The Miami HEAT defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 102-97 Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. The HEAT took over in the second half and were able to take a double-digit lead into the final few minutes. With the win, the HEAT improved to 4-2 on the season.
Impact Performance of the Night: Dwyane Wade led the HEAT with 29 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals. Wade hit seven jumpers against the Clippers, hurting them when air space was conceded to him. Wade also functioned as a playmaker for the HEAT, keeping the ball movement from the last week going. Defensively, Wade did a nice job limiting Clippers shooters and caused all kinds of trouble with his three steals and one blocked shot. Wade has played well in every game this season, but this was probably his best performance to date.
The Deciding Run: The HEAT went on a 12-4 run that began late in the third quarter and continued into the early fourth quarter. During the run Dwyane Wade scored or assisted on four of the HEAT’s five field goals. The HEAT held an eight point lead after the run and things never really got close afterwards.
Play of the Game: Dwyane Wade is great at cutting off the ball, and against the Clippers he made Chris Paul pay for losing focus for a split second. With the HEAT lead at 95-87, Wade and Chris Bosh executed a perfect give-and-go. When Paul turned his head and body to dig at Bosh in the post, Wade cut through the lane. Bosh found him with a perfect pass and Wade finished the play with a routine layup. Nothing is perfect, but that play was pretty close. It also gave the HEAT a 10 point lead with under four minutes remaining.
Efficiency Rating: Offensive Efficiency: 109.1; Defensive Efficiency: 105.2
Trend to Watch: For parts of last season, Miami struggled to maintain leads when bench lineups took the floor. However, since the start of the 2013 postseason, this has not been an issue. Norris Cole, Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Chris Andersen have been very strong as a unit. The quartet shared the floor for 15 minutes against the Clippers and outscored Los Angeles by 15 points. It was yet another strong performance. Going forward, this group allows the HEAT to get more rest for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, which is no small matter.
The Takeaway: The HEAT took care of business against a Clippers team that has title aspirations. Entering the night, Los Angeles had a top-2 offense in the NBA and the HEAT were able to keep them at bay for most of the night. Defensive rotations weren’t perfect, but when the HEAT took control in the second half it was because of their relentless ball pressure. Norris Cole and Shane Battier were big contributors, as was Dwyane Wade. Offensively Miami continued moving the ball well, often relying on penetration to open looks for cutters and shooters. Even though the threes weren’t falling, Miami was able to score at an elite rate. As with any November game, there are many things to work on and tighten up, but the HEAT played quite well Thursday night and got a win against a tough, tough opponent.
Notes: LeBron James finished with 18 points, six assists and five rebounds. Chris Bosh added 12 points and six rebounds. Ray Allen scored 12 points off of the bench. Roger Mason Jr. and Greg Oden were inactive.