Heat-Suns Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Nov 17 2012 2:38AM

The Miami Heat leaned on LeBron James in their most recent victory, and they may have to do so again with Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers nursing injuries.

Wade and Chalmers may not play when Miami closes out its six-game road trip Saturday night against a Phoenix Suns team it dominated two weeks ago.

With Wade out with a sprained left foot and Chalmers leaving in the first quarter with a strained right triceps, James had 27 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds to help the Heat (7-3) beat Denver 98-93 on Thursday.

James hit 11 of 23 shots and recorded his eighth double-double of the season.

"I just tried to go to another level," James said. "I just tried to find a little bit of energy to help our team win the ballgame and fortunately I was able to do that."

How much of the burden he'll have to shoulder Saturday remains to be seen. Though neither Wade's nor Chalmers' injuries seem serious, they may keep each from playing for at least one more game.

James seems to be feeling a bit under the weather, too. He had an ice pack on his shoulder following Thursday's win and took to Twitter early Saturday morning mentioning he's not feeling well.

"Hate feeling like this. The bug is going around," James tweeted, also writing he had a headache and stomach ache.

Wade was injured in Wednesday's loss to the Clippers, but coach Erik Spoelstra doesn't think he'll be out too long. Chalmers said he hopes to be ready for Saturday.

"It's not anything major," Spoelstra said of Wade. "He has a bunch of little, minor, nagging injuries, so we'll continue to take it day by day."

Mike Miller started in place of Wade on Thursday and Norris Cole likely will start if Chalmers can't go despite hitting only 3 of 12 shots and scoring seven points in nearly 39 minutes against Denver.

James, averaging 28.7 points in his career versus the Suns, scored 23 and grabbed 11 boards in a 124-99 win over Phoenix on Nov. 5, marking Miami's fifth straight victory in the series.

The struggling Suns (4-6), who have trailed by double digits in nine of their 10 games, hope to end that streak after losing 114-102 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, falling for the third time in four contests.

"We had a lot of unforced turnovers," said Jermaine O'Neal, who scored a season-high 12 points. "That was the difference-maker."

Goran Dragic scored a team-best 22 points while Luis Scola added 18 for Phoenix, which has allowed at least 100 points in seven of the last eight games.

Its opponents are shooting 47.3 percent, which ranks 28th in the NBA.

"We've got to get ourselves to the point where we become significant again," coach Alvin Gentry said. "And the only way to do that is to be consistent."

The Suns are 3-2 at US Airways Center this season, but they have lost four straight home matchups with the Heat. Phoenix hasn't beaten Miami on its own court since a 108-80 rout on Jan. 5, 2007, in a game Wade also didn't play due to injury.

Ailing James, Heat end long trip by beating Suns

By BOB BAUM
Posted Nov 18 2012 12:42AM

PHOENIX (AP) LeBron James under the weather is better than no LeBron James at all.

That was James' thinking when he decided to play despite flu-like symptoms, and he scored 21 points to help the depleted Miami Heat close out a six-game road trip with a 97-88 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.

"Me at 50 percent or 60 percent is better than me not playing at all," he said.

The Heat, playing without Dwyane Wade for the second game in a row because of a left foot injury, led by as many as 15 in the third quarter and were up by nine with 5 1/2 minutes to play. The Suns cut it to two before Miami scored the game's final seven points.

Chris Bosh scored 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting for the Heat.

James, who missed the morning shootaround, made only 8 of 20 shots but still reached 20 points for the 11th time in 11 games this season. In the first quarter, he went to the locker room, where he said he got sick, then received some fluids that helped.

"I can't remember the last time he missed practice or a shootaround so when he missed today, obviously that makes you wonder and you know that it's pretty serious," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We knew yesterday that he hadn't had any food and he went the whole day and in the late afternoon he was able to down some Gatorade, but that was about it."

Markieff Morris scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half for Phoenix, which was coming off a loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Friday night. Shannon Brown and Michael Beasley had 14 points apiece.

James may have been sick, but he had enough energy to lead the final surge that lifted Miami to its fifth straight win in Phoenix.

"I set my shooters up as much as possible," he said, "but if the game is close down the stretch I feel like I can make plays individually, to help us win."

Morris' tip-in with 8:39 to go tied it at 79, but Ray Allen banked in an 8-footer, Brown was called for an offensive foul, and Mario Chalmers stole the ball from Sebastian Telfair, leading to James' fast-break layup. The Heat were off on a 9-0 run, capped by James' reverse dunk with 5 1/2 minutes to go.

Phoenix then rallied again. Telfair sank a 3-pointer, then Goran Dragic knocked the ball loose and gathered it in for a layup to cut it to 90-88 with 2:11 remaining. Phoenix had a chance to tie but Beasley missed an open 14-footer.

Bosh made a pair of free throws, James hit a driving layup, then Miami made three of four free throws in the final 30 seconds to finally put it away and finish the trip 4-2.

Bosh said he knew he had to up his scoring with Wade out.

"I know that my role has changed a bit and I have to be a lot more aggressive so it's just a matter of making shots when I'm open," he said.

After his starters got off to another sluggish start, Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said there would be a change in the lineup, although he didn't say what that would be.

"We have to make some adjustment," he said. "We can't keep playing like this. We have to do something where we can make an adjustment and we'll see what can happen from here."

Dragic said the team will follow Gentry's lead.

"I mean, he's the coach so whatever he says, he is going to run this team," Dragic said. "You know, something is not clicking for us and we have to find some solution. If that is he has to change some players in the starting lineup then we have to do that."

James had a dunk on a lob pass from Mike Miller and sank a 3-pointer in a 19-4 outburst that broke a 56-56 tie and put the Heat up 75-60 after Norris Cole's steal and layup with 2:52 left in the third quarter. But James went to the bench and the Suns' reserves brought Phoenix back with an 11-0 run to end the quarter, reducing Miami's lead to four entering the fourth.

Morris scored the first six points of the run. Miami committed two turnovers in the final minute of the quarter, leading to Brown and Telfair each sinking a pair of free throws.

Bosh had 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the first half. Beasley had 12 points and five first-half rebounds.

NOTES: Dragic had eight points, four assists, three steals and no turnovers in the first quarter. ... The Heat have one more six-game road trip, Jan. 1-17, a journey that concludes with a game against the Lakers in Los Angeles. ... This was Miami's first trip to Phoenix in two seasons. The teams played only once, in Miami, in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. ... Miami had 19 turnovers, compared to 17 for Phoenix.

Notebook: Heat 97, Suns 88

Mike Tulumello, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Nov 18, 2012 12:32 AM - Updated Sun Nov 18, 2012 12:32 AM

THE FACTS: The Miami Heat didn't have Dwyane Wade, LeBron James was sick, they were finishing a six-game trip, and were playing their fifth game in seven nights. They still had enough to hold off the Phoenix Suns Saturday night, 97-88, in Arizona.

James missed the shoot-around, a rarity for him, Saturday morning, "So when he missed today that makes you wonder, and you know it's pretty serious," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We appreciate him even playing and giving us his presence.

"Even though he wasn't himself, he still had a spectacular game, and his presence was important for us." Then, James felt sick after playing a few early minutes; he returned to the visitor's locker room to take in more fluids. "I didn't have much energy, but I wanted to be out there with my guys," James said.

Chris Bosh hit 9-for-11 for 24 points, and added nine rebounds to lead the Heat (8-3). James came alive late and finsihed with 21 points and seven boards.

Markieff Morris led the Suns (4-7) with 16 points. Goran Dragic had 12 points, eight assists, four steals and just two turnovers.

With the Suns missing layups and turning the ball over, the Heat broke to a 9-0 lead in the first four minutes. Dragic, outplaying the Heat's point guards, led the Suns back into the game. Then a lineup of Sebastian Telfair, Shannon Brown, Michael Beasley and big men Morris and Jermaine O'Neal actually pulled the Suns into a lead, before the teams settled for a 52-52 halftime tie. The Heat outscored the Suns 18-6 to start the second half to take a 70-58 lead, but the Suns, led by the backup Morris, once again battled back to tie the game 79-79 early in the fourth quarter.

James led the Heat on a decisive 9-0 run early to give them an 88-79 lead. The Suns once again fought back. They trailed just 90-88 after a steal and layup by Dragic with 2:11 left. They would have tied the game but Beasley's jumper went half-way down, then spun out. Then Bosh hit two free throws and James drove to the hole. The Heat had finished a 4-2 road trip.

"It's been a good trip," James judged.

QUOTABLE: "It takes a lot for me not to play. Me being at 50 or 60 percent is better than me not playing at all."

-- Heat's LeBron James

THE STAT: The Heat shook off 19 turnovers by hitting 54 percent of their shots.

TURNING POINT: Not long after James re-entered the game to start the fourth quarter. Moments later, the Heat broke a 79-79 tie on a Ray Allen drive, Then James scored on a fast-break layup off a Mario Chalmers' steal of a Telfair pass. Then Chalmers hit a 3-pointer, then James stole a Beasley pass and scored on a spectacular reverse slam. The 9-0 run gave the Heat an 88-79 lead.

QUOTABLE II: "Exhausted."

-- Heat's LeBron James, asked how he felt as the media crush around started to melt away after the game.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Now that O'Neal has been dusted off by the Suns, and Morris has seemed to recover from his terrible start, the Suns have more depth up front. It also means that Marcin Gortat, who has cooled off from his great start, and Luis Scola are getting fewer minutes. In this one, Scola missed three layups while shooting 1-for-5 for three points, and he had just one rebound in nearly 15 minutes.

NOTABLE: The Heat's Udonis Haslem is two rebounds away from taking the franchise lead in rebounding over Alonzo Mourning (4,807). He would become the first undrafted player to lead a franchise in rebounding. In describing a player with great intangibles, Spoelstra said you draw up a list of qualities, or, "You could show a picture of Udonis Haslem."

UP NEXT: For the Heat, Wednesday vs. Milwaukee, Saturday vs. Cleveland and Thursday, Nov. 29 vs. San Antonio. For the Suns, Wednesday vs. Portland, Friday vs. New Orleans and Sunday Nov. 25 @ Philadelphia.

• Heat: Pittman, Wade
• Suns: Frye, Garrett

• Heat: --
• Suns: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #13 Monty McCutchen, #72 J.T. Orr, #65 Sean Wright
• Attendance: 16840
• Duration: 2:14