The Heat began their 7-game road trip with a poor effort on defense in their loss to Denver.  The Nuggets led the whole way, getting contributions from all over the lineup, most noticeably from Linas Kleiza.  He replaced Carmelo Anthony in the starting lineup and preformed well in his place.  Also have to note that Dick Vitale was calling the game for ESPN and it sounded like he was going to have a heart attack after a signature sick D-Wade 'dunk-a-roo diaper dandy' in the 2nd quarter.

 

KEYS TO VICTORY

Coming from the Heat’s perspective, I would say the lack of defense was a key reason to why the Nuggets controlled the game.  Denver ran all over Miami, scoring 35 fast break points.  The Heat could not stop the driving efforts of Kleiza, who was unstoppable in the 1st half, or get a hand in the face of J.R. Smith, who could not miss in the 3rd quarter. 

Also helping the Nugs’ cause was Joel Anthony committing 2 fouls in the first 44 seconds of the game.  This led to Michael Beasley coming in early, and you would think he would flourish in the extended minutes.  In the first quarter he scored 10 points and looked confidant, but once again getting into foul trouble would limit the rookie.  He did try and dive a few times, but still looks very soft going to the basket. 

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Shawn Marion got his 9th double double of the season and even hit a 3-pointer.  This was his 2nd straight game with double figure points, and he said its because the Heat are swinging the ball to the weak side more on offense. 

Daequan was really missed.  Other then the 1st, the Heat came out firing every quarter.  Their problem was closing out quarters, which is when they usually have Daequan out there drilling 3’s. 

Mario Chalmers had a long night.  He turned the ball over 7 times, but scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting and had 7 assists.  You can give the rookie a pass; he was dealing with Chauncey Billups all night, and forced him to turn it over 5 times.

GOOD THINGS ON THE HORIZON

Before Wednesday nights game, both Daequan Cook and James Jones said they expect to play on Friday.  With Jones, he may have to wait until Sunday in L.A., but either way, this is great news.  Either way, the Heat should be a spirited bunch who will look to bounce back against a very beatable Sacramento Kings team.

HOT READS

Michael Wallace discusses Daequan Cook getting good news about his knee. 

Ethan J. Skolnick explains how this long trip will show how far the Heat have come.

Chris Perkins weighs in on the Heat’s trading Shaun Livingston.

Miami Road Record: 6-9

Denver Home Record: 13-4

Time to kick off the party with a nationally televised showdown between the Heat and the Melo-less Nuggets. 

After their big win in Toronto last night, the Cats seemed to have righted themselves after what I can only call a post-Christmas hangover.  The loss to the Islanders may have been the breaking point for this combination of Panther-veterans and new comers whose common goal has been simply to make the playoffs.  Since that game the Panthers have shown improvement in many areas and that is what we are going to focus on.

SHOTS ON GOAL

The Cats have 93 shots on goal in their last 3 games.  That’s 31 shots/game and a shooting percentage of 16%  (meaning one in every 8.4 shots has been a goal).  The shots have been good shots too, not just the outside wristers the Cats had a tendency of firing throughout December.  Now they are moving much better without the puck, especially in the offensive zone. 

GOALS

The 15 goals scored in their last 3 games in the highest goal output of any 3-game period this season.  They aren’t cheapies either, most of the goals coming from the high-scoring areas in and around the crease and the slot area.  The Panthers are getting much better at gaining the offensive zone with possession and using their speedier players (Booth, Dvorak, Zednik) to tie up defenseman and get the puck when playing the dump-n-chase.

Also to note, the Panthers have accumulated 40 points in the 3 games.  While I wish that meant points in the standings, its just the amount of points Panther players have been credited with.  15 goals mean a possibility of 45 points (you can get as many as 3 points for each goal; 1 goal 2 assists).  The Cats are moving the puck extremely well, especially in the offensive zone, and not just aimless cycling in the corners as we have seen in years past in Jacques Martin’s system.  The puck is moving around the ends and through the middle, with the openings in the D being caused by the constant movement of the Panthers players.

POWER PLAY

In what has been the Achilles Heal of the Cats offense, their power play has come to life of late, and it all comes back to moving without the puck.  The only power play movement that Panthers players have shown has been their D switching sides, but that is now a thing of the past.  I can’t stress enough how important it is for the players without the puck to be moving, and finally the Panthers seem to be getting it.  They are giving each other options and outlets, all while getting open and stretching out the opposition. 

The power play, a mere 15% success rate on the year has been much more lethal of late, scoring on 4/17 power plays, good for a 23.5% success rate which is up there with the best teams in the league.  Assuming that the Cats keep up their great playing and positioning, these numbers should be more consistent and the Power Play success, and team’s overall success, should keep growing. 

Miami is heading to the circus, and on a side note, they will be playing the Nuggets tonight as well.  The circus surrounding Denver’s big star Carmelo Anthony and his broken right hand that will keep him sidelined for a month.  Will the Heat be able to take advantage of Denver’s misfortune?  Denver has been playing well recently, wining 4 in a row and 6 of their last 7.  They are also 13-4 at home. 

WHO TO WATCH

Kenyon Martin is the Nuggets version of Udonis Haslem (on the court), with a twist.  Martin can also hit the 3 on occasion, but has been commended for his hard work this year and has been on fire of late.  On the year Martin is shooting 51% and 53% from beyond the arc.  And when ‘Melo went down last game, Martin came back with his highest point total in 6 weeks (25) while grabbing 7 boards and turning the ball over only once, something he has had troubles with during the season. 

One of the Nuggets most consistent players this year has been their center, Nene.  He has no problem pounding down underneath the rim, and is very versatile on defense.  And over his last 4 games Nene has been scary good, shooting 75% from the field on 30-of-40 shooting, while grabbing 33 boards, blocking 6 and grabbing 4 steals.  Production across the board = scary. 

THING TO CONSIDER

Denver has been solid throughout the year and holds a 3-game lead in the Northwest Division, but there are some uneasy feelings with some on the Nuggets roster.  Several players are upset with the team’s lack of a ‘killer instinct’ and it has become an issue of late.  In their last 4 games Denver has held a double-digit lead and almost blown it every time.  We are talking 20+ point 1st half leads that shrink down to almost nothing.  Take that and combine it with the injury to the teams leader and there could be some major problems in Denver.

KEY TO VICTORY

If the Heat can come out and smack Denver in the mouth, it could keep this fragile Nuggets team down.  They have been shaken on many occasions, especially during their recent ‘bad spells’ and while they are still winning games, nobody is more aware of their struggles then the players are.  And believe me, I am sure the Heat are completely aware of this.  Coach Spo has a bit of that ‘killer instinct’ himself, as we all have seen throughout this season.  The Heat should come out attacking on offense and playing the aggressive style of defense that forced numerous turnovers against the Spurs on Monday. 

IN THE DIVISION

HOT READS

Chris Perkins previews the first game of the Heat’s 7-game road trip.

Ira Winderman talks about Daequan Cook’s injury.

We also get Ira’s take on the Heat’s releasing of Shaun Livingston.

The Shaun Livingston experiment appears to be over as the Heat informed the guard of his release after Monday night’s loss to the Spurs.  If Livingston clears the 48-hour waiver period, he can be re-signed by the Heat up to 2 times on a 10-day contract basis, but that is unlikely. 

With the open roster spot, the Heat has the option to bring in another player on a 10-day contract basis, but I think this move was to make room for the possible return of Alonzo Mourning.  We knew that the Heat was going to have to make room for Zo if and when he came back, and this may be the move.  The heat are pretty good at the point guard position with Chalmers, Quinn and Banks so there was no need to hold on to Livingston.  Obviously he was not showing the progress that Pat Riley and Coach Spo were hoping for.  

This also pretty much locks up Jamaal Maglore for the remainder of the season.  He had already locked up half of his salary for this year, and will have the other half guaranteed as long as he is not released before Wednesday's game in Denver. 

You can’t get that upset after games like this.  Of course nobody likes losing, but when I see the Heat playing a tight, playoff-like game against one of the best teams in the NBA (which they have done on several occasions this year), it gives me a really good feeling.  The fact that we are competitive with the best in the league says that the Heat are not that far away, and with a couple tweaks (say…James Jones and ‘Zo), we could be a very dangerous playoff team.

KEY TO VICTORY   

This game was a large-scale seesaw battle, with teams going on many runs to keep the score fluctuating.  The Spurs went on a 9-2 run in the 1st that was quickly countered by a 9-0 run by the Heat.  In the 3rd the Heat went on a 7-0 run to briefly take their 1st lead.  With the game still in question with less than 2 minutes left, Manu Ginobili came out of nowhere to make a ridiculous block on D-Wade that would have made it a 1-point game.  After that, the Heat could not get much going on offense. 

I’ll also give honorable mention to George Hill.  This guy came out of nowhere and had his best game since November, going 4-4 from the field and hitting 3 three pointers.  He also grabbed 7 boards. 

THOUGHTS FROM THE GAME

I think the chemistry growing between Dwayne Wade and Mario Chalmers could really end up being something special.  I say this because it isn’t just an on-the-court thing.  These guys like each other and Dwayne has really taken Chalmers under his wing.  While they are making some sick plays on offense, I see them supporting each other as well.  When Wade missed a free throw and dropped his arms in disgust, Chalmers came right over and said a few words to calm D-Wade down. 

Oh, and did you see Chalmers’ block on Bruce Bowen in the 2nd?  He is going to be something special.

I knew Matt Bonner was a handful on offense, but I didn’t realize what a great defender he is.  He is very physical which can wear out an opponent very quickly, especially the bug guys.  One thing I don’t understand is why they don’t use him more in the paint.  He can still take his outside looks, but he seems to enjoy the physical aspect of the game, so let him under the rim to do some dirty work. 

Shawn Marion continues to look horrible at times on offense.  He takes some ugly looking shots and its annoying that since he has such a ‘unique’ shooting style, it makes easy looks more difficult.  But then he’ll go on a tear like the one at the end of the first half, scoring the Heat’s last 7 points in the last 1:47, allowing Miami to go into the half tied at 39. 

Michael Beasley was fired up for this game.  He was hustling on both sides of the floor and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds and added 15 points.  Despite not playing much of late, he isn’t afraid to shot, but I think he still needs to utilize his post-up game and drive a bit more. 

It was nice to see Chris Quinn out there, and he is just the model of consistency.  He only played 14 minutes but still provides a deadly 3-point threat and mediocre defense.  He hustles his ass off and shoots a high percentage, and who would rather have Marcus Banks out there instead of Quinny?  Nobody...?

Jamal Maglore had a great 1st quarter off the bench, grabbing 6 rebounds in 7 minutes.  Maglore and Beasley both benefiting from the elbowroom in the paint provided by the Spurs big guys and their tendencies to shoot from the outside. 

GET READY FOR THE ROAD

The Heat will now embark on a busy 7-game road trip that will take only 12 days. It will begin Wednesday in Denver, and that game will be nationally televised on ESPN.  I’m going to start posting live threads for games, so let me know if you are coming out!

I don’t understand how so many Dol-Fans are so upset. I understand that the Fins Divisional Playoff game was pretty ugly, quite possibly the worst loss of the year, but this is when you should be celebrating the amazing season the Dolphins had, not bitching and moaning about losing to a Baltimore team that nobody wants to play, including 1st round bye teams Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

Granted, the Fins play calling was questionable at best. I don’t understand why they would call so many plays where every receiver was going 15+ yards down the field against a Ravens team that you know will be blitzing and has amazing safeties (ahem…Ed Reed). But to blame Chad Pennington is not the answer. I can’t believe that people (including ex-Dolphin Keith Byers on local radio) were calling for Chad Henne to come into that game. Are you serious?

It’s very typical of the ‘Miami Sports Fan’ to completely turn on the ones who they had raised on their shoulders only days earlier. Without Chad Pennington, we would not have even sniffed the Playoffs, a Division Championship or even a .500 season.

The Dolphins have just had the single greatest turnaround season in NFL history. They have the NFL’s Comeback player of the year, a 2nd place finisher in the MVP and Coach of the Year awards.

They set a new NFL record for fewest turnovers in a 16-game season. They won all of their divisional road games, including a game at the Jets with the division on the line and countless sub-plots that would have distracted many teams. They also won 8 of their final 9 games (5 on the road) to complete the most improbable playoff run in Dolphins history.

Only a year ago this was a 1-win team. Going into this season, we would’ve been more then happy with an 8-8 finish. Remember the pre-season and how good it felt to win those meaningless games? I guess not…because people are now calling this season a disappointment.

Those are the same fans who will be all pumped up the next time the Dolphins make the playoffs or do anything significantly good. But when times are down, they are the first to lash out against ‘their’ team and chastise the efforts. Its ridiculous. I feel ashamed to share a city with these so-called fans.

I hope the true fans out there are smiling today. This was a remarkable season that should be remembered in the most positive of ways. The playoffs were just icing on the cake. To those other fans…why don’t you just root for the Patriots or some other team that you can count on being good every year? Me, I'll keep rooting for my hometown teams, going to half-empty stadiums and arenas and supporting them the same way, weather they are in first place or last. I know there are many of you out there who share the same opinion as I do, and I only wish we pass these values on to our children and hope that the next generation of Miami sports fans are better then the last one.

The way I see it, the Panthers just came back from a 4-game losing streak and took 3 of a possible 4 points in 2 very hostile arenas. After their awesome win in Pittsburgh, the very next day they had to travel across the border to Canada and face the powerful Montreal Canadians. Granted, its disappointing that they had to claw their way back after jumping out to a 2-0 lead, but in the end, its only the points that matter.

Another nice thing about these past two games is the number 11. And while I would love it to be about our boy ‘Soupy’ Campbell, he has no points in the 2 games. The 11 stands for the amount of goals the Cats have scored in those 2 games, their highest 2-game goal output since scoring 9-goals in back-to-back games against the Rangers (also a win and a shootout loss).

The Panthers have gotten a nice mix of scoring from the usual suspects (Booth, Horton) and their role players (Dvorak, Peltonen, Zednik). They also bailed out Craig Anderson, who did make some key saves but also let up some Voky-like goals that leave you scratching your head.

A little more about Radek, my childhood favorite Panther, who is using his speed more and more, hopefully getting the encouragement from the coaching staff. I never understood how Jacques Martin didn’t utilize him more for his speed, but I’m glad we are seeing him flying down the wings on a gamely basis. Radek had 2 big 3rd period goals, including the game-tying goal with 1:44 remaining.

Is it just me, or does this team have a knack for late-game tying heroics? Off the top of my head I can remember late game-tiers against the Rangers, the Devils and the Lightning (all home games that I was lucky enough to see. Jealous? Then get your butt to Sunrise and see a game; the Panthers will even pay for it)

There is another point that I wanted to get out there. I notice that David Booth has a lot more success when he dumps the puck past the defenseman and then uses his great acceleration to get past the D and regain the puck. The more he does this, the more I love it and we can only hope he will continue to figure out more ways to use his extreme strengths to his (and our) advantage.

Big game in Toronto on Tuesday that I’m sure the Cats are looking at as a seesaw game. A win and they are back on the right track towards the playoffs going into a big division matchup Thursday in Sunrise against the DiveCanes. A loss and there will be more questions to answer and I’m guessing more blame to be put on the goalies.