The Miami HEAT fell to the San Antonio Spurs 119-101 Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Dwyane Wade led the way for the HEAT with 20 points. Chris Bosh added 18 points for Miami.
1. Wade-to-Whiteside Connection
We all know the great chemistry that Wade and Hassan Whiteside have developed over the past year or so. In the first half on Tuesday night, it was on full display once more. Wade hit a number of jumpers through the first two quarters thanks to hard screens by Whiteside that forced a switch. On the flip side, Wade returned the favor with a few passes inside to the big man.
Still, Whiteside’s most impressive finish came off a Justise Winslow entry pass with 6:14 left in the second quarter. Whiteside had position on the left block with Kawhi Leonard a bit behind, so the center took it across the lane after the catch until he was met by David West. Not fazed, Whiteside hit the up-and-under reverse despite the foul. He also nailed the ensuing free throw.
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Whiteside had a number of nice finishes throughout, including a spinning hook shot in the third quarter. He finished with 14 points and six boards on 6-of-9 shooting.
Wade, meanwhile, really got into a rhythm thanks to Whiteside’s presence earlier. The vet carried that over into the second half, where he continued to convert from the perimeter. Despite being defended by Leonard, Wade stayed on the attack and was sharp on the offensive end all night. Even with the HEAT down double-digits late in the game, he continued to plug away and led by example. Wade shot a very efficient 9-of-12 for his 20 points and also dished out five assists.
2. Deng Does It on Both Ends
Like on Sunday against the Clippers, Luol Deng did a lot of the dirty work against the Spurs. He had the tall task of guarding Leonard for a most of the game and he fared quite well. Deng gave Leonard very little airspace and made most of his looks difficult. On the other side of the ball, he ran out in transition and also knocked down a few corner threes for Miami. Deng totaled 11 points and two boards on the night.
3. Dragic in Control Early
From the jump, Goran Dragic came out very aggressive. Early on, he controlled the offense and set up his teammates with some open looks. As a result, he totaled six points and four assists in the first half. Two of his field goals during that span came off jumpers, with one really standing out.
On that play with 3:20 left in the first quarter, Dragic hit Patty Mills with the sick crossover, drove inside and then stopped at right around the free throw line for the open jumper.
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The Slovenian ended up with 10 points six assists on 5-of-9 shooting against San Antonio.
Other Takeaways:
-Beno Udrih had a very strong outing and hit a number of mid-range jumpers on Tuesday night. His aggressiveness off the bench was good to see and helped the HEAT early on. Udrih finished the contest with 13 points and three assists.
-With the All-Star Break ahead, Miami won’t play again until February 19 against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena.
Game Note: Tyler Johnson (shoulder surgery) and Chris Andersen (knee) were inactive.
