(Photo Credit: Issac Baldizon)
The Miami HEAT won their sixth straight game Tuesday night, with a 117-104 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. The HEAT trailed by double digits in the first half before catching up and ultimately pulling away late in the fourth quarter. The HEAT hit the road, taking on the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Thursday night.
Impact Performance of the Night: Just as the honor was split against the Lakers, it is split tonight. Chris Bosh and LeBron James both played superbly. Bosh scored 32 points on 13-for-16 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. James finished with 30 points on 11-15 shooting, nine assists and six rebounds. Bosh hit eight jumpers, many contested. James dominated in the restricted area, hitting all eight of his attempts there.
The Deciding Run: With the HEAT, a quick outburst is always just around the corner. No deficit is insurmountable and a close game can be blown open in an instant. Tonight, after Wes Matthews gave the Blazers a 102-101 lead, the HEAT did the latter. In a minute and a half the HEAT went on a 10-0 run. With two threes, a layup and a pair of foul shots, the HEAT effectively ended the game.
Play of the Game: The final dagger in during the 10-0 run was a block/three sequence by the HEAT. Damian Lillard, who was fantastic, saw the lane open and took the ball to the rack. LeBron James came flying in from the left wing, swatting Lillard’s attempt. Wade grabbed the board, brought the ball up the floor and found Mario Chalmers, who drilled a three. Game, set, match.
Efficiency Rating: Offensive Efficiency: 137.8; Defensive Efficiency: 112.1
Trend to Watch: The HEAT offense was clicking almost all night. Aside from a brief drought in the second quarter, the HEAT fired on all cylinders, finding open shots all over the floor. The HEAT took 19 threes, hitting eight of them. They also got 24 shots in the restricted area, making 21. High value shots were to be had all game long and the HEAT finding them was important in what ended up being a shootout. The homestand was host to one of the best six-game offensive stretches for the HEAT this season.
The Takeaway: Fun, fun game. The HEAT got down early but battled back. Similar to the Lakers game, the team was able to make defensive stands when they needed to late in the game. The Blazers hit a fair amount of contested jumpers, which will make the defensive effort seem less than perfect, but the reality is that the HEAT played well on that end for the most part. Offensively, the HEAT were a machine. Finishing off a homestand 6-0 is a nice boost going into the game against the Thunder and the All-Star break.
Notes: Dwyane Wade scored 24 points. Ray Allen added 14 points off of the bench. Shane Battier finished with nine points, all on three-pointers. Udonis Haslem left the game with a leg contusion. Mike Miller was out with flu-like symptoms. Dexter Pittman was inactive.
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