Heat Get A Mile High Hangover, Lose To Nuggets

After fighting hard Tuesday night to end their four game losing streak in Phoenix, the Miami Heat couldn’t keep up with the Denver Nuggets, losing 102-82, in the second night of a back-to-back. The Heat fall to 10-12, and have lost 6 of their last 8 games, as they continue to struggle on defense. A game in the Mile High City isn’t the elixir an exhausted team needed, as the Heat ran out of gas in the second half.

The Heat were led by Chris Bosh, who scored 14 points, on 5 of 12 shooting. A night after scoring 34 points against the Suns, Bosh took a step back when the Heat needed another big effort out of him. Dwyane Wade chipped in 10 points and 5 assists, but was cold from the field, missing 11 of his 15 shots.

The Nuggets were led by Wilson Chandler (17 points, 8 rebounds) and Arron Afflalo (16 points, on 6 of 8 shooting), as Denver proved to be too much for a tired Heat team. Ty Lawson chipped in 10 points and 9 assists, while Kenneth Fariad came off the bench to contribute 13 points and 8 rebounds.

Things that pleased me: A night after scoring 23 points in Phoenix, Luol Deng added 12 points, on 5 of 10 shooting, in the loss. Not exactly a number that makes you go “Wow!”, but it’s nice to see Deng string together three consecutive games scoring in double-figures. He’s averaging 16 points over that span and one has to wonder if he’s finally fitting in to the Heat system. Being the third guy in a Miami Big Three come with some frustrations, as shots aren’t what Deng has been used to. But Deng also has to be the guy that’s replacing You Know Who and with that comes loftier expectations. Here’s hoping he keeps his recent play up and silences the critics.

Norris Cole had a nice night, going for 6 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds in 28 minutes of action. The much-maligned Cole has had to fend off rookie Shabazz Napier for minutes at point guard, while battling through a dislocated finger.

Things that annoyed me:  A running theme the past couple of weeks is that the Heat hang around for a half and then fall apart in the third quarter. Wednesday was no different. Tied 48 at the break, the Heat came out of the locker room flat, as the Nuggets scored the first seven points of the third quarter before Miami finally made a basket almost three minutes in. They went away from scoring in the paint, settling for jumpers, only making 2 out of 12 from outside the paint. Denver would blow the game open with a 31-14 third quarter as the Heat had the fight taken out of them.

Of course, playing four games in six nights takes its toll on a team. The second game of a back-to-back in Denver doesn’t help. But at some people you have to question why they go away from what works and settle in to being a jump-shooting team.

Things that perplexed me: So what exactly is the project with Danny Granger? The Heat have been a walking infirmary for weeks, rotating bodies in and out of the lineup and mixing up rotations. Yet Granger hasn’t had any moment that would even register as being remotely significant. If Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is going to roll him out there, the least he can do is extend his minutes and play him multiple games per week.

Even when he’s out there, it looks like he’s in a constant struggle. His legs are clearly not under him, as he was short on his first two threes, and he’s lacking continuity with the rotation players. His minutes come at the expense of younger players that might be able to inject some energy and athleticism to a team that is clearly lacking in both.

Scale of 1 to 10, how bad did I want to throw a lamp because of Mario Chalmers?: 1. Another decent night for Chalmers, as he scored 11 points, on 3 for 6 shooting. Confident Chalmers is the best Chalmers, yet it can also be dangerous Chalmers. As long as he’s reigned in, Chalmers can be a tremendous asset. What else can you ask for from (in his mind) the captain?

What we’ve learned: Playing in Denver sucks. I walked a couple of blocks in Lake Tahoe last year and I was exhausted, so I can imagine the second night of a back-to-back in altitude must be a nightmare. Granted, I am far from a world-class athlete (I hurt myself reaching for a beer), but I feel like I get the idea. Unfortunately, the Heat will only find themselves a few hundred feet closer to sea level than they were in Denver, as they finish their road trip against the Utah Jazz on Friday.