Heat find some glimmers of progress despite tough loss to Wizards
MIAMI -- The Miami Heat suffered another setback with a tough 105-103 loss to the Washington Wizards that represents their ninth loss in 13 home games and drops their overall record to 12-15.
Friday's loss also marked their fifth consecutive loss at the AmericanAirlines Arena -- a streak that hasn't happened since March of 2008 -- and eight of their past nine home games have ended in defeat.
But putting aside the notion of a moral victory, the Heat did play together as a cohesive group up until crunch time Friday night, when the Wizards stormed back with star point guard John Wall leading the way. Their depth wore the Heat down and their combination of size and a talented backcourt of Wall and Bradley Beal were too much to overcome.
Though another brilliant game from Dwyane Wade was again overshadowed by defeat, this time it was more of a team effort, with four players reaching double figures. Mario Chalmers was re-inserted into the starting lineup and responded aggressively, finishing with 14 points and five assists. The power rotation of Chris Andersen, Udonis Haslem and Hassan Whiteside held their own against an intimidating Wizards frontcourt. There was also a strong performance from Luol Deng, with 19 points and five rebounds.
On one hand, this latest loss might be the most frustrating in recent memory because the Heat had control of the game before giving it away. But on the other hand, there was plenty of positives to take away from a game against a far talented Wizards team operating nearly at full strength.
"It's still raw right now because we did play well," head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They competed on both ends of the court. Guys stepped up. Even in short minutes guys were contributing, and you have a chance to win going down the stretch. We weren't able to make enough plays going down the stretch."
Wade scored 15 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter but committed a costly turnover to Beal at the end that sealed the Heat's fate. Each loss has weighed heavily on the superstar, and he lamented the lost opportunities to get his team back on track as Chris Bosh continues to sit out with a calf strain.
"Guys played a good game," he said. "We couldn't ask for a better game. My teammates came out and played an amazing game. This one hurts. I will take this one and put it on my shoulders. I have to do better for those guys. This is a game we really wanted to win, and we had a chance."
Perhaps most intriguing was Whiteside's performance, in which he showed good hands and solid inside positioning en route to six points, seven rebounds, two steals and a block in 15 minutes. Beyond the numbers, he made his presence felt in the paint and it had a noticeable effect on the Wizards big men who had been collecting easy points and offensive boards. Spoelstra described Whiteside's play as a "bright spot" for the team, and Wade was encouraged with his teammate's emergence.
"He played great," he said. "We have been waiting for him to get an opportunity. We are all very excited about that kid. What he can do for our team gives us a different look. You actually look big out there when you have [Andersen] on the floor and then you bring [Whiteside] in, and it's just great. Hopefully he continues to get more comfortable and confident."
Bosh's return is still the big unknown for the team. Until then, the Heat have no choice but to make do with what they have.
With each game, however, there is more chemistry building. Their biggest challenge remains putting together a consistent and effective defensive effort through four quarters, but clear progress at times can't be measured in individual wins and losses.
"I have been playing better as of late and guys are playing better, just when it doesn't resort in wins, it is tough," Wade said. "My teammates deserved to walk away here with a win and I wanted to give them that so bad. It sucks; it is a tough one to lose. We will bounce back."
You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.
