Nuggets-Heat Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Nov 03 2012 1:12AM

LeBron James has been spectacular both times he has faced the Denver Nuggets since joining the Miami Heat.

Perhaps the key to which team will win Saturday night will be how well Dwyane Wade fares.

The Heat return home after a difficult trip that resulted in a loss as they try to drop the new-look Nuggets to 0-3.

Miami (1-1) and Denver have met three times since James joined the Heat, with the Nuggets winning twice. James was out with a sprained left ankle for one of the losses, averaging 34.0 points on 62.2 percent shooting in the other two games.

Wade has played in all three of those games. He scored 32 points in the Heat's 103-98 victory March 19, 2011, while averaging 14.0 points on 39.4 percent shooting in the defeats.

Miami fell 104-84 at New York on Friday. The Heat arrived in New York after a three-hour bus ride from nearby Newark, N.J. in the wake of the devastation in the area due to Superstorm Sandy.

Wade wasn't sure the game would be played under the circumstances and said at Friday's shootaround that it shouldn't. He donated his game check, around $210,000 before taxes, to relief efforts.

The Heat's effort, meanwhile, was flat throughout as they trailed the entire game and fell into a 16-point hole after one quarter. James led Miami with 23 points.

"They played a very good basketball game," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Got us on our heels pretty much the whole game and we weren't able to recover from there. We have to move on. We're clearly much better than this."

Miami finished with 21 turnovers after a clean performance with eight in Tuesday's 120-107 opening win over Boston.

The Nuggets are trying to avoid their first 0-3 start in six years in the finale of this road trip. Denver led the league in scoring with 104.1 points per game in 2011-12, but George Karl's team has averaged 82.0 on 37.8 shooting so far.

The Nuggets will look to get off to a better start after scoring 38 first-half points in Tuesday's 84-75 loss to Philadelphia and 37 to trail by 21 at the break in Friday's 102-89 defeat to Orlando.

"The first half we weren't very good at either end of the court," said Karl about Friday. "In Philly, we didn't make shots, but we played great defense and stayed in the game because of that."

Danilo Gallinari led Denver with 23 points and eight rebounds in his season debut after missing the opener with a sprained left ankle.

"This is just the beginning and we have some new guys on the team and the guys who were injured last year are now trying to get back in shape," Gallinari said. "We didn't do a good job, but I am sure tomorrow we are going to do better."

Newcomer Andre Iguodala has totaled 20 points on 34.8 percent shooting for Denver after being acquired from Philadelphia. Iguodala has lost his last 11 regular-season games against the Heat.

James will receive another honor Saturday when a banner is raised to commemorate his gold medal in the London Olympics.

The Nuggets have won 11 of the last 13 meetings.

Allen's four-point play lifts Heat, 119-116

By TIM REYNOLDS
Posted Nov 03 2012 11:41PM

MIAMI (AP) Ray Allen was left unguarded for about one second.

Big mistake.

And his first game-winner for the Miami Heat was one to remember.

Allen got a pass from LeBron James and converted a four-point play with 6.7 seconds left that put Miami ahead for good, and Chris Bosh scored 40 points to help the Heat hold off the Denver Nuggets 119-116 on Saturday night.

"LeBron found me," Allen said after just his third game with the Heat. "It was curtains."

The league's reigning MVP and its career leader in 3-point shooting combined to put Corey Brewer in a bad spot on Miami's last possession of the night.

Trailing by a point with 14.1 seconds left, the Heat called time out and designed a play where James would have the ball and the option to either drive or pass. He had just scored by driving the left side of the lane moments earlier, and started his move on the deciding possession by going in that same direction.

Brewer, who was shadowing Allen, saw James' drive and moved in for help. That left Allen alone, and he slipped to the left corner - one of his favorite spots on the floor. James threw him the ball, Allen got the shot off as a late-arriving Brewer fouled him, and yet another sellout crowd in Miami got a wild finish to a wild game.

"We've been on the other end, as the recipient of that type of pain, in the locker room when he puts the dagger to your heart with a 3 - and the and-one, just for the heck of it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Do we expect him to do that every single night? That's not necessarily what he has to do. It's what he's done his whole career, but he's found a way to fit in."

Allen scored 23 points, and James finished with 20 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds for the Heat, who escaped when Danilo Gallinari's 3-point try with 2 seconds left bounced off the rim.

Gallinari finished 3 for 17 from the floor, 1 for 9 from 3-point range.

"The timing wasn't right," Gallinari said.

Dwyane Wade added 14 points for Miami (2-1).

Kenneth Faried and Andre Iguodala each scored 22 for Denver, which fell to 0-3. Andre Miller made his first eight shots and finished with 17 for the Nuggets, who also got 16 points from JaVale McGee and outrebounded Miami 47-32.

"Right now we just need to get a win," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "This would have been a great win for us. It would have salvaged the trip. It doesn't feel good. It never feels good."

The 40 points were a Heat-high for Bosh, and they needed every one of them.

"Good teams find a way to win," Bosh said. "We haven't been playing our best basketball. We know we've gotten off to a slow start defensively. We have to pick that up. We have to make a better. I'm just glad we got out of here alive tonight."

It was a frantic last 3 minutes, and Denver seemed to take control in the final moments. Faried grabbed a rebound and scored with 49 seconds remaining, and after a Denver stop, the Nuggets took the lead when Iguodala connected over Wade from the left wing with 14.1 left on the clock for a 116-115 edge.

So for the first time this season, the Heat faced a last-second situation.

James and Allen - teammates now for all of three games - were in perfect synch. Allen made the shot, the free throw swished, the Heat lead was three, and they escaped.

"As I stepped up to the free-throw line, I was like, `Please make this free throw,"' Allen said. "It'll be a better story to tell."

Denver was up six midway through the fourth quarter, but the Heat erased the deficit in a hurry on a pair of 3-pointers by Allen, 41 seconds apart.

At various times in the early going, Denver held a 40-10 edge in points in the paint, a 12-0 advantage in second-chance points, and Faried and McGee were shooting a combined 13 for 16 in the game's first 20 minutes. By halftime, it was 66-64, the Nuggets having scored one more point than what anyone posted in the first half of any game against Miami last season, playoffs included.

Ultimately, the 23rd - and final - lead change of the night was pulled off by Allen and the Heat.

"It's good that he made them in a white and red uniform," Wade said.

NOTES: Denver didn't score more than 89 points in either of its first two outings this season - it had 91 by the end of the third quarter on Saturday. ... Miami has allowed 175 points in the first halves of its three games. ... The Heat shook up the rotation, with Norris Cole essentially being swapped out and replaced by Mike Miller. Heat backup C Joel Anthony also made his first appearance of the season, after battling a hamstring issue since training camp.

Notebook: Heat 119, Nuggets 116

Shandel D. Richardson, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Nov 03, 2012 11:22 PM - Updated Sat Nov 03, 2012 11:25 PM

THE FACTS: The Miami Heat defeated the Denver Nuggets 119-116 Saturday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Center Chris Bosh scored a game-high 40 points, but it was a jumpshot by Ray Allen with 6.7 seconds left that propelled the Heat to victory. With the Heat trailing by one, Allen made a 3-pointer from the corner and was fouled by Nuggets guard Corey Brewer. Allen made the free throw to complete the four-point play and put the Heat ahead by three.

Denver had a chance to tie, but Danilo Gallinari missed a long 3-pointer while being guarded by LeBron James. Allen finished with a season-high 23 points while James had 20 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.

Heat guard Dwyane Wade finished with 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting. The Nuggets had seven players in double figures, led by Andre Iguodala and Kenneth Faried, who each had 22 points.

QUOTABLE: "I got to that corner. (Corey) Brewer helped and turned his head just one split second and LeBron found me. It was curtains."

-- Allen on his winning four-point play with 6.7 seconds remaining.

THE STAT: The Heat shot 10-of-25 from the 3-point arc and made 85 percent on free throws (23-of-27.)

TURNING POINT: The Heat could not relax until Allen's jumpshot with 6.7 remaining. The teams went back and forth, with neither creating any real separation.

QUOTABLE II: "We have been on the other end of that pain when he puts the dagger to your heart with the three. He has a found a way to fit in and mesh with a team that has already had a lot of success."

-- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Allen's shot.

HOT: Bosh shot 15 of 22 from the field, putting together his best game in a Heat uniform. With James and Wade struggling on the perimeter, it was Bosh who helped Miami rally in the second half.

NOT: It's shocking the Nuggets were able to stay in the game with Gallinari struggling so badly from the field. He shot just 3-of-17, including 1-of-9 from the 3-point arc. Nearly half of his 13 points came from the foul line.

GOOD MOVE: Allen gets the credit for making the winning basket, but James' decision-making should also be applauded. He drew two defenders before making the easy pass to Allen in the corner.

BAD MOVE: James should always draw a defensive crowd, but Brewer made a questionable decision to leave one of the league's greatest shooters. The move proved costly, with Allen knocking down the open shot and drawing the foul.

NOTABLE: Heat center Joel Anthony, who had been out with a hamstring injury, made his first appearance of the season ... Miami backup center Dexter Pittman was inactive because of leg strain ... James was honored before the game when the team raised a banner for his Olympic achievement. He is the fourth player in Heat history to win a gold medal, joining Wade, Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning ... The Nuggets outscored the Heat 72-40 in the paint.

UP NEXT: For the Heat, Monday vs. Suns, Wednesday vs. Nets, Friday @ Hawks. For the Nuggets, Tuesday vs. Pistons, Wednesday @ Rockets, Friday vs. Jazz.

• Nuggets: Chandler, Stone
• Heat: Harrellson, Pittman

• Nuggets: --
• Heat: --

• Lead Changes: 23
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
• Officials: #14 Ed Malloy, #20 Leroy Richardson, #79 Kevin Scott
• Attendance: 20104
• Duration: 2:20