The Miami HEAT defeated the Atlanta Hawks 101-92 Sunday night at Philips Arena. James Ennis and Gerald Green each scored 19 points apiece for the HEAT.
1. James Ennis Comes Alive
Ennis didn’t play in the first half, but he really sparked the HEAT when he started after halftime. Once he checked in, Ennis fought hard on the offensive glass and showed a lot of moxie inside. He also converted on a number of tough drives to the hoop after absorbing a lot of contact. On one in particular in the third quarter, Josh Richardson found Ennis down court with a no-look pass in transition. Ennis then drew the foul on Paul Millsap and still got the tough finish to go.
The dynamic athlete scored 13 of his 19 points in the third and led the charge on a 22-9 run to begin the quarter. He wasn’t done there though. Ennis knocked down two deep 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter to essentially ice the game. He finished the contest 8-of-13 shooting and also grabbed six boards on the night.
2. Chris Bosh Looks Sharp
With most of the starting lineup on the court Sunday, Bosh received a lot of quality looks. Early on, both he and Dragic ran the pick-and-pop successfully as he knocked down an open mid-range jumper. That carried over into the second quarter, where Bosh scored 10 of his 14 points. Once he got into a rhythm, he remained dialed in and knocked down a number of the usual mid-range jumpers we’re accustomed to seeing from him. In addition to his 14 points, Bosh also tallied three boards and two assists in a little under 19 minutes of action.
3. Gerald Green Stays Hot
After a very efficient performance against the Rockets on Saturday night, Green did more of the same in Atlanta. The vet connected on his first four shot attempts and provided instant offense off the bench. That will be very important once the regular season begins. On Sunday, Green hit a few mid-range jumpers off the dribble in addition to three 3-pointers.
Other Takeaways:
- While the HEAT didn’t shoot a high percentage, they received great looks. Against the Hawks, Miami tallied 26 assists on 36 made field goals. Sometimes shots just don’t fall and you have to live with that. As long as the team stays committed to moving the ball, all should be fine.
-Tyler Johnson continued to impress on Sunday night and scored all seven of his points in that all-important third quarter. He hit a three in transition, an in-rhythm jumper and this huge dunk off a great feed by Keith Benson.
Game Note: Udonis Haslem, Hassan Whiteside and Justise Winslow all sat out.
Game Highlights: