SAN ANTONIO - Not a bad way to bounce back from a blowout. And who needs that Dwyane Wade guy after all? Ok, Ok. A little perspective is due following the Heat's 96-93 victory over the Spurs at the AT&T Center.
This team needed this one. Badly. A day after getting blown out by 20 against the Hornets in Mobile, the Heat ended the preseason on a much-needed positive note by beating the Spurs. Yes, it's the preseason. But, as players throughout the Heat's locker room admitted Friday night, any win is a good win for a team coming off a disastrous 15-67 season that started with an 0-7 preseason.
Wade sat out of Friday's game to rest his surgically repaired left knee. Coach Erik Spoelstra had said he would give Wade some time off during the preseason. And he was running out of time to follow through on those plans. Spo said Wade was "fine, but he just felt a little weak in the knee."
After the game, Wade said he simply wanted to rest it and that there were no issues with the knee. He's going to have to carry a heavy load once the season opens Wednesday at New York. So if this was just about squeezing in an extra day of rest, it's a smart move. But with all of the knee issues going around in pro sports right now - think Tom Brady/Peyton Manning in football - you have to be on the cautious side. Beyond Wade, there were several areas to address after Friday's game. So lets get beyond the box score.
Player of the Game: Mario Chalmers - Who else could it be after the way he hit the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Spurs? With the clock winding down from 10 seconds, Chalmers took control after the play broke down from the start. He took a pass from Beasley and - eventually - pulled up from the right wing on a shot that was true from the moment it left his hand. Maybe that's why Chalmers, who was having an up and down preseason, left his hand in the air well after the shot fell. It capped a solid night from the improving rookie point guard, who had 11 points, 10 assists and 4 steals. Chalmers' shot allowed him to steal this distinction from fellow rookie Michael Beasley, who had a solid 19 points and 9 rebounds in 33 minutes.
Surprise, Surprise: Daequan Cook - Staying with the theme of young guys stepping up, the second-year guard had his best game of what had been an awful preseason. Cook started in place of Wade and finished with 17 points on 6 of 12 shooting from the field. More importantly Cook was 4 of 6 from three-point range. Coming into Friday, Cook was 11 of 38 from the field and 3 of 17 from deep. Calling it a breakout performance would be an understatement. Let's see where he goes from here.
Tough night: Marcus Banks - Before the game, coach Erik Spoelstra said he envisioned Banks playing the role of combo guard and spot-up shooter amid the Heat's lack of a three-point threat. Banks responded with four points on 2 of 6 shooting from the field in 12 minutes. One off night after several decent outings doesn't register as big deal. But the race is clearly tightening for playing time in the backcourt, specifically at point guard.
Coach Speak: "He seems to be a guy that rises to the occasion. As we're trying to tighten this up and shore up what our rotation is, he certainly stepped up a bit in our minds. I guess we'll have to tell him every place we go is San Antonio." - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about Mario Chalmers, who hit the game-winning shot Friday. Chalmers also hit a clutch three in the NCAA title game in San Antonio to lead Kansas to a victory over Memphis.
Next up: Heat at New York Knicks (season opener), 7:30
Comments