The Miami HEAT defeated the Orlando Magic 118-96 Sunday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Luol Deng led the way for the HEAT with 20 points.
1. Dragic Relentless From the Start
Goran Dragic came out of the gate absolutely on fire against Orlando. In fact, the Slovenian connected on his first five field goals thanks to aggressive attacks to the rim. One of his most impressive buckets came towards the end of the first quarter.
With 53.5 seconds to go in the period, Josh Richardson found Dragic running off a screen from Josh McRoberts. Once Dragic received the pass at the left wing, he took it right to the rack, absorbed contact from C.J. Watson and still finished the little runner off the window. He also hit the ensuing free throw to put Miami up 29-23 early on.
After some other guys took over in the third quarter, Dragic went to work in the fourth to ensure the victory. The point guard continued to get into the paint at will in an eight-point fourth quarter. In all, Dragic totaled 19 points and a team-high six assists on 8-of-12 shooting.
2. Great Ball Movement
A big reason why the HEAT won was due to their passing, as the team tallied 28 assists and shot 55.8 percent on the night. Again, Dragic led the charge in that category, but a bunch of other guys also made sure the ball swung from side-to-side. A primary beneficiary from some great feeds was Luol Deng, who led Miami with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The former Blue Devil moved well off the ball in the half court and filled the lane correctly on the break for some nice finishes.
3. Whiteside Dominates the Third Quarter
While Hassan Whiteside nearly grabbed ten rebounds in the first half, it was the third quarter where he really made his presence felt. In the period, the 26-year-old compiled 12 points and six boards to help change the complexion of the game. Of those buckets, none were as thunderous as the one he had with 2:21 remaining in the quarter.
To start the sequence, Whiteside set a good screen for Dragic at the right wing and rolled to the basket. Dragic then drove inside and flipped up the high lob for Whiteside. From there, the big man threw it down with one hand.
As evident by that play, both Whiteside and Dragic continued to work well in the two-man game. That will be something to definitely keep an eye on as the playoffs inch closer.
Whiteside finished the contest with 18 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in his first start since January 20. He also shot 8-of-8 from the charity stripe against the Magic.
Other Takeaways:
-Dwyane Wade mixed things up with floaters and mid-range jumpers on Sunday night. Overall, the vet had a very efficient outing with 17 points, three assists and three steals on 7-of-9 shooting.
Game Notes:
-Briante Weber made his HEAT debut and tallied two points, a rebound and an assist.
-Justise Winslow exited the game in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain and did not return.
-Chris Bosh and Tyler Johnson (shoulder) sat out.