(Photo Credit: Cameron Browne)
The Miami HEAT lost their second straight game, losing 92-90 to the Portland Trail Blazers. The HEAT were done in by late three-pointers by Wesley Matthews. The HEAT return to the court Saturday night when they take on the Sacramento Kings.
Impact Performance of the Night: What a game by Nic Batum. The Blazers’ small forward was excellent, scoring 28 points, grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out five assists and throwing in two steals and a block for good measure. Batum was everywhere on both ends of the floor and had the assist of the game, finding an open Wes Matthews in the left corner for a huge three.
The Deciding Run: We’ll go with the quick 6-2 run the Blazers went on to tie the game, then take the lead. Wes Matthews hit two humongous shots for Portland. That spurt will be remembered by Blazers fans for a long time. The HEAT’s five-minute scoring drought in the third quarter was also a big turning point.
Play of the Game: Again, the back to back threes by Wes Matthews. The first, to tie the game, was a brilliant design by Terry Stotts of the Blazers. The second three, the bigger three, was the contested step-back jumper Matthews hit over Ray Allen. It was the classic “No, no, yes!” shot. Matthews showed guts taking it, and in making it he won Portland the game.
Efficiency Rating: Offensive Efficiency: 94.6; Defensive Efficiency: 95.6
Trend to Watch: It’s sometimes hard to see positives in the loss, but keep an eye on the defense. The rotations were sharper than they’ve been since the Christmas Day victory over the Thunder. Also, the HEAT were relentless on their ball pressure, tipping passes all over the court. The energy level shown was extremely encouraging. The result may not have been what fans want, but the process was there for most of the night. That looked like the HEAT defense we’ve grown accustomed to seeing.
The Takeaway: Unlike the losses to the Pacers and Bulls, this one was more of a coin flip. Wes Matthews nailed a contested three late while Ray Allen and Mario Chalmers each missed their open opportunities. The HEAT called “heads” and the coin came up tails. There were more positives than negatives in this game. The defense and rebounding were solid all night. While the offense sputtered at times, the HEAT got good looks all night, including the last few possessions. This was a good game, not a bad game, regardless of the result.
Notes: Chris Bosh led the HEAT with 29 points, four rebounds and four blocked shots. Dwyane Wade scored 18 points. LeBron James finished with 15 points, ten rebounds and nine assists, snapping his streak of 20-point games. Shane Battier and Dexter Pittman were inactive.
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