By Kyle Soppe
The Miami Heat beat the Philadelphia 76ers 84-78 last night, the fewest points in a winning effort for Miami this season.
The game didn’t start as a defensive battle. as the Heat accounted for 36.9% of their total points in the first 12 minutes.
Just another day at the off for LeBron James, who recorded 7+ rebounds and assists for the 14th time this season. He failed to sink a three pointer, a stat that has held true for 18 of Miami’s 32 wins. The King added a team high 2 steals and 2 blocked shots to go with his 29 point performance.
Dwayne Wade led all players with 11 rebounds, his first double digit effort of the season. His tenacity on the glass made up for an off night from the field, with his 12 points being his lowest output since December 28th.
Mario Chalmers contributed 10+ points for the 25th time this season, with the Heat winning 18 of those contests.
Joel Anthony did it again; he led the team in plus/minus ratio (+21) despite contributing very little in the way of statistics. Some players are “winners”, and Anthony has earned that title as this Heat team simply plays better when he is on the court.
Odd formula for success: get out rebounded (-12), take 19 fewer shots, make fewer three pointers, and turn the ball over more than your opponent.
Jrue Holiday struggled for the home team, making only 3 of his 16 field goal attempts. His 13 misfires were a season high, and the Miami pressure defense held Holiday without an assist for the first time this season.
The 76ers were led by Evan Turner’s 13 points, and their top three scorers matched Marcus Thornton’s total points against the Celtics (36).
Forward Thad Young had as many rebounds as points scored for only the second time this season.
Hometown boy Lavoy Allen was the only 76ers to shoot over 47% from the field.
Andre Iguodala grabbed 10+ rebounds for only the second time in 22 games.
Leave a Reply