MIAMI, Fla. -- The Miami Heat had plenty to prove to everyone coming off their weakest performance of the season in a stunning loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday in front of their home crowd.
But perhaps even more important was the need to prove to themselves that they remain a viable threat in the East with all the hype and excitement centered on the arrival of their former leader LeBron James.
The 101-91 victory sealed their sixth consecutive win on Christmas Day and a lot of it had to do with their attitude after the loss to Sixers. Instead of sulking, the team went to work the following day and had a productive practice session in preparation for their biggest game of the season so far.
"It was good to see us respond after a real tough loss the other night against Philadelphia," said head coach Erik Spoelstra. "I told the guys in the locker room that our performance really was just a response from yesterday. Everyone came in without their heads down and really just trying to find solutions. It was encouraging to see the guys come together."
As if playing on national television on Christmas Day wasn't exciting enough, the media frenzy and fan reaction concerning James' return to Miami could have been a mental distraction for the Heat in their efforts to put a positive end to a disappointing December in which the team had gone 4-9. Chris Bosh would be missing his seventh consecutive game due to a calf strain, putting further pressure on Dwyane Wade to lead his team to an unlikely victory against a Cavs team that had won 12 of their last 15 games.
Much like in their last win against the Boston Celtics, however, the team instead showed they were more than just the sum of their healthy parts. Wade was instrumental to the Heat's success with a strong game from the start, but the win was secured through the efforts of several players including Luol Deng, Danny Granger, and Chris Andersen. Conversely, it was the Cavaliers who got little production outside of their star trio of James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.
"This was a good win after having such a bad loss," said Wade. "It was a great environment, our fans were great tonight. I thought our team has played one of their best game that they have played in a while."
The ability of the team to focus on the task at hand amid raucous player introductions and emotional video tributes to former Heat players James and James Jones in addition to a halftime show by hip-hop artist Flo Rida was commendable, but so was their tenacity in the second half against a far more talented team led by the best player in the NBA. Cleveland trailed most of the way but would pull close in the fourth quarter before Miami responded first with a 10-1 run and later a 7-0 run to secure the much-needed victory.
Deng played his best game as a member of the Heat for his work not just on the offensive side where he scored 25 points and contributed eight assists but mainly because of his defensive effort against James.
"He was the player of this game," said Wade. "Every minute that you are on the floor and to guard LeBron James is no easy task, but then to shoot 11-of-16, score 25 points, get eight rebounds and eight assists is an unbelievable game. We appreciate what he brought today. That was a tough one on him."
As impressive as the team win was, the biggest cheers at the AmericanAirlines Arena were still reserved for Wade, who had another spectacular game in Bosh's absence. The few times in the game where James and Wade went head-to-head were fascinating but Wade would walk away with the victory precisely because he didn't try to do everything himself.
Playing at an efficient pace, Wade scored often in the first half but allowed the game to come to him in crunch time and he made an impact in other ways in addition to scoring. He grabbed rebounds, blocked a layup attempt by Love and dished out an assist to Andersen for an easy basket as the game came to a close.
A marquee matchup between James and Wade was what the NBA wanted on Christmas and that's what they got.
"Couple of the best in this generation, it's spectacular," said Spoelstra afterwards. "I wish I could sit back and enjoy it as a fan. It's just fantastic basketball but my stomach is in knots and I'm not able to have that type of perspective. For however long these two play, you're going to get your money's worth."
The Heat have struggled at home this season with a 5-10 record entering Thursday's game but on a night like this where James and Wade held court once again in a highly entertaining game, the feel-good win gives hope to their fans for brighter days ahead in 2015.
You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.
