Goran Dragic continued his excellent recent play as the Miami Heat prevailed for their 11th consecutive win.
Welcome to the Hot Hand, where after every Miami Heat game win or loss we recognize the player who best put his stamp on the game.
Playing in the first of four road games for the coming week, point guard Goran Dragic hit the ground running. Dragic complied 33 points and nine assists as the Miami Heat defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-113 for their 11th consecutive win.
Dragic was on fire from the outset and finished the game hitting on 13-of-17 from the field, including an outstanding 7-of-9 from three-point range. During the winning streak, Dragic has averaged 23.5 points, 6.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 34.1 minutes per game. Further he has shot 56.5 percent from the field and an astounding 58.7 percent from behind three.
Improved ball movement has been one of the features during the Heat’s hot run, and this game was no different. Dragic’s nine assists led the way, with James Johnson and Dion Waiters also notching five assists on the way to 27 assists as a whole.
The Heat certainly needed every one of Dragic’s 35 minutes on the floor. Firstly, he notched a team high +17 whilst on the floor. Further, the difference in the Heat’s performance when Dragic was on and off the court was profound.
Offensive Rating (Miami points per 100 possessions)
Dragic On Court: 133.3
Dragic Off Court: 81.9
Defensive Rating (Minnesota points per 100 possessions)
On Court: 115.7
Off Court:125.2
These numbers pretty much just jump off the page. When Dragic was on the court, Miami’s offence took off. And when he was resting it was significantly subdued. As can be seen from the highlights below, Dragic attacked from almost every conceivable angle. He set up three-point shooters, executed the pick-and-roll superbly and assisted center Hassan Whiteside on multiple occassions.
His shooting was of course a feature, with his shots coming from the midrange, close to the rim, and of course downtown.
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/828823811935973376
And although the selections have already been made, it’s safe to say that presently Dragic is performing at all all-star level. Impressively, he has the highest three-point field goal percentage for the season amongst guards averaging at least 25 minutes per game. For the season, he is now hitting at a 44.8 percent clip.
Following the game, Whiteside was quick to point this out!
https://twitter.com/youngwhiteside/status/828813007908171776
Next: Dragic is a 3-point shooter
Game two of the Heat’s four game road trip will be played on Wednesday night when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks. Game starts 8PM ET.