The Miami HEAT face the Dallas Mavericks Monday night at AmericanAirlines Center. The HEAT defeated the Mavericks 99-95 in their last meeting on January 19. Tip-off is set for 8:30 PM. Television coverage on FOX Sports Sun begins at 8:00 PM. You can also listen to the action live on 790 The Ticket.
1: How did Miami pull away from the Pacers in such quick fashion?
Couper Moorhead: This was something of an odd game. Playing on a back-to-back (as was Indiana), the HEAT were a little out of sorts in the first half as they weren’t able to snap the ball around the court like they did the night before in Atlanta. But when things turned in the second half behind the hot shooting we’ve come to expect lately (another game over 40 percent from three, ho hum), Erik Spoelstra noted that this game appeared poised to be yet another nail biter as every game with the Pacers threatens to be.
And then Paul George was thrown out with two technical fouls accrued over the course of just a few minutes. From that point on, the game was Miami’s. With how well the HEAT were playing (12 assists on 20 made shots), George’s presence may not have made much of a difference at all, but the Pacers clearly weren’t able to sustain their offense as they scored just 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Joe Beguiristain: While both teams had tired legs on the second night of a back-to-back, the HEAT were able to get into a groove just before halftime. It was at that point when Goran Dragić and Hassan Whiteside led the charge on a 17-8 run to close the second quarter. Although both guys were vital in the win, James Johnson blew the game wide open with nine points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals in the second half. Throughout the flurry, the burly forward read the passing lanes and got out in transition to either finish himself or set up his teammates.
In all, it was good to see the HEAT bounce back in the second half and get the offense rolling again. When it was all said and done, Miami tallied 23 assists on 38 made field goals and shot 13-of-31 from deep.
It should also be noted that Paul George was ejected with 8:49 to play in the third quarter after picking up his second technical foul. Up until that point, both Dion Waiters and Rodney McGruder made things very tough on the talented 26-year-old. As a result, George finished the night with just 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting in 19 minutes of action.
2: What did we learn about the last matchup with Dallas?
Couper: That Dallas has almost had as good a resurgence over the past month-plus as Miami, with the HEAT posting a net efficiency rating of +3.3 since January 1, just one spot ahead of the Mavericks at +3.2. And the previous meeting with Dallas reflected how well both teams are playing as only Goran Dragic’s incredible shooting (11-of-15, 4-of-4 from three) pulled Miami away down the stretch with both teams shooting around 40 percent from deep.
The difference now is that Deron Williams has been waived (and expected to sign with Cleveland on Monday) with Dallas moving on to Yogi Ferrell as a starting point guard, and the Mavericks also sport a brand-new center after acquiring Nerlens Noel from Philadelphia at the trade deadline last week. The combination of Noel and Salah Mejri should give Dallas a more consistent defensive punch, and there are still plenty of offensive options.
We should note that Dallas was trying to get the ball to Harrison Barnes in the post down the stretch of the last meeting and James Johnson almost entirely shut that part of their offense down.
Joe: In that last matchup on January 19, both Whiteside and Willie Reed did a lot of damage against the Mavericks’ slew of bigs. Additionally, Dragić was fantastic in the fourth quarter, as the Slovenian scored 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting to make sure Miami stayed ahead.
However, things are a bit different now like Coup stated above. Dallas traded for Nerlens Noel at the deadline and also waived Deron Williams. That said, Williams had been in and out of the lineup since January 26 due to illness and a toe injury. In his stead, Yogi Ferrell stepped in and played quite well. In fact, the rookie is averaging 12.8 points, 4.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest in 12 games with the Mavericks.
When you take a moment to think about it, Miami and Dallas have had very similar seasons thus far. After slow starts (11-30 for the HEAT, 11-27 for the Mavs), they are both right back in the playoff race in their respective conferences. Needless to say, it should be a fun game on Monday night.3: With Willie Reed not traveling to Dallas after being diagnosed with ankle bursitis, how will Miami adjust?
Couper: It will depend on how Erik Spoelstra reads the situation in game. Our best guess would be that Udonis Haslem, Miami’s old defensive weapon against Dirk Nowitzki, gets some first half minutes and then Spoelstra alters the rotation in the second half based on how things are going – which could mean more minutes for Haslem or more time for James Johnson at center in a small-ball lineup.
It’s a tough blow for the HEAT, either way. While we’ve made much of the team’s shooting over the past month, lineups with Reed at center were carrying a massive amount of defensive value lately.
Joe: It was certainly disheartening to see Reed go down in the fourth quarter on Saturday night. Not only because it creates a void for Miami, but also because of all the hard work the 26-year-old has put in to improve his game. With him out for at least Monday night’s contest, you would think that Udonis Haslem would take his place as the backup center. While you never want to see someone go down, Haslem does a great job of always staying ready. That’s the sign of a true professional.
Highlights:
Game Notes:
- The HEAT have won three straight and are 27-32.
- The Mavericks have dropped three of four and stand at 23-35.
- Miami has made 43 3-pointers over its past three games, which is the most for any three-game span in franchise history.
- Harrison Barnes leads Dallas in scoring at 20.0 points per game.
- Willie Reed (right ankle bursitis) did not travel with the team and is listed as day-to-day.
Efficiencies (Rank):
- HEAT Offense: 103.6 (23)
- HEAT Defense: 104.0 (6)
- Mavericks Offense: 103.9 (22)
- Mavericks Defense: 105.7 (16)