The Miami HEAT fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 124-123 in overtime Friday night at Smoothie King Center. Goran Dragić led the way for the HEAT with 30 points.
1. Dragić On The Attack
After turning the tables on New Orleans and taking advantage in transition early on…
…Dragić got the job done in crunch time with this clutch offensive rebound and put-back to force OT thanks to Hassan Whiteside’s activity on the offensive glass:
From there, the Dragon carried over his sharp play into the overtime period and knocked down a few shots from the perimeter to keep Miami in it. Simply put, the 31-year-old did all he could on Friday night.
In addition to his team-high 30 points on 12-of-22 shooting, Dragić also led the team with eight assists and grabbed nine boards.
2. Wade Gets Going In OT
While Dwyane Wade struggled a bit with his shot, he came through with some clutch buckets down the stretch that gave the HEAT a few leads late.
It ultimately wasn’t enough, but it was still good to see Wade rise to the occasion like he has time and time again over his illustrious career.
We also can’t forget this fantastic lob the 36-year-old threw to Bam Adebayo for a one-handed alley-oop early in the second quarter:
When it was all said and done, Wade accumulated 16 points and five rebounds to go along with that assist above to Adebayo.
3. Whiteside Has A Quick Start
Early in the contest, Whiteside wisely utilized his strength advantage against both Anthony Davis and Emeka Okafor and mixed things up with some smooth hook shots and thunderous jams.
For a perfect example of that, take a look at this solid play late in the second quarter:
As the game progressed, Whiteside continued to compete hard against Davis and forced him into some tough looks late, but fouled out in overtime.
In all, the 7-footer tallied 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting, a team-high 16 rebounds and a block.
Other Takeaways:
-Like Wade, James Johnson saved his best for last and led Miami with six points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting in the overtime period. JJ finished with 12 points, four boards, four assists, two steals and two blocks.
Game Note:
-Kelly Olynyk (left shoulder strain) sat out. Rodney McGruder (Sioux Falls assignment), Derrick Jones Jr. (Sioux Falls assignment), Derrick Walton Jr. (Sioux Falls assignment) and Dion Waiters (left ankle surgery) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will get right back to it Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies at AmericanAirlines Arena. Tickets for that game can be found here.