Miami Heat Move on to Face Denver
By David Ramil
Injuries, juggled lineups, road games and not as many victories as you’d expect. These factors might sound familiar although they’re not used in describing the Miami Heat bur rather their Wednesday night opponent, the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets (9-12) stumbled out of the gate to start season, winning just two of their first nine games before, inexplicably, finding a way to win seven of their next eight. But injuries to key players have started to take their toll and Denver hosts Miami having lost four consecutive games.
With JaVale McGee, Kenneth Faried and Nate Robinson out of the lineup, Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw has had to play whoever’s available for extended minutes during a just-concluded three-game road trip. Of course, fatigue is bound to set in and Denver has struggled to finish strong, as Shaw recently explained to reporters (via ESPN):
"“I had to play those guys a ton of minutes to try and salvage this trip and try to get one game. We just (couldn’t) overcome that. It’s been a problem for us all season. We dig a hole for ourselves and don’t start defending until the second half. We have to bring that desperation right from the beginning of the game.”"
Miami (10-11) has also had trouble finishing games of late, remaining competitive during a recent four-game losing streak until late collapses sealed their fates. But they were able to find a way to win on Tuesday, when Chris Bosh (34 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals) led the team to a 103-97 victory over Phoenix. Bosh was sensational, shooting 14-of-21 (including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc) and providing scoring at key moments throughout the game. Luol Deng was also impressive, finishing with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks – perhaps his best all-around game since joining the Heat.
Denver has used a balanced scoring attack with five players averaging double-digit points, led by guard Ty Lawson (16.2) and forward Wilson Chandler (14.6). The team currently ranks eighth overall in points per game but their shooting percentage (43.8 percent) is good for just 23rd overall. They put up a lot of 3-point attempts (nearly 26 per game), while converting just 32.6 percent as a team (25th overall). Expect an up-and-down, quick pace; normally, this would be a problem for Miami on the second night of a back-to-back set but with Denver’s injury/fatigue issues, it might be an evenly-matched game.
The Heat could be dealing with other unexpected injuries: Dwyane Wade (despite 16 points on Tuesday) played the game with a brutal headache that could potentially keep him out of the lineup versus the Nuggets. Josh McRoberts banged his knee late in the game on a hustling play that sent him crashing to the floor. While he walked off the floor with a noticeable limp, he reportedly was feeling fine after the game. No word has been given on either player’s status for tonight’s contest.
The game will be televised nationally (also a problem for Miami this season) on ESPN and is set to tip-off at 10:30 p.m. If you’re still awake after the game, check back with All U Can Heat for a recap, post-game grades and analysis.