The Miami HEAT fell to the Boston Celtics 112-102 Wednesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Dion Waiters led the way for the HEAT with 21 points.
1. Whiteside Feasts
After having a little bit of a slow start, Hassan Whiteside came alive in the third quarter with eight points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting.
Throughout the flurry, the big fella crashed the offensive glass and took advantage of mismatches inside, much like this finish with contact against Daniel Theis:
And while Whiteside continued to finish plays at the rim in the fourth, it just wasn’t enough in the end.
Whiteside finished with 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting, a game-high 15 rebounds and a block.
2. Waiters Finds The Range
From the start, Waiters was ready to fire from deep.
The result?
A game-high five made threes, including this one in the fourth as Miami was trying to mount a comeback:
In addition to his team-high 21 points, Waiters also had five assists, three boards and a steal.
3. Bam Sharp Early
Like on Monday against Boston, Bam Adebayo showed energy and effort throughout the contest.
In particular, the HEAT ran offense through Adebayo early on, and he made good decisions with the ball in his hands more often than not.
For proof of that, just check out this bullet pass to Josh Richardson on the perimeter in the third quarter:
Adebayo ended up with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, 12 rebounds, four assists, a team-high two blocks and a steal.
Game Notes:
-Richardson suffered a left leg injury in the third quarter and did not return.
-Derrick Jones Jr. (Right Knee Bone Bruise) and Yante Maten were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-After a day off, the HEAT will hit the road for matchups with the Timberwolves and Raptors. Miami’s next and final home tilt of the regular season will be on Tuesday against the 76ers. Tickets for that game at AmericanAirlines Arena can be found here.