On the second night of a back-to-back, the Miami Heat fell to the Charlotte Hornets 96-89, to drop their record to 3-2. The Hornets took advantage of a Heat slump in the third quarter to take a ten point lead into the fourth. The Heat rallied, but unforced turnovers and big shots by the Hornets sealed the game for Charlotte.
After starting the season 3-0, the Heat have lost their last two and have looked sloppy and exhausted. The fact that they’ve played four games in five nights hasn’t helped, but the Heat have gone periods going away from things that they’ve done well early on – ball-movement and spacing the floor.
Leading the Heat in scoring was Dwyane Wade, with 25 points, and he also added 7 assists, while Chris Bosh continued his strong play, going for 23 points and 13 rebounds. He didn’t shoot as well as he has been to start the year (7 for 18), but the continued activity on the glass is nice to see.
Al Jefferson ripped through the Heat defense, as he paced the Hornets with 28 points, and added 10 rebounds. Miami didn’t have an answer for Big Al, as Chris Andersen was out with an injury, and Bosh and Justin Hamilton aren’t strong enough to handle Jefferson when he gets into paint. Kemba Walker hit a big three late in the fourth to end a Heat run, as he finished the night with 18 points and 7 assists.
Things that pleased me: Um…Hugo the Hornet is back?
Things that annoyed me: For the third straight game, the Heat went through a lull where they didn’t make a field goal for more than five minutes of game time. From the 6:37 mark of the third quarter to 31 seconds into the fourth quarter, Miami couldn’t buy a basket. They would finish the third quarter 6 for 20 from the field. Yes, the Hornets are a good defensive team, but this has been brewing for the last three games. If the jumpers don’t fall, the Heat are left spinning their wheels.
The Heat struggled converting baskets in the paint, going 20 for 39 close to the basket. On a night when shots aren’t falling, making baskets in the paint can help stop the bleeding. Bosh actually attempted more threes (6) than shots in the paint (4). In games when baskets are needed, Bosh has to attack the basket and let his teammates worry about shooting from the outside. Couple that with no activity on defense after a miss on the other end, and Miami was digging themselves a difficult hole to crawl out of.
Things that perplexed me: The point guard situation has become very murky, as Norris Cole starts games and the third quarter, then disappears. Shabazz Napier has been averaging over 9 minutes played in fourth quarters this year, and seems to be the guy Coach Erik Spoelstra counts on to run the show until the end. But is it time to pull the plug on Cole? Probably not. Cole played great on Opening Night, but has sputtered recently. Cole will have his ups and downs, but he’s a solid defender and can hit those corner threes. It also helps that Napier hasn’t done a lot to run away with the job, so Cole still has time to strengthen his grip on it. But is time running out?
Oh, there’s another point guard on this team, right?
Scale of 1 to 10, how bad did I want to throw a lamp because of Mario Chalmers?: 4. Chalmers did more to irritate the Hornets than help the Heat. He was 2 for 8 from the field, for 6 points and 3 assists. He got called for 4 fouls, as he wasn’t much of a factor in this game. Although he managed to get a flagrant foul drawn on Lance Stephenson, so that’s a plus.
What we’ve learned: The Heat came out with the same energy that someone has when they wake up from a nap. Playing Tuesday night, then traveling to North Carolina probably didn’t help matters. The Heat fell down nine points in the first quarter, going 3 for 10 in the paint during the period. They stormed back to take the lead in the second quarter, before falling behind and stumbling over themselves to get back into the game. Again, this is a team that doesn’t quit. But they can shoot themselves – both from the field and the line – out of games. Combine that with unnecessary turnovers, and the Heat will have times where they flirt with danger.
Panic Meter: N/A. The Heat don’t play again until Saturday, so rest is going to be paramount. Working out the kinks on offense is something Coach Spoelstra is going to address over the next couple of days. Miami faces a young Minnesota Timberwolves team at home, before heading to Dallas for a showdown with the Mavericks on Sunday, so they’ll have a busy weekend. The Heat will have their work cut out for them, so the next two days are going to go a long way to help sort things out.