The Miami HEAT fell to the Charlotte Hornets 90-77 Sunday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Chris Bosh led the way for the HEAT with 14 points and seven boards.
1. Chris Bosh Hasn’t Missed a Step
After the scare Bosh experienced last season with blood clots, there was a time people wondered if he’d play again. Not only has Bosh fully recovered, but also he looked very good in his first game back on Sunday night. He was his usual self from mid-range and also converted some tough finishes inside. On one play midway through the third quarter, Bosh hit a tough turnaround jumper from the left block. Offensively, he was just dialed in from the start.
Bosh also fed Dwyane Wade with an amazing between-the-legs bounce pass from the left elbow that Wade took all the way home to cut Charlotte’s lead to 40-35 with 5:46 left in the first half. Bosh shot an efficient 6-of-11 from the field for his 14 points in 23 minutes of action. Wade, meanwhile, ended the game with 12 points and five boards.
2. Gerald Green Provides a Spark
Green will be very important for Miami as the backup to Wade. Against the Hornets, Green provided a spark off the bench on both ends of the floor. Early on in the second quarter, he closed out aggressively on Jeremy Lin’s jump shot and blocked it cleanly. In addition, Green connected from downtown and finished a few plays in transition for the HEAT. None were better than a massive windmill slam in the fourth quarter after he stole the ball from Jason Washburn with 10:35 left in the contest. In all, Green had 12 points, five rebounds and two steals.
3. Second Unit Can Be Really Fun
The potential second unit of Mario Chalmers, Green, Justise Winslow, Josh McRoberts and Amar’e Stoudemire looked quite promising. Late in the third quarter, McRoberts found Green a few times for some easy finishes. As a whole, McRoberts looked to make life easier for his teammates. While it won’t show up in the box score, he had some nifty behind-the-back passes that got the crowd going.
Stoudemire, meanwhile, often bullied his man in the post and had some nice finishes inside. The vet scored 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting and grabbed six boards.
4. The HEAT are Back
Above all else, it was great to see the HEAT back in action. Sure, there were some miscues. It’s preseason. Miami will have plenty of time to gel these next few weeks before the regular season opener. Having said that, there were flashes on Sunday.
Take for instance a nice pick-and-roll in the first quarter between Goran Dragic and Stoudemire, which STAT threw down with one hand. You also had a Winslow flush in transition after Dragic ripped the ball from Kemba Walker late in the second quarter. There’s certainly a lot to be excited about.
Up next for the HEAT are the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night at KFC Yum! Center.