Heat Remain Unbeaten, Hold Off Raptors

In a battle for supremacy in the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat beat the Toronto Raptors 107-102 to take sole possession of the top seed in the conference.

OK, I might be exaggerating this game just a little.

The Heat were playing the second game of a back-to-back, coming off a win Saturday in Philadelphia, and showed no signs of slowing down against the Raptors. Well, until the fourth quarter. The Heat jumped out to the lead early on, and got it as high as 16 points at one point, before struggling late to hold off the Raptors.

Miami overcame big nights from the criminally underrated DeMar DeRozan, who scored 30 points, while former Heat free agent target Kyle Lowry went for 22 points. Both were aggressive all night, getting to line a combined 25 times, while shooting 18 for 33 between the two of them from the field. Toronto has shown no signs of letting down from last season’s surprise run to an Atlantic Division championship.

Things that pleased me: Dwayne Wade flirted with a triple-double, going for 19 points (7 for 11 shooting), 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. He was extremely active on the glass, especially in a sequence where he had 3 offensive rebounds that led to Mario Chalmers drawing a foul call. He added 2 blocks, both on Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas, as he continues being one of the best shot-blocking guards in NBA history.

The genesis of Chris Bosh continues, as he posted another strong line of 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists to pace the Heat. He’s averaging 25.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game to start the new season, as Bosh has assertive himself on both ends of the court. In what might have been his best game to start the year, Luol Deng shot 8 for 14 from the field and scored 18 points, while Shawne Williams pitched in 16 points, including 3 three-pointers.

Miami’s offense through the first three quarters was shooting 59% from the field, as they were continuing their unselfish basketball by distrusting 20 assist over three quarters. Sadly…

Things that annoyed me: …the Heat must have been drunk in that fourth quarter. They shot 4 for 17 from the field during the quarter, and their last make was a three-pointer from Williams with 4:29 to go in regulation. What’s particularly annoying is that only 4 of those field goal attempts came in the paint, as the Heat were settling for contested jumpers in the fourth and weren’t getting good opportunities in the paint.

Not to mention the fact that Miami went to the line 19 times, but only made 11 of those shots. Even Bosh, a career 80% shooter from the line, was only 3 for 6. The Heat need to take care of these chances when they present themselves. Their saving grace was that the Raptors weren’t that much better at the line in the quarter (5 for 9).

Things that perplexed me: Here I was thinking that the central replay center in Secaucus would help speed up the replay system, but that might have been a lie. Aside from all the fouls in the fourth quarter, the replay reviews dragged on, even for obvious calls like the one to see if Lowry drew a clear-path foul on Chalmers, Wade drawing a foul on a three-point attempt, which was changed to a two, and Wade tipping the ball out of bounds. These reviews shouldn’t drag the game as it effects the pace of the game, and can take teams out of their rhythm. Granted, it’s the third night of the season, so I’m sure this is something that will work itself out. Anything that keeps the likes of Ed Malloy from passing judgment.

Scale of 1 to 10, how bad did I want to throw a lamp because of Mario Chalmers?: 2. Evil Chalmers made his appearance tonight by shooting 3 for 10 from the field, committing 2 turnovers, and fouling out in 23 minutes of action. He salvaged his night by making 5 for 6 form the stripe to help finish with 12 points. Good news is that Chalmers the backup shooting guard has fit in nicely to his new role to start the season, as he’s averaging 13.3 points in the first three games. Sure that number will probably drop, but he’s provided a spark to the Heat’s second unit.

What we’ve learned: This Heat team can grind out wins, while showing flashes of a fun, ball-moving offense that can score points in bunches. So far they’re third in the league in scoring, second in the league in points scored in 100 possessions, and third in assists per game. It’s a small sample-size, but it is encouraging considering what they’re trying to rebuild from. As the defense catches up (21^st in the league in points allowed in 100 possessions), they may be able to find a balance that can help get them through the regular season.

Panic Meter: N/A. The Heat are running away with the East! OK, that’s probably a bit premature. But Miami has shown that they can make these pieces work, while mixing in the returning Josh McRoberts to the fold. On the second night of a back-to-back, the Heat may have just ran out of gas in the fourth quarter, but this has been an encouraging squad for the majority of the first three games.

Tuesday night against the Houston Rockets should provide a different challenge, as the Rockets have a defensive presence in Dwight Howard, and an offensive force in James Harden, that could provide headaches for the Heat. But the hot start is building confidence in a team that is searching for its identity, as Miami looks to start 4-0.