The Miami HEAT fell to the Charlotte Hornets 113-112 Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Dwyane Wade led the way for the HEAT with 21 points. Five other players scored in double-figures for Miami.
1. Dragić Gets Miami Back In It
There’s a reason why Goran Dragić is one of the HEAT’s captains.
With things looking bleak in the third quarter and Miami down by as many as 26, Dragić helped turned things around with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the period to cut the deficit to 10 entering the fourth.
How’d he do it?
With crafty plays in transition like this:
When it was all said and done, Dragić scored 20 points, dished out a team-high seven assists, grabbed four boards and tallied a plus-nine rating.
2. McGruder Does It All
While Rodney McGruder went off for 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the first half (nine in the second quarter alone) thanks to some of his usual catch-and-shoot treys, he made his greatest impact later in the game.
In particular, his hard-nosed defense on Kemba Walker in the second half was huge, with no better example than this great block on the Hornet in transition early in the fourth:
What a sequence, eh?
McGruder wasn’t done there though, as he hit the deck for a loose ball and forced a foul on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist before hitting a clutch runner a little later.
That’s Rodney.
In all, the 27-year-old recorded his first career double-double with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and a career-high 10 rebounds to go along with two assists, two steals and a block.
3. Wade Does All He Can Late
After a nice spurt in the first quarter with a gorgeous reverse layup, turnaround jumper and a ghost cut, Wade carried over his sharp play into the fourth.
In fact, Wade scored eight points on 3-of-5 shooting in the final period, including these two tough treys…
….and this crafty follow that tied the game at 112:
Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough in the end.
In addition to his team-high 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, Wade also amassed three rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Other Takeaways:
-Sooooo Derrick Jones Jr. took flight again….
…and again:
Airplane Mode finished with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal.
Game Note:
-James Johnson (Sports Hernia Surgery), Dion Waiters (Left Ankle Surgery) and Justise Winslow (Right Hamstring Tightness) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will continue their homestand on Wednesday at 7:30 PM against the New York Knicks. Tickets for that game can be found here.