Coming into last night’s game with the Nuggets, Miami had lost just twice by double digits all season long. The margin of defeat in those two games added up to 27 points. LeBron decided to sit out against Denver, stating that he “doesn’t have to be a hero in the regular season”…so much for that. The Heat lost in embarrassing fashion on national television, 130-102. Using your first grade math skills, take that first number and subtract the second number. You should come up with 28. Yup, that’s a bigger margin than their other two double-digit Ls combined.
Random Observations:
- Highlight Recap: How JR Smith put this shot in… I have no idea. That play’s in the top five, it’s number one, but I felt that it deserved a special mention. Jameer lobs one to Dwight. Luke Ridnour dishes over his head to Kevin Love. Not bad for a three-game Thursday.
- Lowlight Recap: Darko wins a jump ball against Al Thornton, but ends up tipping it right into his own basket.
I’m surprised he didn’t tweak and go all Incredible Hulk on his jersey. Sometimes it seems like certain players just can’t catch a break. I’m not saying Darko isn’t to blame for his less than impressive career… but whenever weird stuff like this happens it seems to involve a player like Darko. I remember one time when Stromile Swift made a beautiful block on Dwight Howard, and the ball ended up flying way up in the air and falling through the hoop. It was one of those “yup, that would happen to him” plays. Something about those second overall picks, they just can’t pull it together.
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JR Smith knocked down 8 of 14 three-balls on his way to a game-high 28 points in just 27 minutes. Carmelo Anthony scored 21 and five other Nuggets recorded double figures as Denver crushed Miami 130-102. With LeBron James sitting out, the Heat had to find alternative sources of offense. Seeing as guys like Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers were suddenly forced to put the ball in the basket, the offense went better than one would expect. They shot 46% and scored 102 points, only 40 of which came from Wade and Bosh. It was the defense that was missing. Denver pulled away early with a 34-point second quarter, and the route was on from there. Ty Lawson really energized the team with his performance off the bench. His three steals played a part in upping the tempo of the game, and his 13 points were a nice contribution as well. Dever shot 53.3% from the floor, made 15 of 31 long balls, and connected on 17 of 22 attempts from the line. The Nuggs have scored 130+ in two consecutive games.
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The Wizards would probably be hovering around .500 if they played all their games in Washington. That’s not the way it works, of course. The Wiz took their show on the road for the 19th time, which resulted in their 27th loss. Only eight of those have come at home, meaning that they have yet to win a game on the road all season long. On this occasion they were defeated 109-97 by the lowly T-Wolves. Javale McGee may be headed to the slam dunk contest, but even with all of his athleticism, he couldn’t handle Darko Milicic. Darko scored 14 points, grabbed 11 boards, and swatted two shots. Kevin Love had an average game with 35/11. Yawn. Minnesota abused Washington on the glass, outrebounding them 47-38 overall and 15-6 offensively.
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Dwight Howard looked like Steve Nash at the line, making 17 of 20 on his way to the following line: 39 points, 18 boards, and two blocks. Nenad Krstic, you have been sonned. Unfortunately for Dwight and company, the Thunder made everything they threw at the basket, resulting in a 125-124 victory. OKC shot 56.4% from the floor, 7 of 14 from distance, and 30 of 37 from the line. Russell Westbrook recorded his fourth career triple-double with 32/10/13. Kevin Durant led OKC in scoring with 36 points. JJ Redick scored 18 and knocked down three consecutive triples during a 14-5 fourth quarter run, but Orlando was never able to take the lead.
Quote of the Day: Flip Saunders recognizes the beastliness of Kevin Love…
“We expected Love to be a handful. We thought he had a chance to beat us. He basically beat us from the 3-point line.”
By “we thought he had a chance to beat us” he obviously meant “I knew Love would certainly destroy us”. He just can’t say that.
Photo of the Day: Because I couldn’t find anything more interesting…
