A big third quarter helped the short handed Miami Heat come back from 16 points down and get a much needed win against the Denver Nuggets Friday night.
Down 16 points at halftime and missing Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic to injury, the Miami Heat (23-17) rallied back, outscoring the Denver Nuggets 30-16 in the third quarter and ultimately earning a much needed win to break a three game losing streak.
Hassan Whiteside was huge in that third period, scoring nine points and blocking five shots and grabbing six rebounds in the quarter on his way to a triple double.
After going into halftime down 62-46, the Heat were within two with the score at 78-76 entering the fourth quarter. The Heat and Nuggets played a close game the rest of the way, with forward Darrell Arthur leading the Nuggets with 18 points.
Tied at 95-95 with 1:14 remaining, the Nuggets had a chance to take the lead. Arthur had the ball on the left side of the court, but Chris Bosh suffocated him on defense. Arthur shot an air ball and the Heat brought the ball down. Bosh made a 15-foot jumper with 55 seconds remaining to give Miami the lead and, ultimately, the win.
Whiteside, who has been the butt of criticism by fans and teammates, was Miami’s most impactful player. In addition to finishing with a triple double, he kept the Nuggets out of the paint. Miami outscored Denver in the paint 50-22, and the Nuggets struggled to his jumpers consistently in the second half.
The Heat, who blew a 16-point lead against the Clippers Wednesday, overcame a similar deficit. It was a big win for a short handed team.
Three stars
Hassan Whiteside had one of the best games of his young career, finishing with 19 points, 17 rebounds and 11 blocks. Not to mention two assists.
Chris Bosh was just as big for the Heat, scoring 24 points on 13 shots and acting as the center piece of Miami’s offense with Wade and Dragic out. Bosh hit a huge jumper late in the game to give Miami a 97-95 lead. He then hit a late free throw to extend the lead to 98-95.
Tyler Johnson played 31 minutes and the Heat needed every one of them. He finished with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Highlights
Up next
The Miami Heat face a tough test against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 pm ET on Sunday.