leading at halftime . . . The Jazz will be well-rested, idle since Wednesday's 104-84 loss in Indiana, when point guard Mo Williams, with 11 points, was the only starter to score more than seven . . . Utah has lost three of four after winning their previous four, with this the third stop on a four-game trip. The Jazz enter 5-11 on the road . . . Guard Raja Bell is not with the Jazz due to organizational differences, with a buyout eventually expected . . . Jazz coach Ty Corbin played 22 games with the Heat under Pat Riley in 1996 . . . Guard Terrel Harris (flu) is quetionable for the Heat.
** TV: Sun Sports. Radio: 790-AM, 104.3-FM, 760-AM, 710-AM (Spanish).
** Scouting report: This is the first game of the two-game season series . . . The Heat lost the lone meeting during last season's lockout-compacted schedule 99-98 in Utah on a missed jumper by power forward Udonis Haslem just before the final buzzer . . . The Jazz have won three of the last four meetings, but the Heat have won seven of the last eight matchups at AmericanAirlines Arena . . . The Heat enter 12-2 at home, including 9-0 at home when leading at halftime . . . The Jazz will be well-rested, idle since Wednesday's 104-84 loss in Indiana, when point guard Mo Williams, with 11 points, was the only starter to score more than seven . . . Utah has lost three of four after winning their previous four, with this the third stop on a four-game trip. The Jazz enter 5-11 on the road . . . Guard Raja Bell is not with the Jazz due to organizational differences, with a buyout eventually expected . . . Jazz coach Ty Corbin played 22 games with the Heat under Pat Riley in 1996 . . . Guard Terrel Harris (flu) is quetionable for the Heat.
Jason Terry still finding time to talk shit...
Shot fired
*** Although no longer with the Mavericks, Jason Terry still managed to get a shot in in advance of Heat-Mavericks.
* After Boston Celtics teammate Paul Pierce scored 40 points Wednesday against the Cavaliers, Terry noted how Pierce has made his mark by staying with one team his entire career.
*** "Not a lot of guys in this league stay in one franchise," Terry said. "You can count them on your hand right now."
** Then there was a shot either at James or Ray Allen (and Dwight Howard), depending on how you wanted to take it, when Terry praised Pierce by citing, "his willingness to stick through the tough times and not just jump off, 'I'm out of here! I'm going to join forces with Kobe [Bryant],' or 'I'm going to play with Dwyane Wade.' "
** Terry left the Mavericks in the offseason to sign with the Celtics in free agency, leading to Allen's departure to the Heat.
Shot fired
*** Although no longer with the Mavericks, Jason Terry still managed to get a shot in in advance of Heat-Mavericks.
* After Boston Celtics teammate Paul Pierce scored 40 points Wednesday against the Cavaliers, Terry noted how Pierce has made his mark by staying with one team his entire career.
*** "Not a lot of guys in this league stay in one franchise," Terry said. "You can count them on your hand right now."
** Then there was a shot either at James or Ray Allen (and Dwight Howard), depending on how you wanted to take it, when Terry praised Pierce by citing, "his willingness to stick through the tough times and not just jump off, 'I'm out of here! I'm going to join forces with Kobe [Bryant],' or 'I'm going to play with Dwyane Wade.' "
** Terry left the Mavericks in the offseason to sign with the Celtics in free agency, leading to Allen's departure to the Heat.
That bitch ass nigga is irrelevant. I'm sure he was too stupid to consider the biggest bitch on his team (Kevin Garnet) when he made that comment. Ole peanut head ass nigga.
Hmmm since Anthony been getting burn Heat getting a lot more defensive rebs and extra possessions
Turned up their defensive play
It pains me to say that I think the hidden antidote is to sit Rashard Lewis' bitch ass down. Nigga is a liability out there
I mean don't get me wrong, Ray is too but he bring them tangibles so his defensive posture is neutralized with what he can do with 4 seconds left on the clock and they down by 2
My Heat bringing that defensive posture back into the forefront of their arsenal.
I was proud of these dudes tonight. The proudest I've been since Championship Week
I was proud of these dudes tonight. The proudest I've been since Championship Week
My Heat bringing that defensive posture back into the forefront of their arsenal.
I was proud of these dudes tonight. The proudest I've been since Championship Week
Right back to work folks....
Heat-Bobcats Preview
STATS LLC
Just when the Miami Heat appeared vulnerable, they've surged and again look like one of the league's best teams.
Wednesday night's game in Charlotte appears to be a mismatch as the Bobcats try to snap a 15-game losing streak overall and an eight-game skid against the Heat.
The Heat lost three of five from Dec. 4-12, one of which was only the second of three wins this season for Washington. Miami (19-6) has won five straight since that rough patch, with the first four coming by an average of 18.0 points.
Though if there's an opportunity for the Bobcats to sneak up on the Heat, Wednesday might be it.
Miami will be playing for the second straight night after a grueling 103-97 win over Oklahoma City on Christmas. The NBA Finals rematch left LeBron James saying he was "tired as hell" more than an hour after finishing with 29 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to help the franchise match its best 25-game start. James has scored at least 20 in his last 30 regular-season games and in 46 games overall.
The Heat needed a couple of unlikely performances -- 19-for-19 team free-throw shooting and a season-high 20 points from Mario Chalmers -- to ensure the win.
"I got going early," Chalmers said. "And I stuck with it."
Charlotte (7-20) initially showed promise after last year's 7-59 debacle with a 7-5 start to the season, but a 110-88 loss at Denver on Saturday marked the team's 15th straight defeat. The Bobcats lost the final 23 games of last season, and the league record is Cleveland's 26 from two years ago.
They allowed 99.6 points per game through their first 12 contests -- not an elite mark but substantially better than their league-worst 109.4 since then. Opponents have particularly exposed Charlotte on the interior, with the Nuggets scoring 78 points in the paint.
"We're a young team," said leading scorer Kemba Walker, who is averaging 18.3 points. "We've got a few vets, but our core group is really young. Losing is one of the hardest things you can ever go through, especially losing as many as we've lost. But at the same time, you've got to keep your chin up. You've got to know that these losses will turn into wins one day."
Recent injuries make matters worse for the Bobcats. Ben Gordon (right knee soreness) and Gerald Henderson (bruised shin), who combined to average 26.5 points, could return Wednesday, but Byron Mullens is expected to miss significant time because of an ankle sprain he sustained in the final moments Saturday. Mullens is averaging 11.6 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds.
Miami won the three meetings last season by an average of 21.0 points, and hasn't lost to the Bobcats since March 9, 2010.
Chris Bosh, a career 19.7 per game scorer, is averaging 24.0 points lifetime against Charlotte, his highest average against any opponent.
Heat-Bobcats Preview
STATS LLC
Just when the Miami Heat appeared vulnerable, they've surged and again look like one of the league's best teams.
Wednesday night's game in Charlotte appears to be a mismatch as the Bobcats try to snap a 15-game losing streak overall and an eight-game skid against the Heat.
The Heat lost three of five from Dec. 4-12, one of which was only the second of three wins this season for Washington. Miami (19-6) has won five straight since that rough patch, with the first four coming by an average of 18.0 points.
Though if there's an opportunity for the Bobcats to sneak up on the Heat, Wednesday might be it.
Miami will be playing for the second straight night after a grueling 103-97 win over Oklahoma City on Christmas. The NBA Finals rematch left LeBron James saying he was "tired as hell" more than an hour after finishing with 29 points, nine rebounds and eight assists to help the franchise match its best 25-game start. James has scored at least 20 in his last 30 regular-season games and in 46 games overall.
The Heat needed a couple of unlikely performances -- 19-for-19 team free-throw shooting and a season-high 20 points from Mario Chalmers -- to ensure the win.
"I got going early," Chalmers said. "And I stuck with it."
Charlotte (7-20) initially showed promise after last year's 7-59 debacle with a 7-5 start to the season, but a 110-88 loss at Denver on Saturday marked the team's 15th straight defeat. The Bobcats lost the final 23 games of last season, and the league record is Cleveland's 26 from two years ago.
They allowed 99.6 points per game through their first 12 contests -- not an elite mark but substantially better than their league-worst 109.4 since then. Opponents have particularly exposed Charlotte on the interior, with the Nuggets scoring 78 points in the paint.
"We're a young team," said leading scorer Kemba Walker, who is averaging 18.3 points. "We've got a few vets, but our core group is really young. Losing is one of the hardest things you can ever go through, especially losing as many as we've lost. But at the same time, you've got to keep your chin up. You've got to know that these losses will turn into wins one day."
Recent injuries make matters worse for the Bobcats. Ben Gordon (right knee soreness) and Gerald Henderson (bruised shin), who combined to average 26.5 points, could return Wednesday, but Byron Mullens is expected to miss significant time because of an ankle sprain he sustained in the final moments Saturday. Mullens is averaging 11.6 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds.
Miami won the three meetings last season by an average of 21.0 points, and hasn't lost to the Bobcats since March 9, 2010.
Chris Bosh, a career 19.7 per game scorer, is averaging 24.0 points lifetime against Charlotte, his highest average against any opponent.
Miami on cruise control right now
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Similar threads
