Center Hassan Whiteside dominates the Phoenix Suns and becomes the Miami Heat’s all-time leader for rebounds in a single season.
Welcome to the Hot Hand, where after every Miami Heat game win or lose we recognize the player who best put his stamp on the game.
Hassan Whiteside badly needed a night like this.
Just two days after Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers relentlessly attacked the center, putting him in difficult defensive situations with their downhill pick and roll game, Whiteside rebounded to lead the Miami Heat to a much needed 112-97 home win to move them into eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Although Whiteside finished strong (until leaving late in the fourth quarter with a hand laceration that required 13 stitches) with 23 points, 14 rebounds (four of which were offensive), a career-high three steals and two blocks, the night started out like an extension of the ugly Portland loss.
Podcast: The Heat are in the playoffs! (For now)
Young Suns center Alex Len used his quickness to keep Whiteside and the Heat’s defense off-balance, scoring six quick points early on as the Suns controlled the pace for much of the first quarter.
But after Whiteside re-entered the game with 6:37 to go in the first half and the Heat clinging to a two-point lead, the attitude and approach was that of a game-changing center and the new standard for the 27-year old.
Len would be neutralized (a minus-11 in the second quarter) and Whiteside would score 10 of his 23 points in the quarter, adding two big blocks as the Heat’s lead ballooned to 13 at the half.
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/844351272002207744
In the second half, the momentum continued. Whiteside dominated around the rim, hauling in seven rebounds and scoring ten points in a quarter that’d see the lead swell to 22. Again, Len was irrelevant, posting a minus-6 on 1-of-4 shooting.
Even more impressive than Whiteside’s numbers in the third quarter was his activity. The center put his stamp on the game and on the biggest Heat run of the game, one that would give them a lead they would never relinquish. He wasn’t just excelling in his role as rim protector, but rather challenging Len and the Phoenix frontcourt out on the perimeter, forcing difficult shots and giving Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson (who turned in one of his best games of the season) a chance to get out on the break.
Whiteside even flashed some of his “point-center” skills, finishing a coast-to-coast dunk and leading a break that ended in a Dragic three.
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/844355608832868352
Although the Heat would not give up their 22-point lead, the Suns did push to within 11 in the fourth quarter.
Spoelstra again summoned his franchise center and Whiteside put the struggling Suns away, scoring a swift eight points including an impressive up-and-under move on Len followed by a fadeaway jumper that resulted in a foul.
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/844375064472641536
To make things even sweeter for Whiteside, he also became the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder in a single season, passing Rony Seikaly with a total of 935. His performance also marked his 13th straight double-double and 57th overall this season. Rony Seikaly previously owned the Heat record with 56 in one season.
Unfortunately, Whiteside suffered a gash in his right hand in the waning minutes of the game. He received 13 stitches immediately following the win, and it’s unclear as of now if he will miss time (or how much time he could miss).
Games and performances like this show just how high Hassan Whiteside’s ceiling is with the Miami Heat. He’s a dominant presence and can affect the flow of the game single-handedly with his activity on both ends of the floor.
Next: Goran Dragic is central to the Heat's success
The Heat will have to wait and see if he’s available for Thursday’s matchup against the Raptors, but it’s a showing like this from Whiteside that’ll make the Heat a handful should they find themselves in the playoffs.