(Photo Credit: Issac Baldizon)
The Miami HEAT dispatched the Utah Jazz 105-89 Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. A third quarter burst gave the HEAT a big lead that they never relinquished. The HEAT host the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday evening.
Impact Performance of the Night: LeBron James flirted with a triple-double once again. James finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. He got to the line at will and made his only three-point attempt. No Jazz defender could contain James.
The Deciding Run: It’s hard to start a quarter better than the HEAT did in the third quarter. In the first minute and a half the HEAT went on an 8-0 run to stretch the lead to 12 points. LeBron James started it off with a jumper and Shane Battier followed with back-to-back threes.
Play of the Game: Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem combined to block Paul Millsap at the end of the first half. The block sent Millsap to the ground and the HEAT were able to get a bucket on the other end.
Sum It Up, Coach: “That’s a physical team. Without Chris, a man short, guys really stepped up to the challenge. They just keep on coming. Our guys were focused on trying to win those big muscle areas.” –Erik Spoelstra
Efficiency Rating: Offensive Efficiency: 113.3; Defensive Efficiency: 95.2
Trend to Watch: The HEAT have relied on corner threes all season. They have taken 8.5 a game this season. Tonight, the HEAT took 10 corner threes, making six. These threes are often a result of the defense collapsing on a HEAT player in the post or in the paint. The HEAT did a good job of making the Jazz pay from the outside.
The Takeaway: This is a nice win because the Jazz’ team construction is unique and they’re a difficult matchup for the HEAT. With Chris Bosh out, the HEAT started three players at 6’8 along the frontline. Despite the size difference, the HEAT were able to hold their own on the glass and in the paint. The defense was strong once again, which is probably the best sign of all.
Notes: Dwyane Wade was excellent, finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Shane Battier made four three-pointers and finished with 15 big points. Chris Bosh and Josh Harrellson were inactive; both are sick.
