Peninsula is Mightier

Game #26: Miami Heat (19-6) vs. Orlando Magic (15-10)

2012-02-08T17:30:00Z

For the first time this season, the Miami Heat will go up against their intra-state rivals in Orlando. The Heat packed up after last nights win over Cleveland and headed north, looking to expand their lead over the Magic in the Southeast Division to five games. While both teams have been playing well of late, the Heat have been much better over a longer period of time.

The Heat have won 11 of their last 13 games and three in a row, and that stretch of games allowed Miami to expand their lead over Atlanta and Orlando inside the Southeast Division. The Magic meanwhile had been on their own three game winning streak, but lost 107-102 in overtime to the visiting Clippers on Monday night.

Unfortunately for the Magic, even with the win streak, they have won just 3 of their last 8 games. It's going to take a supreme effort to take down the streaking team from Miami, who is kicking off a 6-game road trip on Wednesday night. It's going to be a very challenging trip for the Heat, as it includes the teams only back-to-back-to-back, three games in three nights set of the season.

GAME NOTES

Miami is 7-4 on the road. Orlando is 8-5 at home.
This is the first of four games between the Heat and Magic this season.
The two teams have split each of the last two season series'. The Heat had lost 12 of the previous 13 meetings.
This game completes the 8th back-to-back set of the season for Miami. So far they are 4-3 in the 2^nd game of back-to-back's.
The Magic lead the NBA in both 3-pointers taken, and 3-pointers made, for the second straight season.
The Heat are still listing Mike Miller (hand) as day-to-day.
As for Orlando, Hedo Turkoglu, Glen Davis, and Jason Richardson are all listed as day-to-day, though all are expected to play.

Tipoff form the Amway Center is set for 7pm. The game will be broadcast locally on Sun Sports. This game begins a very tough stretch for the Heat, but it will be a good measuring stick to see how far they have come so far this season. Lets Go Heat!

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade lead Miami Heat past visiting Cleveland

2012-02-08T05:30:00Z

The Miami Heat continued their supreme defense of the AAA court on Tuesday night when they defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 107-91. Former Cav LeBron James had a solid night against his former club, scoring 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting, which included the usual amount of impressive plays. He added 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and a blocked shot in a well-rounded game.

LeBron and Dwyane Wade did a good job of entertaining the home crowd, as this is the last opportunity they get to see the Heat for almost two weeks. Wade also had a solid game, leading all scorers with 26 points, which included a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Wade also contributed 4 boards, 6 assists, 3 steals and a block, as he continues to look more and more like himself.

The Heat maintained their lead throughout the second half, though they did close this game out in the same way they have their previous two games. The ‘Big 5' made another appearance, this time with just over 5 minutes left in the game and Miami leading by 10. The lineup would finish with a +6 rating, with the Heat getting a nice 16-point win.

The Cavaliers were led by Antawn Jamison, who scored 20 of his team-leading 25 points in the first half. It was the first time in almost two years that Jamison put up a 20-point half. That effort, combined with an early third quarter run by his Cleveland teammates, gave the Cavs their one and only lead of the second half at 66-63. Miami quickly responded with a run of their own, capped off by a LeBron James dunk.

GAME NOTES

The Miami Heat are now 19-6, which is the best 25-game start in franchise history.
Mario Chalmers added 14 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal. He hit 4 triples, which matches a season-high that he has reached five times now.
Chris Bosh came away one rebound shy of a double double, popping in 15 points and 9 boards.
Udonis Haslem had an equally solid game, finishing with 14 points and 8 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench.
The bench as a whole was awesome for the Heat. The four reserve players combined to finish with a +76 rating.
Anderson Varejao picked up another double double, with 11 points and 11 boards. Its his 13^th of the young season, and 4^th in a row. He's had at least 9 rebounds in nine straight games.

The Heat now head up to Orlando to complete their latest back-to-back set. The Magic are 4 games behind the Heat in the Southeast Division.

Open Game Thread: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Miami Heat

2012-02-07T23:30:28Z

2011-12 NBA Season: Game #25
	@
9-13		18-6
February 7th, 2012
American Airlines Arena
7:30 PM
TV: Sun Sports -- Radio: 790 AM
Probable Starters
Kyrie Irving	PG	Mario Chalmers
Mychel Thompson	SG	Dwyane Wade
Omri Casspi	SF	LeBron James
Antawn Jamison	PF	Chris Bosh
Anderson Varejao	C	Joel Anthony

Miami Heat waive rookie center Mickell Gladness

2012-02-07T21:20:08Z

The Miami Heat announced on Tuesday afternoon that they had waived center Mickell Gladness. The move came in advance of the 6pm deadline for guaranteed roster spots. Gladness was one of three players to have non-guaranteed contracts, along with fellow rookie Terrel Harris and center Eddy Curry, both of whom the Heat are expected to hang on to.

Gladness appeared in six games for Miami this season, averaging 0.5 points in 3.5 minutes per game. His last game time came in mid-January, a Heat win over Philadelphia, but he scored his only basket of the season on New Years Day. That was his most productive game in the NBA, playing 9 minutes and coming away with 2 points, 4 rebounds 2 assists and a steal.

This move leaves Miami with 14 players on their active roster, meaning they now have a spot open. That could mean that the Heat are preparing to add a free agent, and the one name that comes to mind is Joel Przybilla. He played in 36 games for the Portland Trail Blazers and Charlotte Bobcats last season, averaging 1.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game.

The Heat can bring back Gladness after a 48-hour waiver period, with the ability to sign him on up to two 10-day contracts.

Game #25: Cleveland Cavaliers (9-13) vs. Miami Heat (18-6)

2012-02-07T14:30:03Z

The Miami Heat will play their last game at the AAA for a while tonight, when they welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers to South Florida. After this game the Heat will hit the road for one of the quickest 6-game road trips you'll ever see. Starting on Wednesday, the Heat will play 6 games in 10 days, including their one and only back-to-back-to-back set of the lockout shortened season.

The Cavaliers come into Miami still in rebuilding mode. They have been reaping the benefits of having the #1 pick in last years draft, with rookie Kyrie Irving playing extremely well. He has helped them graduate from an Eastern Conference worst 19-wins last season to a 9-13 record this year, and more importantly in the hunt for a playoff spot (½ game behind 8^th place Milwaukee).

Miami meanwhile is a game and a half behind Chicago for the top spot in the East, with the two teams holding the same amount of losses (6) but the Bulls with three more wins then the Heat. Miami continues to lead the league in scoring, putting up 103.2 points per game. They also lead the league in shooting, hitting 48.5% of their field goals.

The Heat come into this game winners of five straight games at home and hold one of the best home records in the league (11-2). In their last two wins, Miami has gotten some attention for the lineup they have used in the final minutes. Their ‘Big 5' lineup consists of LeBron, Chris Bosh, D-Wade, Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, and they have closed out the Heat's last two victories.

Since LeBron brought his talents to South Beach, Miami has gone 4-1 against his former team. He didn't have one of his best games of the season when the teams met a couple weeks ago, but still managed 18 points on 8-of-21 shooting. Even though last season wasn't long ago at all, James is still downplaying going up against his former club. Said LeBron:

"It's not as big as it was last year of course. Each game it kind of goes away. But it's always fun going against your old teammates."

GAME NOTES

Miami is 11-2 at home. The Cavs are 5-8 on the road.
Cleveland is fresh off a 91-88 road win over the defending champion Dallas Mavericks.
The Heat are 46-39 all-time against the Cavaliers, and have gone 30-13 in games played in Miami.
Cleveland is the third worst free-throw shooting team in the NBA, making just 69.9% of their foul shots this season.
Cavs rookie Kyrie Irving leads all first year players, averaging 18.1 points per game and is shooting 50.0% from the field.
The Heat list Mike Miller (hand) as day-to-day.
As for Cleveland, Daniel Gibson (neck), Anthony Parker (back) and Tristan Thompson (ankle) are out.
Miami will once again dawn their Miami Floridians uniforms as they continue to pay tribute to the ABA.

Tipoff from the AAA is set for 7:30pm. The game will be broadcast locally on Sun Sports.

Miami Heat utilizing 'Big 5' lineup to close out wins

2012-02-07T02:25:09Z

Over the past couple games, the Miami Heat have utilized a lineup at the end of games that has gotten quite a bit of attention from the media and fans alike. Erik Spoelstra has gone to his "Big 5" lineup in two straight games, and in both games the lineup was able to close out their opponent and come away with a Heat victory.

The Big 5 lineup consists of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem. That particular blend of players gives the Heat an ultimate amount of flexibility on both ends of the floor. So far they have proven to be a strong combination, closing out the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday and the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

First, against Philly, Erik Spoelstra inserted the Big 5 lineup for about five minutes in the 4th quarter. While they were on the court, the new combo went on a 15-0 run that effectively put the game away for the Heat. A couple days later against Toronto, the Big 5 came into a game that had just seen Miami allow a 15-point lead to be trimmed down to 5.

They were able to stop the bleeding and turn things around in their favor, going on a 6-0 run over a two-minute span that put the Heat up for good. In both games the Big 5 shut down the opponents scoring, playing strong, aggressive defense. They played a combined nine minutes in the two games, outscoring the Sixers and Raptors 25-9 while holding them to shooting just 3-of-16 from the field.

Here are some comments from LeBron and D-Wade about the Big 5 lineup. With the players excited about the potential of the lineup, its understandable how the fans and media are giving it so much attention. Said LeBron and Dwyane:

LeBron- "It's a good lineup for us. It allows us to do some unique things defensively and then offensively as well. We are all comfortable with having that lineup down the stretch."

D-Wade- "We can do a lot of things [with this lineup]. That's good for us, when we use our length. And with myself and [James] being playmakers. You have a guy like [Miller] who can spread the floor and shoot the ball very well and [Bosh] as well. Then we've got [Haslem]; our rebounder and a guy who can make big shots for us. We like that lineup to close games."

Poll

Is the 'Big 5' lineup the answer to the Heat's 4th quarter problems?

Miami Heat's Shane Battier still adjusting to his new team

2012-02-06T18:35:18Z

There was a lot of excitement in South Florida when the Miami Heat signed free-agent Shane Battier, who is known for his strong defense and ability to hit the long-range jumper. Unfortunately, the offensive game hasn't quite come around for Battier since joining the Heat. For the first time in his career, he is thinking too much. With teammates like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, it's hard not to think of deferring to them when the ball is in your hands. Said Battier:

"I'm struggling with the age old question of when to pass and when to shoot. That's the basic philosophy on offense. The great Hubie Brown said, ‘Know when to pass, know when to shoot,' and I'm finding a way to mess that up."

Eventually he is going to have to make the adjustment to stop thinking and get back to where he can rely on his instinct. If not, his cold shooting start to the season could extend through the spring. As it stands right now, Battier is shooting just 31.3% from the field this season. He hasn't hit a shot in his last four games, going 0-for-10 from the field and 0-for-6 from downtown.

The 31.3% shooting is a career low for Shane, as are the 23 minutes per game he is averaging. Thankfully Battier is on a team that doesn't really have a problem putting points on the board. Defense is always the focus with the Heat, and that is an area that Battier has been able to contribute on a high level. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was quick to bring that up while defending Battier to the media:

"A lot of this is rhythm and timing and getting used to his minutes. [Battier] is doing a lot of other good things that we notice and that a lot of other people probably don't notice."

Heat top Raptors, tie best start in franchise history

2012-02-05T23:30:18Z

The Miami Heat survived another comeback attempt on Sunday, holding off the visiting Toronto Raptors late rally and picking up a 95-89 win. The Heat were up by 15 points with 6:19 left in the 4^th quarter, but Toronto came storming back and trimmed Miami's lead all the way down to 3 thanks to a 12-0 run. LeBron James answered with four straight points and the Heat put the game away.

James scored 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting, going 10-for-12 from the charity stripe and adding 9 rebounds and 2 assists. That's LeBron's lowest assist total of the season and it broke a streak of 25-consecutive games that James had at least 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Still, the Heat moved to 11-2 on the season when LeBron scores at least 30 points.

Facing his former team, Chris Bosh shot just 3-of-13, finishing with 12 points and 8 rebounds. He did come away with one of the best plays of the game, taking the ball from behind the 3-point line and dribble-driving his way to the rim, slamming the ball home. The play was extra special because Bosh didn't have the ball in his hands until there was 5 seconds left on the shot clock.

Toronto was led by their young star DeMar DeRozan. He scored 25 points and went 9-of-11 from the free throw line, adding a couple nice dunks. As for the Heat, it was their 10^th win in their last 12 games. They now hold a 2-game lead over Atlanta in the Southeast Division, and trail the Bulls by just one game for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

GAME NOTES

The Heat are now 18-6, which ties a franchise mark for the best start to a season. Miami also went 18-6 in the 96-97 and 98-99 seasons.
Udonis Haslem drew a pair of charges in the game. He leads the Heat with 14 offensive fouls drawn this season.
LeBron James leads the NBA in 1^st quarter scoring, averaging 9.1 points in games' opening 12 minutes.
LeBron and D-Wade combined to score 22 of Miami's 31 opening quarter points.
Mario Chalmers put up 11 points, adding 4 assists, 2 rebounds and steals.
Rio also went 3-of-5 from downtown, and has shot 13-for-21 (61.9%) in his last 4 games.
After turning the ball over 6 times in the 1^st quarter, Miami gave the ball away just 8 more times through the remainder of the game.
This was the second year in a row that the Heat hosted a game on Super Bowl Sunday. They beat the Clippers last season on a game that began at noon.

Miami's next game comes on Tuesday when they welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers to South Florida. It will be the first of three games in four nights for the Heat, who will begin a very quick 6-game road trip on Wednesday in Orlando.

Enjoy the Super Bowl everyone!