Postgame Breakdown: Raptors 120, Heat 113

TORONTO - By now, it's obvious. The Heat won't win too many shootouts this season. It's not built to do that. Dwyane Wade just doesn't have enough consistent help to outscore teams capable of putting up major points.

Another tough lesson was delivered at the Air Canada Centre, where the Heat watched another team soar above the 100-point mark and hand it yet another demoralizing loss. For all of the encouraging things that came about in the furious comeback, the Heat just couldn't manage to overcome its poor start.

Chris Bosh scored 29 points to lead the balanced Raptors to a 120-113 victory over the Heat. Miami has lost three in a row and four of its last five. It is now 0-5 this season when giving up 100 or more points.

The Heat had to work extremely hard to get back into this game after it fell behind by 23 points. But it couldn't get over the hump. Not when the Raptors are torching for 69 points in the first half and shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and from three-point range.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: Wade didn't exactly emerge from his shooting slump. He was 10 of 24 from the field, 1 of 5 from three-point range and 9 of 10 from the foul line for 30 points. His eight assists, many of which came as he beat two defenders to find open teammates, were impressive down the stretch. But the Heat just can't wait around for Wade to do all of the work early. Or Wade can't try to hard to dominate the ball against double- and triple-teams. One way or another, these guys have to meet in the middle. Amazingly, Wade didn't have a turnover. You would think that a three-game losing streak might frustrate the guy a bit. But credit Wade for keeping things in perspective. He knows what - and who - he is working with. He knows there are going to be rough patches during the season. He can't do it all by himself.

TURNING POINT: This game was truly a tale of two halves. But the biggest twist came at the finish, when the Raptors used a 14-3 run to pull away after Miami pulled to 102-101 with less than four minutes left. Four different Raptors scored during that decisive run, with Andrea Bargnani putting his team ahead to stay. Miami simply expended too much energy to get back and had nothing left to finish.

LOSING EDGE:A Heat defense that once ranked among the league's stingiest teams surrendered 43 points in the second quarter and was outscored by 18 points. Toronto set the tone with its penetration and kick-outs to open shooters. The Raptors shot 79 percent in that quarter, including 67 percent from three-point rang. Seven Toronto players had at least four points in the quarter.

HEAD-SCRATCHER: Joel Anthony played less than half as many minutes as Jermaine O'Neal, yet had nearly twice as many rebounds. This on a night when the Heat needed all hands on deck to compensate for the injuries to Haslem and Richardson, two of the team's top defenders and rebounders. O'Neal did add 17 points and was a factor when the offense flowed through him, which wasn't enough in stretches.

KEY CONTRIBUTION: Mario Chalmers scored a career-high 30 points, including 24 in the second half and 16 in the fourth quarter. It was an encouraging outing, albeit in a loss, from Chalmers. He needed a game like this. Wade needed help in the backcourt. He also needed the balance and aggressive play from Michael Beasley, who finished with a solid doube-double. The question, as Spoelstra posed to the media - and presumably his team - after the game, is who is going to continue to step up and play with consistency?

NEXT UP:Hornets at Heat, 6 p.m. Sunday AmericanAirlines Arena.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Comments

[cp12]

How nice would it be to have Zo and PJ Brown again?

www.blogmiamiheat.com

[D2183]

Beasley had a great game. Whenever he went head to head against Bosh he burned him for dunks or free throws. His rebounding was very good as well. And not even a mention on here.

[JDOGTHEDOG]

Heat suck this year =/ not all players fault tho, our coaching is very suspect. What was he trying to do with arroyo chalmers and wade? you only should go small when you have quick athletic guards. W/e hopefully we find our way and bounce back I want playoffs.

[Josh]

Wallace: Did you bother watching the game or even glancing at the box score before posting this rubbish? This team certainly offers the lazy analyst too many opportunities to copy and paste "wade=great, support not there" and call it a night, but not tonight -- not in a game when Wade was not even the best player wearing a Heat uniform. As a reader, I expect more.

Next time you decide to submit a similar breakdown, ask yourself: what would Ira Winderman do?

[Don Juan]

Without Haslem Beasley averages 20/10 go figure Mr. Wallace

[pugtv]

I personally find Ira's articles annoying. I've given up on reading his material.

[ebag]

this team is becoming difficult to watch.

[UD's biggest fan]

Beasley sucks. Without Haslem and against two of the biggest and toughest forward combos in ATL and Toronto he's averaging 21/11.

If only we could keep him at PF and let Haslem play his backup minutes instead of Shavlik Randolph. I get it though, UD is what we want, not Beasley who is clearly not as good at career 10/8 Haslem.

[taheati]

Next time you decide to submit a similar breakdown, ask yourself: what would Ira Winderman do?

===

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Q: Nate Robinson and David Lee (and maybe a first-round pick) for Michael Beasley? Gives us a starting power forward and a backup point guard? -- J.P.

Winderman: No, no, no. Lee's numbers are inflated by Mike D'Antoni's system ...

---

David Lee [ http://bit.ly/4Tf3HM ].

2006-07 PER/20.2, ORtg/127 @ 29.8 mpg (coach: Thomas)
2007-08 PER/18.0, ORtg/123 @ 29.1 mpg (coach: Thomas)
2008-09 PER 19.0, ORtg/118 @ 34.9 mpg (coach: D'Antoni)
2009-10 PER 19.6, ORtg/103 @ 33 mpg (coach: D'Antoni)

Winderman = MORON.

[taheati]

MW - Joel Anthony played less than half as many minutes as Jermaine O'Neal, yet had nearly twice as many rebounds.

---

Yup.

And Big Cat was MIA's best rebounder (TRB%) last season while JOneal ranked ... 8th. Behind Joel Anthony. AND "Mark Blount."

This season, JOneal started fast (currently 2nd to Haslem in TRB%).

But how will he finish? A dozen games in, looks like deja vu all over again.

It's too bad Anthony still has mitts for hands. If JOneal continues his softward spiral, Big Cat should get some minutes.

Magloire's career TRB% rate of 17.5 was plenty evident in limited floortime last year.

Contrast JOneal's 10.7 last, 14.1 current.

Either that or Riley is probably X-Mas shopping as we speak.

[taheati]

P.S. Not yessing or nixing the question's trade proposal though Robinson is anything BUT a defensive stopper with a defensive disposition while Lee has always been a max-effort guy with limited upside (see Haslem II). Which doesn't include the problematic issue of intraconference trades, much less little if any recent trade history with the Knicks.

[SATANLOVES]

FIRE SPO. Sign AI. Trade Haslem.

[JESUSLOVES]

REPENT!

[SATANLOVES]

LOL @ JESUSLOVES

[Joel Delgado]

What a wasted effort. Every time i talk shit about Chalmers he blows up, maybe i should keep talking.Hopefully they beat new orleans n washington cause then u got orlando n boston two contenders which really sucks for us. I still haven't given up on this team but i'm getting worried.

[black the trucker]

well, good effort, didn't get the win but still, it was a good showing by charlmers and we got a chance to see bosh... i don't know what the front office is up too, but hey, after 20 games we should know how this season will shakeup.. no trades today, enjoy the weekend.... hey, come to play on sunday, maybe talk chris paul into demanding a trade... 007

[ebag]

i'm giving this team three more weeks.

they've got four tough games this week, and a four game west-coast road-trip next week. after that they have a week off. if they are gonna get any type of chemestry, the road-trip is their chance. if they are gonna make any trades, the week after is the time to do it.

\

[hadoken]

why is shavlik randolph even playing? he's awful. spo should just let james jones and dorell wright play instead of him

[Shag]

Wade has to start taking the blame for putting up bad shots. Wade should only attempt 1 or 2 three pointers a game, he has just never been a three point shooter. Also, Wade your not going to jump shoot your way out of this slump. Wade has to keep taking it to the rim like he used to.. then defenders will have to play off him a little more so he can get better looks for jump shots.

Wade has been in the NBA long enough that he has to start playing smarter than he has the last few games with his shot selection.

Taking over 20 shots a game actually hurts the team when you're shooting 40% and lower.