The Miami Heat rode a balanced attack and stingy defense to the brink of the playoffs, but what individual performances rose above the rest?
There’s no denying that this Heat season didn’t exactly end the way anyone would’ve liked, but within these 82 games, particularly the last 41, lie some incredible individual performances that propelled the Heat to a historic turnaround.
Here are five that standout above the rest.
5. James Johnson vs. Charlotte: 26pts (10/12), 4reb, 3ast, 2stl (April 5)
In the thick of the playoff chase, James Johnson saved his absolute best for his very first start of the season. 78 games into the season, Erik Spoelstra called on one of the anchors of his bench to start on an important, must-win night in Charlotte. When the dust settled, the Heat made a franchise-record 21 three-pointers in a dominating and crucial win. Johnson accounted for six of those, pacing the Heat with 26 points and a team high +23, locking down a potent Hornets offense on the other end of the floor.
Hassan Whiteside vs. Philadelphia: 30pts (14/17), 20reb, 3blk
There are certainly more important performances from the Heat’s franchise center, but a 30/20 game can never be ignored just by the sheer volume of such an output. To bring the winning streak to ten games, Whiteside feasted on the slumping Sixers, taking his “Barbara Walters” (20/20) game to the next level in a 125-102 Heat blowout. Even more impressive than his stat line: Whiteside needed just 27 minutes to achieve it. If there was ever a window into Whiteside’s potential in Miami, this was it.
3. Goran Dragic vs. Chicago: 26pts (12/20), 11ast, 5reb, 3stl
In the early stages of the Heat’s 13-game winning streak, it was Goran Dragic who propelled the team on a nightly basis. Dragic’s command of the offense and pace led to a scoring swell including a dominating 100-88 win in Chicago just two nights after the Heat completed a frantic comeback in Brooklyn where the point guard flirted with a triple-double. With no Hassan Whiteside in the lineup (or Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson), Dragic shouldered much of the load against a tough Bulls frontcourt.
2. Dion Waiters vs. Cleveland: 29pts (12/24), 5ast, 2reb, 1blk
While Dion Waiters missed the final thirteen games of the regular season with an ankle injury, his legend grew in a Heat uniform with a blistering start to 2017 punctuated by a near-career night against his former team in their own building. Just two nights after dismantling a short-handed Cleveland team at home, the defending champs returned home at full strength with revenge on their mind. Waiters ended that pursuit one devastating jumper after another including a dagger from several feet beyond the arc with just seconds remaining.
1. Dion Waiters vs. Golden State: 33pts (13/20), 5reb, 4ast, 1stl
It’s the moment that turned the Miami Heat’s season around and quite possibly the moment that’ll define Dion Waiters’ career (for the better) moving forward. With the best team in the league visiting the Heat in mid-January, many assumed the three-game winning streak would come to an end at the hands of Curry, Thompson and Durant. But Dion Waiters had other plans, leading the Heat with a career-high 33 points including six three-pointers. Eleven of his 33 came in the fourth including two threes in the final 90 seconds, with the last one lifting the Heat over the Warriors for good.
Honorable Mention: Wayne Ellington vs. Brooklyn (22pts, 4reb, 1ast); Tyler Johnson vs. Cleveland (24pts, 5reb, 4ast)