MIAMI — As the Heat's season churns along its bumpy path, the sign posts tell the players and coaches they're on the right path at the 1/4 mark. Saturday's decisive 89-77 victory over Atlanta, a quality team, served as the latest confirmation things are on track.
"It was a good win against a very good team," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Players and coaches say the recent change is due to the events of the past week. Whatever the cause, the change is apparent.
Finally, the heaviness that surrounded this team for the past month is finally starting to lift. You could see it Saturday against the Hawks. Miami (13-8), which is now on a four-game win streak, was efficient and exciting. Its offense was decisive, its defense was energetic. And players actually seemed to be having fun.
Forward Chris Bosh (27 points, 10 rebounds), the most low-key of The Big Three, overflowed with emotion at one point during the fourth quarter Saturday, yelling out loud to no one in particular. The same thing happened with forward LeBron James (22 points, seven rebounds, four assists), who yelled to the crowd after a dunk. Guard Dwyane Wade (26 points, 10 rebounds), one rebound short of tying his career best, wasn't as emotional outwardly, but he still had one of his best games of the season.
You didn't see these characteristics a week ago. In fact, this isn't the same Miami team that it was a week ago. At that time the Heat was floundering with a 9-8 record. Doubt was a constant companion, and the glare of the worldwide spotlight was becoming very uncomfortable.
"Everyone was saying it was over for us," James said.
At times it appeared that way. Well, at least it was made to appear that way.
Center Joel Anthony stopped watching sports television because of all the negative publicity. And he loved watching sports television.
"It's a damn shame," Anthony said shaking his head, recalling TV as if it were a long lost friend.
But things are getting better. In the last seven days alone Team Drama went through The Shoulder Bump, The Team Meeting, The Return To Cleveland, a story about disharmony on the team that quoted an unnamed source, and a lower-profile story about Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert seeking tampering charges against the Heat for its recruitment of James.
"He's chasing ghosts," Heat center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said dismissively about his former owner.
Ilgauskas, as much as any other Heat player, typifies the type of bond that has developed among these players over the past week. Thursday's game in Cleveland seemed to bring out. Asked about the prospect of trouble at Quicken Loans Arena, Ilgauskas strongly rallied to his brother's side.
"We're big boys," he said. "We can take care of ourselves. If somebody is stupid enough to do something we'll take care of it ourselves."
To hear Spoelstra tell it, that's the kind of synergy that has gripped this team over the past few days. Spoelstra contends adversity has molded his team.
"It was really just one week ago that we were going through the Dallas game," Spoelstra said, "and there was a six-minute stretch in that game we got outplayed. That's how quickly things can get blown way out of proportion in this league. We responded to that."
Let's just say the Heat has responded so far. Things change quickly in the NBA, as Spoelstra noted.
Right now, however, the Heat seems to be putting its game together. Granted, Miami has only defeated two teams that currently have a winning record, Phoenix and Orlando. But the Los Angeles Lakers have only defeated two teams that currently have a winning record, too.
No one is saying the Heat is comparable to the Lakers. That's simply not true. The point is you can't make much of Miami's record or its competition right now. You have to look more at how the Heat has been playing.
"We're getting things in order," James said.
Of course, even with the Heat's newfound vigor there's lots of work to be done. There's no way this Heat team could beat the Lakers in a best-of-seven series. And there's almost no way Miami could beat a healthy Boston team in a best-of-seven. Orlando, San Antonio, Dallas, Utah and New Orleans might be within Miami's reach right now, maybe, but it's tough to say. This Heat team still has lots of work to do before it can declare itself a legitimate title contender.
Miami still doesn't issue hard fouls or screens. Guard Carlos Arroyo was crumpled by a screen and sent to the floor Saturday. The Heat has yet to do that to an opponent. And, James took yet another hard foul on a drive to the basket. The Heat has yet to issue a hard foul this season. And, Miami's patchwork bench only contributed 12 points Saturday.
That's OK for now; one thing at a time. Spoelstra sees progress. So does Wade. And Wade doesn't think Miami should be concerned with anything but getting its own house in order.
"I think that's why we got into the situation," Wade said of Miami's subpar record. "We were trying to be the greatest at this and the best at this, and the most dominant at this. We just need to play the game of basketball."
