Miami Heat 84, San Antonio Spurs 91 (Beyond the Box Score)

The Heat leaves for a seven-game road trip Tuesday, its longest of the season, after a hard-fought game against the Spurs. The Heat kept it close for most of the game, but San Antonio's veteran-tested team proved to be too much for Miami. Manu Ginobili's monstrous block on Wade with 1:31 left put the game out of reach. Ginobili looked like he was on a pogo stick as he leapt in the air to block the ball from Wade as he drove toward the basket. "Tony Parker did a great job of getting in front of me. I couldn't elevate as high as I could go. (Manu) Ginobili came over and made an athletic play. It was a great block." After the block Roger Mason hit a jumper that gave San Antonio a five-point lead.

This game illustrated the difference between the rebuilding Heat and the upper echelon Spurs. The Spurs' core has been together long enough that "a lot of stuff they are running, they can do just off of feel and body language between each other," coach Erik Spoelstra noted. The Heat meanwhile is still trying to become cohesive.

Several Heat players said that not having Daequan Cook hurt. Cook banged knees with the Spurs' Kurt Thomas in the second quarter and did not return. Cook is day-to-day and sounded as if he is unlikely to play against Denver Wednesday.

Player of the Game: Dwyane Wade didn't have a stellar shooting night, going 10 of 26 but he finished with 24 points and filled out the box score with 12 assists and four steals. He had 14 points in the second half and played the entire fourth quarter. He said afterward he was somewhat fatigued but that he didn't want to come out of the game and take his customary fourth quarter rest because he felt like the Heat needed him to stay close with the Spurs.

Surprise, surprise: Shawn Marion started 0 of 3 in his first game back after missing Saturday's game with back spasms, and it looked like he might have an off night. He finished with 15 points on 7 of 14 shooting and had seven rebounds, four assists and a steal. He had several dunks, including one that tied the game at 39 with 2.9 seconds left before halftime that drew a rousing ovation from the crowd.

Tough night: For a second straight game, Joel Anthony played less than Jamaal Magloire. Sure Anthony started but he picked up his second foul with 7:30 left in the second quarter, and had to go the bench, and played 11 minutes on the game. Magloire played 17 minutes. Anthony had no points or rebounds, but finished with three fouls and two turnovers. Maybe it was just a matchup deal but it seems curious that he has played a combined 23 minutes in the past two games.

Lit 'em Up: Spurs rookie George Hill was perfect from the field (4 of 4, including 3 of 3 from beyond the arc). The point guard, who was a first round pick, had 15 points off the bench.

Stat of the Night: The Spurs hit 10 of 22 three-pointers. Perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise since they lead the league in three-point shooting, and Roger Mason and Jason Bonner are second and third in three-point shooting in the league, but it seemed like almost every time the Spurs needed to knock down a big shot they did. The Spurs were 5 of 8 from long range in the second half.

That Says It All: "It's a heartbreaker. We fight back and get in it and they just stab you again. They have been doing it for so long, it's kind of expected."-Beasley

Next up: Heat at Denver (ESPN), 9 p.m., Pepsi Center

Comments

[thejuandiggler]

Tough loss...I thought we outplyed them but they shot the lights out.
This young team is still impressing me.

[pugtv]

Good effort. Good game. Good learning experience.

[sean o]

Game was good. Wade needs to trust his teammates a little bit more by penetrating and kicking the ball to open players. He took too many shots that had no chance because he has no trust. Starting to look like Kobe of a few years ago. Stay strong on this road trip.

[BillyDAkid WADEforMVP2009]

STFU sean O you hater

Wade had 12 dimes

[BillyDAkid WADEforMVP2009]

No one would be complaining if they called the blocking foul on tony parker on ginobilis block, but that coulda went either way, we didnt get the calls last night (as seen on that play as weell as the two beasley layups where he got his arm GRABBED/HELD that was pretty bad)

But the refs weree consistent on the other end so it was all good.

It was a great effort by our youngsters. Who knows? If Cook didnt get hurt we may have won wiht him out theree to close out instead of Marion for his shooting.

Good game HEAT.

[heatstroked]

Sorry, this fan ain't buying. And neither should Heat players. It's another case of coulda, shoulda.

Tale of the tape (or DVR): 6-8 FTs/FTAs.

Eight TOTAL free throws? With DWade playing a full 46?

If the Heat weren't so PASSIVE for most of the night (Wahhh WAHHH We didn't have Daequan to rain 3s while we STAND AROUND frustrated by the Spurs defense!!!!), I'd be sending paranoid emails to Stu Jackson & David Stern for the abrupt lack of legitimate-not-just-favored calls & whistles in recent home games.

[heatstroked]

n.b. Perceived passivity especially applies to Spo, who seems content to unchange MIA's iso-pick-and-rollp redictability, i.e., "if Wade ain't moving, NOBODY is" and, "it's OK for offball teammates to standaround waiting for kickouts cuz thatz what our *offense* calls for."

Spo last words: "I mean, why change? If it was good enough for Riley, it's good nuff for me. RIGHT?"

[pugtv]

The Heat should limit Wade's minutes to keep him fresh.

Separatly, in games where it is a lost cause, the Heat should play Banks and Blount. Hopefully, they'll get massively injured and they'll retire early. Hey, don't judge. We all have evil thoughts =)

[redbaby]

The Heat will not build on their recent success until they get a legitimate BIG. In the mean time, sit Anthony and move Haslem back to center and start Beasley to get some scoring punch.