HEAT 95 - Mavericks 106 Recap

November 27 – Down by two at the half, the Miami HEAT were in perfect position to steal a road win and get a winning streak going. Instead, things went awry in every way possible as they lost, 106-95, to the Dallas Mavericks.

Perhaps it was because the team was playing the second night of a back-to-back on the road after arriving in Dallas in the early hours of the morning, but whatever the case, Miami’s third quarter was possibly its worst period of the entire season.

With the Mavericks playing zone, sucking four defenders into the paint whenever Dwyane Wade or LeBron James put the ball on the floor, the HEAT were forced into taking long jumpers earlier in the quarter, and when those missed everything snowballed.

“We missed shots and that affected out defensive energy and that will happen at times regardless of what you do – man, zone, whatever – you may miss shots,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But that cannot dictate your energy or your disposition down at the defensive end.”

The HEAT shot 3-for-18 in the period, with just four of those coming in the paint as the Mavericks outscored them, 31-17.

“This shouldn’t be fun out here and it was painful to go through a 3rd quarter like that, and if guys feel that pain, good, I want them to,” Spoelstra added.

But, as has been the case when Miami’s shooting percentage dip below the 40-percent mark, their saving grace was free-throws. The HEAT outscored Dallas by nine at the line, with Wade and James combining for 26 freebie attempts. And when Miami collected itself before the fourth quarter and rededicated to finding the seams in the zone – aided by a few made jumpers along the way to open the lane up – it was enough to bring them within five with 4:18 to play after Mario Chalmers hit a three.

The Mavericks responded with a quick four points, though, and that was enough to put the game out of reach. Tired legs appeared to crop up when the HEAT missed three triples in the final two minutes, all hitting front iron, and Miami took the loss despite 67 combined points and 25 rebounds from James, Wade and Chris Bosh.

A Pair of Firsts

Erick Dampier made his season debut for the HEAT, playing eight minutes in the first half. Though Dampier only pulled down a single rebound in his shift, his physicality made a clear impact on the game as he put a body on Tyson Chandler – who had been all over the boards in the first quarter – to slow the big man down.

Dampier also helped clear space for a James Jones jumper in the second quarter, sealing off the defender from the closeout. It was a single possession, but one that showed what sort of impact the newly-signed center could have on the season as he works his way back into game shape.

Producing more immediate results, however, was Mario Chalmers, who played more than 20 minutes for the first time this season, hitting a pair of threes and collecting two steals, one of which showcased his quick hands as he grabbed a ball in the passing lane about three feet after it left the passer’s hands.

A Shooting Slump

The HEAT have lost four of their last five games, and it’s no coincidence that this was the fourth time an opponent has shot better than them from the field (something that happened in their win over Philadelphia Friday). It was also the fourth straight game that the HEAT have had an effective-field-goal percentage below 50 percent, which weighs the added value of three pointers.

Given that the HEAT average an eFG percentage of 51, it couldn’t be clearer that the team is currently mired in a perimeter slump that should eventually correct itself.