(Photo Credit: Issac Baldizon)
The Miami HEAT easily dispatched the Atlanta Hawks 98-81 Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. The HEAT jumped out to an early double-digit lead and never looked back. The win was the HEAT's 19th straight. The HEAT play tomorrow night in Philadelphia against the 76ers.
Impact Performance of the Night: Over the course of the winning streak, Dwyane Wade has been excellent. He kept with it tonight, finishing with 23 points, six assists, five steals and four rebounds. Wade’s activity on the defense end was exceptional, as was his ability to finish in traffic.
The Deciding Run: In the first quarter the HEAT went on a quick 11-2 run, giving them a 22-10 lead. The HEAT never looked back, staying in control for the balance of the contest. Turnovers early hurt the Hawks, as the HEAT took advantage.
Play of the Game: Very rarely do we see something we’ve never seen before. Tonight, we got the chance when Udonis Haslem, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined for a crazy sequence that led to a layup. Haslem grabbed a board and threw it up to James. James stumbled, and while the ball was bouncing away, he tapped it to a cutting Wade who finished the layup. It wasn’t exactly how the HEAT draw it up, but it produced the highlight of the game. Apologies to Chris Andersen’s ridiculous reverse alley oop, a play that would win on most nights.
Efficiency Rating: Offensive Efficiency: 100.8; Defensive Efficiency: 82.5
Trend to Watch: The balance displayed tonight is encouraging. No HEAT player was forced to carry the load alone. Ten players scored for the HEAT, five finishing with double figures. While James struggled a bit from the field, he still got to the line and found open teammates. Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem both played very well, balancing out starting lineup. The collective effort was as strong as it has been this season.
The Takeaway: The HEAT dispatched another playoff team with relative ease. The team found a way to win by 17 points without having a hot shooting night. The HEAT locked the Hawks down, causing all kinds of trouble in the passing lanes. Had the HEAT experienced a letdown after the Pacers game it would have been somewhat expected. Instead, the HEAT came out, took a commanding first quarter lead and never looked back.
Notes: LeBron James finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Chris Bosh pitched in 14 points. Mario Chalmers finished with 14 points and five assists. Udonis Haslem added six points and 11 rebounds. Juwan Howard and Jarvis Varnado were inactive.
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