Heat find groove with complete effort against visiting Celtics
MIAMI -- The template for a winning effort was set by the Miami Heat in Friday's close loss to the Washington Wizards.
With the team shorthanded and now missing its top two scorers, only a team effort on both ends of the floor would be enough to overcome any opponent, and the breakthrough happened Sunday against the Boston Celtics.
"Really, we just built on the other night," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It was similar to the other night where everyone who played had a positive impact. Tonight it was the same thing. You felt a real cohesion, a connection. Guys would go into the game and other guys were encouraging them. It was just good to see guys show some real cohesiveness when we could have felt sorry for ourselves."
Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside joined Chris Bosh and Josh McRoberts on the sidelines this time around, but the team came out swinging from the start and led comfortably for most of the game. Nearly a month had passed since their last home victory, but the Heat put it all together for a comfortable victory 100-84 Sunday night.
"It was one of those games where you just leave everything out on the court and see what the outcome is," said Mario Chalmers, who was starting for the 10th time and scored 11 points and had a game-high 10 assists. "That is what we did, and we were able to get the win."
Boston didn't have enough firepower or defensive prowess to counter Miami's spread-out offense, which featured six players in double figures. With their 13th different starting lineup, the Heat surprisingly started the game crisply, and their point-guard tandem of Chalmers and Norris Cole steadied the team as the duo also looked for their shots.
This time the Heat continued to raise their level of play and their effort through each quarter. There would be no third-quarter letdown this time around, nor would there be an offensive slowdown in the second half to allow the opponent to climb back into the game.
"Guys stepped up, we just played together," said Luol Deng, who led the team with 23 points. "When we got the lead we never really let them back and make it a close game. I think that's a step forward, there have been a lot of times where at halftime we've played well in the first half and we come out (and do not continue to play well). Tonight it was going that way and we changed it and made a run in the third quarter."
The team's effort had been a great concern as of late for Spoelstra, regardless of who was in the lineup or not. On this night however, his mood was apparent after the game and it was surely a relief for him that his team was able to walk away with the win.
"I'm happy for the guys in the locker room," he said. "The guys really did just band together and put together an effort. Regardless of the result, just to put together an effort, a real tough-minded effort and give ourselves a chance at this game. I like seeing that. I like seeing the spirit in the locker room."
With the Celtics having just traded their best player in Rajon Rondo, it was clear from the outset that they wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight. Regardless, the Heat were not only the superior team on paper but actually played like it. Whether it was the starters or the reserves, all of them played hard with a positive attitude despite their recent setbacks.
"I thought our bench was great, the guys played with a lot of energy," said Deng. "Tonight was all about getting a win at home, we really needed it. After winning a game like this, guys start to gain some confidence."
You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.
