Following back-to-back losses, Hassan Whiteside bounced back to lead the Miami Heat to a road victory over the Houston Rockets.
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.
The Miami Heat were desperate to keep in touch in the playoff in their final game before the game the all-star break. After disappointing losses to the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic, the Heat demonstrated that led them recently to 13 consecutive wins. And leading the way was their $94 million man in the middle, Hassan Whiteside.
Coming a somewhat lackadaisical performance, Whiteside was engaged from the outset. He finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks in 31 minutes of action. Whiteside was extremely efficient, in his finishing around the rim hitting on 9-of-13 from the field.
The impact Whiteside had on the contest was profound. The following numbers illustrate just how influential Whiteside was on the outcome of the game.
Offensive Rating – Heat points per 100 possessions
Whiteside on court: 134.9
Whiteside off court: 104.3
Defensive Rating – Rockets points per 100 possessions
On Court: 120.6
Off Court: 109.0
It was Whiteside’s energy on the defensive end of the floor that stood out. Although he pulled down 19 rebounds in the Heat’s loss to the Magic, there were numerous possessions where Whiteside missed simple box-outs or didn’t contest opponents driving through the lane.
This sequence late in the contest demonstrated just how invested Whiteside was in delivering the Heat a victory.
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/832065356764237826
Having been named last season to the NBA all-defensive second team, Whiteside’s overall approach on that end of the floor this season has been up-and-down. But if the Heat are to move forward and contest for a playoff spot, these are the types of performances they are going to need on a regular basis.
As the season has progressed, the development in Whiteside’s offensive game has been quite evident. This was again the case against the Rockets, as is demonstrated in the following clip.
.@youngwhiteside makes easy work of Clint Capela down low as the @MiamiHeat remain in control of the Rockets live now on FOX Sports Sun! pic.twitter.com/5ZAyAFglig
— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) February 16, 2017
Very few centers in the league possess the same level of size and athleticism to make such a move look so easy. Whiteside exhibited this and a number of other moves down low that illustrate just how rapid his development has been. After all, this was just career game No. 192 for Whiteside, who is now averaging 16.8 points, 14.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks for the season.
The Heat will now return to Miami and enjoy a mid-season break as the all-star festivities kick off this weekend in New Orleans.
Their next game is not until Friday, February 24 when the Heat travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks. Game starts 8PM ET.