The Miami HEAT took care of the Detroit Pistons 102-96 Monday night at the AmericanAirlines Arena.
Impact Performance of the Night: Dwyane Wade played a phenomenal game Monday that reminded everyone of what he can do when healthy. He was feeling it from the get-go, as he made his first five field goal attempts and ended up with 30 points on 13-of-19 shooting. Wade also grabbed ten rebounds and dished out five assists. He showed his whole repertoire from his patented pump fake jumper to his usual excellent finishes at the rim. The Pistons looked confused as Wade did whatever he wanted to do tonight.
The Deciding Run: After Ray Allen hit a three at the third quarter buzzer, the HEAT were up 84-80. From there, Miami went on a 16-5 run for eight-plus minutes that kept a stranglehold on the game. Dwyane Wade continued to pour in points as he had nine of his 30 points during that run, including a three-pointer from the corner.
Play of the Game: When the HEAT get into the open floor, you know you are in for a thing of beauty. With 5:24 to go in the second quarter, Wade grabbed a rebound and threw it ahead to Mario Chalmers who then threw up a beautiful touch pass to LeBron James for a one-handed stuff. The ball never touched the ground and it was transition basketball at its finest. Initially, it looked as though Chalmers threw it too high for James, but James was able to reach up high above the rim for the picture-perfect slam.
Trend to Watch: Dwyane Wade has put together two great games in a row. In the past two games combined he has shot 23-of-34 (67.6 percent). He has definitely been in a groove and it will be interesting to see if it will continue on the road against the Clippers and Jazz this week. With Wade playing at a high-level and hitting his stride before the all-star break, all eyes will be on him to see if he can keep it up.
The Takeaway: The HEAT will enter a very long road trip before the all-star break against the Clippers, Jazz, Suns and Warriors. Dallas and Oklahoma City follow that. Tonight was a good win to catapult the HEAT into that tough stretch. Wade and Oden playing great on Monday has to have HEAT nation feeling good heading into the gauntlet. This game can serve as a blueprint for the games that lie ahead.
Notes: LeBron James nearly had a triple-double with 24 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds. Chris Bosh had 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting and also grabbed seven boards. Greg Oden played extended, meaningful minutes and scored four points and had three rebounds.