As injuries mount, captains Wade, Haslem lift Heat to latest victory
MIAMI -- Throughout Dwyane Wade's career, Miami Heat fans have seen him fall down only to rise up once again.
This time, Wade bounced back from a poor performance against the Atlanta Hawks to score 40 points in the Miami Heat's 109-102 victory against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
But he had a little help from an old friend and fellow team captain Udonis Haslem, who had to make up for the absences of injured big men Hassan Whiteside and Chris Andersen against a fearsome opponent in Pistons center Andre Drummond.
Teammates since the 2003-04 season, the duo combined to score more then half of the team's 109 total points as well as grab 19 rebounds, 10 off the offensive glass, to secure the crucial victory that keeps their playoff hopes alive.
The win was made all the more remarkable considering the Heat lost two more frontcourt players by the start of the second half and were down to eight healthy players.
''Our two co-captains really led us and set the tone at halftime once we knew Luol (Deng) and Michael (Beasley) were going to be out in the second half and we didn't have Hassan and Bird (Andersen),'' said coach Erik Spoelstra. ''They didn't take a step back. We went in with the mentality that we have to play for 24 minutes and find a way to win. They did it with their actions.''
There was simply no room for error with precious little depth on the bench but the two set the tone early, with Wade scoring 10 points and Haslem grabbing five of his six rebounds on offense to help give the Heat multiple opportunities to score. Both scored six points each in the second quarter to build a lead that they would almost stubbornly hold on to in the second half to keep pushing back against Detroit's scoring bursts.
''We were just strong-willed,'' said Wade. ''We didn't have that many guys coming into the game and then we lost two coming out of halftime. Henry Walker was playing the backup five man, I was playing the four tonight but you just have to do what you have to do. We had to get a win at home. This is where you have to do it, at home. I am glad we were able to pull it out. UD (Udonis Haslem) had a big game for us. Everyone did their job.''
Indeed, every Heat player who made it onto the court played a pivotal role in securing the hard-fought victory. Mario Chalmers (11 points, nine rebounds, four assists) and James Ennis (16 points, six rebounds) came off the bench to provide valuable minutes. Starting point guard Goran Dragic contributed 10 points and five assists as well.
But the night belonged to Wade, who scored 19 points in the fourth quarter alone boosted by a perfect 11 for 11 from the free-throw line, and Haslem, who ended up with season-highs of 18 points and 13 rebounds for his second double-double performance in three games.
''This is a game that we're going to have a 'lunch-pail' mentality, get in that scrum and fight for it and there's no better guy to lead that type of charge but UD (Haslem), our captain,'' said Spoelstra. ''Once he started to battle without fear, and he lost a lot of those balls, but he showed our guys that he was in there every single time fighting for it and that inspired other guys to do the same.''
Miami secured their season-best five-game home winning streak through a combination of hustle, grit and perseverance. Little wonder perhaps that the Heat player that most embodies those qualities would be leading the Heat to victory alongside Wade.
''We've developed thick skin,'' said Haslem of what the Heat have had to go through this season. ''We've got so many guys who have come from the D-League, undrafted and other situations who are having an opportunity to play. This is their time to prove people wrong and to prove that they deserve to be in this league. There's no better situation for guys like that. For myself, being in and out of the rotation and not having an opportunity to play so much in the last couple of years, it's an opportunity for me to show that I can still go out there and produce.''
You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.
