The visiting Miami Heat handily defeated the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, 108-90.
The Heat (25-32) entered the All-Star break as one of the league’s hottest
teams, having won 14 of their last 16 games. Miami added to the wins column
again on Friday in what was a well-rounded team effort. Six members of the team
scored in double-digits, including 23 for bench guard Tyler Johnson. Another big
point of emphasis in the win was rebounding, where the Heat held a big edge.
Miami finished the game with a 54-45 advantage on the glass. Although the team
shot just 40 percent from the field, Miami moved the ball exceptionally well.
The Heat notched 30 assists on the night. Atlanta (32-25) is in the thick of a
tight Eastern Conference playoff race. On Friday, though, the team saw a fairly
dismal outcome, as the 18-point loss came in their first game back from the
All-Star break. Though Miami was held to just 40 percent shooting, the Hawks
dipped below that total, hitting just 38 percent of their shots from the field.
All-Star Paul Millsap had a relatively strong game on the offensive end, scoring
21 points and shooting 6-of-9. However, he came away with just four rebounds,
contributing heavily to Atlanta’s problems on the boards. The Hawks will visit
Orlando on Saturday, while Miami will host the Pacers.
