Insider: Seven Wins in a Row for Heat
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before Tuesday’s matchup with the Sacramento Kings not to underestimate their young, talented roster. For three quarters, Sacramento (10-22) proved him right, but ultimately Miami (26-7) pulled away for a 120-108 victory at the American Airlines Arena.
An 11-2 run early in the fourth quarter really settled the game. Dwyane Wade was Miami’s leading offensive threat for the second game in a row, chipping in 30 points off of 11-16 shooting.
While he took a scoring backseat, LeBron James facilitated much of Wade’s success. James only added 18 points but a healthy dose of his eight assists went to the shooting guard.
Sacramento’s scorers did have stellar performances in the loss. The trio of Marcus Thornton, Tyreke Evans, and rookie Isaiah Thomas each shot over 50 percent and scored 23, 21, and 24 points respectively.
What that group added on the offensive end of the floor, they gave up on the defensive side. The Heat shot a scorching 55.6 percent from the field.
In particular, Miami’s point guards went off. Mario Chalmers tied a career high with six threes on the way to only his second 20 point game of the season and backup Norris Cole hit big shots in a 12 point effort.
Cole led a standout bench effort. History was made by reserve forward Udonis Haslem, who moved into 2nd place all-time in the franchise annals for rebounding late in the third quarter.
One game remains for the Heat before the All-Star break, a Thursday tilt with the Knicks. Miami will be looking to head into the weekend on an eight game win streak.
Tags: Miami Heat, NBA
