Heat-Rockets Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Nov 12 2012 1:34AM

The Miami Heat didn't have much trouble with James Harden in last season's NBA Finals.

This time, they should expect him to be much more involved in a different uniform.

Facing Harden for the first time since winning the NBA title, the Heat will try to minimize his impact again and make it six straight wins against the Houston Rockets on Monday night.

Miami (5-2) won its second championship by beating Oklahoma City in five games last summer, limiting Harden to 12.4 points per contest on 37.5 percent shooting in the series.

Harden is the NBA's reigning sixth man of the year, and was key to setting up the finals matchup by averaging 17.6 points over the first three rounds of the playoffs. He had a career-high 16.8 during the regular season.

Unable to sign him to a long-term contract, the Thunder dealt Harden to Houston (3-3) as part of a six-player trade last month and he's averaging a team-high 26.5 points per game in a starting role.

He didn't need to hit his average against winless Detroit on Saturday, leading the Rockets with 20 points in a 96-82 victory to end a three-game slide. It was the team's first game without coach Kevin McHale, who is on a leave of absence to deal with a family matter.

Despite the addition of Harden, Houston ranks near the bottom of the league in shooting percentage (40.6) and 3-point percentage (29.0). However, the Rockets have compensated for those shortcomings with strong defense over their last two games, limiting opponents to 38.5 percent from the field while forcing the Pistons into 18 turnovers.

"We're going to start putting things together," Harden said. "I think defensively, we're playing pretty well. Offensively, we just gotta get a feel for each other. Even the games we lost, we were in the games. A couple turnovers here and there just put us away. Hopefully, it comes together soon."

Recent history shows that's not likely to happen against the Heat.

Miami is averaging 112.2 points during a five-game winning streak against Houston, including a pair of road victories. However, the Heat have lost two of three on the road this season and shot a season-low 38.0 percent in Sunday's 104-86 defeat at Memphis.

They connected at a 51.9 percent clip while winning each of the previous four games.

Dwyane Wade, averaging 18.3 points, may be in for a bounce-back performance after missing 12 of 15 attempts to finish with a season-low eight points Sunday. A cold forced him to sit out Friday's 95-89 win at Atlanta, the opener of a six-game road trip.

The guard has averaged 29.3 points in eight games at Houston, scoring 45 on 17-of-24 shooting in a 125-119 win there on Dec. 29, 2010.

Wade missed the only matchup last season with a broken finger and Chris Bosh was out with a leg injury, forcing LeBron James to pick up the slack with 32 points and eight rebounds in a 97-88 home victory April 22.

Bosh has been effective in the first two games of this trip, following his 24-point performance Friday with 22 on Sunday.

He's averaging 26.0 points over his last four games against Houston.

James scores 38 in Heat's 113-110 win at Houston

By CHRIS DUNCAN
Posted Nov 13 2012 12:30AM

HOUSTON (AP) LeBron James put on a second-half show and helped the Miami Heat finally put away Houston.

James scored 32 of his season-high 38 points after halftime, Chris Bosh had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Miami rallied to beat the Rockets 113-110 on Monday night.

Dwyane Wade added 19 points for the Heat, who shot 47.6 percent from 3-point range (10 of 21) and 51 percent from the field overall.

James went 12 for 20 from the field and 5 for 7 from 3-point range in the second half. He gave the Heat the lead for good with a driving layup with 19 seconds left.

"It's the zone you hear about," James said. "Certain players talk about getting into the zone. I wish I could get into it more. But when you're in it, you know how it feels, you know everything you put up and how you're going is pretty good."

Chandler Parsons scored a career-high 25 points and Omer Asik had a career-best 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Rockets, who led 110-106 with 90 seconds left.

James was the difference, though, and Miami beat Houston for the sixth straight time.

"I expected him to make every single shot he threw up," Bosh said. "I guess, after 30 points, you think everything is going in."

Jeremy Lin shot an airball from 3-point range with 10 seconds left, Wade caught it and the Heat bounced back from a 104-86 loss to Memphis on Sunday.

"We've been in this position before," James said. "Nothing we haven't seen before, just trying to get stops."

Lin, meanwhile, endured another humbling moment against the Heat. Last year, his amazing run with the New York Knicks hit a detour in Miami, where he went 1 for 11 from the field and coughed up eight turnovers.

"Obviously, it's my responsibility to hit that shot," Lin said. "It was a good shot for me, a quality shot and it didn't go in for me, unfortunately, in a crucial play of the game."

Rockets interim coach Kelvin Sampson likened the back-and-forth game to a fistfight, with the more experienced Heat delivering the final blow. Head coach Kevin McHale is on indefinite leave because of a family matter.

"They got the last punch in and I'm disappointed that we lost," Sampson said.

The Heat looked as though they might blow out Houston early when they opened the game with a 20-5 spurt. Miami started 8 for 12 from the field, while the Rockets missed nine of their first 11 shots.

Miami's shooting eventually cooled off and Houston started finding scoring opportunities inside. James had just six points on 2-for-6 shooting and missed his only 3-point attempt in the first half and the Heat led only 56-52 at the break.

James sank two 3s early in the third quarter to get himself going. But Lin hit a 3-pointer and then threaded a nifty bounce pass to Parsons for a fast-break layup as the Rockets rallied again. Carlos Delfino's 3-pointer from the wing with 5:03 left in the third quarter gave Houston its first lead at 70-69.

The Rockets continued to find holes in the middle of the Heat's defense to keep Miami at bay. James scored 16 points in the third quarter, but rimmed out a 3-pointer just before the buzzer and Houston led 85-82.

Marcus Morris sank two unlikely 3-pointers from the corner over James, and Houston seemed to be on its way to a big early-season win. But the Rockets' shooting touch left them just when they needed it most. Houston made a season-high 12 3-pointers, but missed its final three attempts from long range.

"We made some good plays toward the end of the game," James Harden said, "but some of the shots didn't fall."

Harden shook off a slow start to score 22 points. Lin had only nine points and six assists.

Notes: James scored in double figures for the 149th consecutive game for Miami, breaking a tie with Wade for the longest streak in franchise history. ... The Rockets were still uncertain when McHale would rejoin the team. "It's a tough time for his family," Sampson said. "Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with him." ... Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith and star receiver Andre Johnson, a Miami native, had a courtside seats next to prominent defense attorney Rusty Hardin, a regular at Rockets games. Houston running back Arian Foster sat behind them, and James ran over and greeted both players just before the tipoff. ...Shane Battier, who played for the Rockets from 2006-11, got a loud ovation when he was introduced in Miami's starting lineup. The Rockets played a tribute video after the first quarter and Battier acknowledged more applause with a wave.

Notebook: Heat 113, Rockets 110

Matt Miller, for NBA.com
Posted Mon Nov 12, 2012 11:59 PM - Updated Tue Nov 13, 2012 9:39 AM

THE FACTS: The Houston Rockets erased a 17-point first-quarter deficit and appeared headed toward a huge comeback victory over the Miami Heat, but LeBron James went to work.

James scored 32 of his season-high 38 points on 12-for-20 shooting after halftime, carrying Miami to a thrilling 113-110 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday at Toyota Center. Chris Bosh added 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade finished with 19 points and seven assists for the Heat (6-2), which earned its fifth victory in the last six games and career win No. 200 for coach Erik Spoelstra.

Chandler Parsons poured in a career-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers, to pace Houston (3-4), which fell to 1-3 at home this season. Three other Rockets reached double figures, including James Harden (22 points on 6-for-17 shooting), Omer Asik (career-high 19 points, 14 rebounds) and Patrick Patterson (17 points, nine boards).

After watching a 22-5 lead transform into a 101-93 deficit with six minutes remaining in the final period, Miami closed the game on a 20-9 run. James spearheaded the surge, netting 11 points on drives, 3-pointers and foul shots.

QUOTABLE: "It's the zone. ... I wish I could get into it more, but when you're in it, you know how you feel. You know everything that you put up or how you're going is going to be pretty good."

-- James.

THE STAT: Miami grabbed only two more offensive rebounds than the Rockets, but it made the most of its second-chance opportunities by nailing 10 of 11 second shots and drawing fouls. The Heat finished with a 28-14 edge in second-chance points.

TURNING POINT: The Heat looked like it was headed toward a blowout victory early in this one, grabbing a 22-5 advantage with a run that featured alley-oop dunks and crisp defensive rotations. That did not last long, though. Led by Harden's penetration and Asik's size advantage on the interior, Houston worked its way back into the contest by earning 18 trips to the charity stripe before halftime.

TURNING POINT II: The Rockets led 103-96 with about four minutes remaining when Bosh followed two free throws with a dunk to trim Miami's deficit to 103-100. Patterson converted one of two free throws on Houston's next possession before Ray Allen drilled a corner 3 to bring the Heat within 104-103. Marcus Morris, James and Parsons continued the abbreviated version of the 3-point contest, exchanging treys to bring the score to 110-106, Rockets. James sandwiched three free throws around a Miami defensive stop to cut the Heat's deficit to one. Then, he drove through traffic for a layup that put Miami ahead for the first time since early in the third quarter. Houston's Jeremy Lin had an open look at a 3 with 9.9 seconds remaining, but it fell well short of the rim.

QUOTABLE II: "How did anybody ever question [James], looking back on it now. In big moments, this guy is the ultimate competitor. He gets absolutely amplified in these situations. ... We don't take him for granted. We know how valuable he is."

-- Spoelstra.

HOT: One game after matching his career best in scoring against Detroit, Asik set career highs of 19 points and 14 free-throw attempts. The third-year center from Turkey has averaged 13.3 points and 12.0 rebounds over his last four games.

NOT: The Heat could have used bigger contributions from its point guards. Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole combined for only six points on 2-for-11 shooting and handed out just five assists.

GOOD MOVE: The Rockets were committed to pushing the tempo all night, which can be a dangerous approach against Miami's superior athletes. The aggressive approach proved beneficial for Houston, however, as it recovered from a 4-for-17 start thanks to quick ball movement and decision-making that repeatedly left Heat defenders in the dust.

BAD MOVE: The Rockets routinely left Bosh open for mid-range shots in the first half, and he made them pay dearly for it. The 10th-year big man drained eight of 11 shot attempts for 16 points before the break.

QUOTABLE III: "That was a tough fight where both teams were just battling. [The Heat] got the last punch in."

-- Rockets stand-in coach Kelvin Sampson.

NOTABLE: James was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for an NBA-record 38th time Monday. He also passed Wade for the Heat's franchise record for most consecutive games with at least 10 points (149). ... The Heat has won six consecutive meetings with the Rockets. ... Miami improved to 5-0 this season and 54-2 since the beginning of the 2010-11 campaign when it makes at least half of its field-goal attempts. ...The Heat is now 3-0 when its opponent scores more points in the paint. ...Houston netted a season-high 33 points in both the second and third periods.

UP NEXT: For the Heat, Wednesday @ L.A. Clippers, Thursday @ Denver, Saturday @ Phoenix. For the Rockets, Wednesday vs. New Orleans, Friday @ Portland, Sunday @ L.A. Lakers.

• Heat: Harrellson, Pittman
• Rockets: Machado, White

• Heat: --
• Rockets: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
• Officials: #49 Tom Washington, #42 Eric Lewis, #60 James Williams
• Attendance: 18041
• Duration: 2:23