Random Game Notes: Miami Heat Fall To Jazz 105-87
By Wes Goldberg
EDITOR’S NOTE: Going with some random game notes tonight, as opposed to the usual post-game grades. Why? Because I just couldn’t bring myself to do it after this loss. I’m the editor of this blog, I’ll do what I want.
Is it possible to be both excited and disappointed by a performance? Can I be both happy for a player while also feeling immensely bad for him?
If philosophizers were asking that question before Tuesday, December 17, 2014, at long last they have found the answer. The Miami Heat wasted a 42-point performance by Dwyane Wade, whose stat line tonight sticks out more than Kate Upton in a battlefield during the Dark Ages.
Wade was aggressive and got to the line all night. Really, he was just feeling it.
That’s right, Wade scored 42 points in a game Miami lost by double-digits. And it was never close. Let’s go to the numbers.
- Wade’s 21 free throws was more than the rest of the team combined (19).
- His 42 points made up roughly 48 percent of the Heat’s final score
- Aside from scoring, Wade contributed 30 percent of Miami’s assists. He had three.
- It’s the first time Wade scored at least 42 points since a 45-point performance against Houston on December 29, 2010 and the first time he crossed the 40-point mark since 2011.
On the the rest of the random game notes.
- Norris Cole is easily the worst at running the fast break on the team. He missed another layup on the break tonight, though Shawne Williams was there to clean it up.
- Chris Andersen started the game for the Heat, and played well in his role. He had nine rebounds in the game and he was able to bring some energy to the team’s starting unit. However, the Heat got killed in the only game he ever started. Is that only because of him? Actually, it probably has nothing to do with him and more to do with the fact that no one other than Wade could shoot. Hopefully Spoelstra gives him another go as the starting center Friday vs the Washington Wizards.
- If Birdman takes over as the starting center, maybe the Heat move Chris Bosh back to power forward when he returns. After all, that’s clearly Miami’s five best players.
- After six-straight games with double-digit scoring, Luol Deng scored just eight points on 3-of-6 shooting.
- James Ennis played 22 minutes. Danny Granger didn’t get off the bench.
- As a team, the Heat shot 38.6 percent. Subtract Wade’s stats and the rest of the team shot just 29.4 percent.