Goran Dragic thrives in Miami Heat’s win over the Phoenix Suns

Goran Dragic helped lift the Miami Heat over his former team the Phoenix Suns.

In his first game back in Phoenix since the Suns traded him, Goran Dragic led the Miami Heat (22-14) to an exciting road win Friday.

Dragic got things kicked off by scoring eight points in the first quarter, including Miami’s first six points on a pair of 3-pointers. Dragic looked better than ever, probing the Suns defense and creating open shots for his teammates. He played like he did back in Phoenix, pushing the pace and dictating the tempo. It was a refreshing site as the Heat handed the reigns to him for much of the first half.

The Heat entered halftime with a 13 point lead, but the Suns (13-26) rallied in the third quarter and eventually took a 60-59 lead. Miami answered back and closed the third quarter with a 77-73 advantage.

The Suns started the final period with a 10-3 run to retake the lead, but the Heat came back with a quick 8-0 run and took a 91-87 lead with just over three minutes left in the game. Miami didn’t look back, thanks in large part to a dominant Wade who played the role of closer.

The game was dominated by Miami backcourt tandem of Dragic and Wade, with fellow former Suns Gerald Green and Amar’e Stoudemire making major contributions. With the Suns’ recent struggles, stories about how poorly Suns management treats players were floated about. The reaction of a fiery Dragic and a vengeful Green helps to validate those reports.

Miami again went small down the stretch, even though Hassan Whiteside was available for the game. Whiteside struggled from the get go, whiffing badly on defensive assignments and taking bad shots on offense. He played just 19 minutes and had a negative nine plus-minus. Miami pushed the pace with a small ball lineup with Bosh at center and were able to outrun the Suns.

Three stars

Goran Dragic finished with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting (3-of-5 from beyond the arc), seven assists and two steals. He was fantastic in his return to Phoenix as he dictated the tempo and maestro’d the offense.

Dwyane Wade was amazing, as you’ll see from the highlights below, and scored 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting.

Gerald Green scored 21 points off the bench for the Heat, and added four rebounds and three assists. At one point after making a 3-pointer, he turned around and started down Suns owner and millennial hater Robert Sarver.

BONUS STAR!!!! Amar’e Stoudemire entered early for a struggling Whiteside and recorded a very Whitesidian three blocks in eight minutes.

Highlights

Up next

The Heat take on the Utah Jazz at 9 p.m. ET Saturday in the second game of a back-to-back.