Heat 94, Wizards 87 (Beyond the Box Score)

WASHINGTON - Maybe the Heat needs to move to the nation's capital. Or maybe it simply needs to play the woeful Washington Wizards one a week.

Because this Heat seems to find this team on the schedule just when it needs to most. The Heat beat the Wizards for the second time in five days, this time a 94-87 victory Tuesday at the Verizon Center.

Dwyane Wade played through discomfort in his sprained right ankle and finished with 19 points and 10 assists in 35 minutes. He was one of six Heat players to score in double figures on a night when the Wizards were the ones limping away.

If there was any cause for concern on an otherwise victorious night, it was the play - or lack thereof - of rookie second overall pick Michael Beasley, who struggled in his homecoming game after purchasing nearly 50 tickets for family and friends to attend the game.

The most important thing that happened Tuesday night was that the Heat won a game it was supposed to win - even on the road - against a Wizards team headed for that No. 1 spot in the lottery.

We move beyond the box score.

Player of the Game: Dwyane Wade - Give him credit for pushing through the pain in his sprained right ankle. Wade closed with 19 points, 10 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in 35 minutes. You have to wonder if this team is better when Wade goes for across-the-board numbers or simply takes over and puts up 38 points and on 20-plush shots. Wade's game is as versatile as it's ever been. Sure, there were the 5 turnovers. But he made enough big plays to overshadow the few miscues.

Surprise, Surprise: Joel Anthony - Mario Chalmers certainly could have ended up here after emerging from what seemed like a 10-game shooting slump. But Anthony is starting to provide the defensive energy in the paint that this team could use a lot more of this season. Udonis Haslem and Shawn Marion can't do it alone. Anthony, who has finished the past two games in the fourth quarter while Michael Beasley has sat, closed with six rebounds and three blocked shots. Anthony has taken over the role of the first center off the bench. And it doesn't appear he'll be parting ways with it anytime soon.

Tough Night: Michael Beasley - Played a season-low 16 minutes and finished with just six points in his first game back in his hometown as a pro. Beasley put a lot of pressure on himself to perform well in the arena where he grew up attending games as a fan. Defense was his Achilles heel. This is the third time in four games that Beasley has spent majority of the fourth quarter watching from the bench. He insisted after the game that he needs to get back to work. You have to admire Beasley's honesty and accountability.

Shut 'em Down: DeShawn Stevenson - The Wizard who had been a Heat killer in so many games the past couple of seasons went 0 for 5 with 2 turnovers in 25 minutes. He couldn't feel his face (you might recall that silly deal when he waves his hand in front of his face after he makes a shot) and he couldn't hit a shot. Credit Wade and Daequan Cook for the solid defense.

Stat of the Night: A season-high 27 assists on 36 field goals for the Heat.

That Says it All: "Any team has the ability to be successful when you get 27 assists and six guys in double figures." - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

Next Up: Toronto Raptors at Heat, 7:30 Wednesday at AmericanAirlines Arena

Raptors 107, Heat 96 (Beyond the Box Score)

TORONTO - Some teams just seem to have their way against the Heat.

The Raptors, for now, are chief among them. Toronto used an 18-3 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters to turn a closely contested game into another comfortable double-digit victory against the Heat, this time a 107-96 triumph Sunday at Air Canada Centre.

The Heat came north of the border to see its shooting percentage sink the farthest south it has all season. Miami made a season-low 40.2 percent of its shots. That included 18 misses on a season-high 31 attempts for Dwyane Wade, 10 misses on 14 attempts from Michael Beasley and 8 misses on 13 attempts from Daequan Cook.

But the Heat wasn't just off offensively. It was also manhandled defensively, specifically on the boards, where the Raptors turned to 6-10 Chris Bosh and 6-11 Jermaine O'Neal to inflict damage. Bosh and O'Neal combined for 38 points and 25 rebounds against the Heat.

We move beyond the box score.

Player of the Game: Udonis Haslem - It's matchups like this when you have to feel for Haslem. At 6-8, Haslem had to deal with both his man, Jermaine O'Neal, as well as cover from the mistakes of others, namely whoever was responsible at the time for Chris Bosh. These are times when Mark Blount has to step up and be 7 feet. These are times when you needed Jamaal Magloire to be healthy. Still, Haslem came away with 10 points, 10 boards, a steal and a block in 38 hard-fought minutes. Fortunately, team president Pat Riley was on hand to see just where this team needs upgrades on the roster.

Surprise, Surprise: Chris Quinn - Quinny continued his solid shooting, connecting on 2 of 4 attempts from 3-point range. He entered the game ranked among the top five three-point shooters in the league. He remains a steady bail-out option when Dwyane gets in trouble. But this was a night - or day - when Wade elected to try to shoot himself out of jams. Quinn is shooting .536 percent from deep.

Tough Night: Miami's '08 Draft Class - Rookie forward Michael Beasley never found his shot and struggled to defend every man he guarded. Despite its best efforts, the Heat simply can't hide Beasley on the defensive end. The Raptors had seven players score in double figures, including four frontcourt players. Beasley countered with 13 points on 4 of 14 shooting, with four turnovers. He wasn't on the floor to finish the game because of defensive concerns. Meanwhile, rookie point guard Mario Chalmers was expected to have a rough night against Jose Calderon. But a hamstring injury kept Calderon out. Instead, Chalmers was eaten up by Will Solomon, who went off for 15 points and 11 assists.

Lit 'em Up: Chris Bosh - Showed just why he'll be the top realistic target among teams saving up green for the blockbuster summer of 2010. Bosh had 27 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in 42 minutes. He had 16 points in the second half and was a step quicker, an arm's-length longer and far more intense in the lane than anyone the Heat could counter with. Bosh's range makes him nearly impossible to cover.

Stat of the Night: 52-35. Toronto, one of the league's worst rebounding teams, went for a season high and outrebounded the Heat by 17. That led to 38 points in the paint and 15 second-chance points.

That Says it All: "We were down and they absolutely pounded us on the glass, which I was very surprised about. I thought we were going to be able to rebound and get out and play our game - it was their size versus our speed and they won out on that." - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on matchup issues.

Next Up: Heat at Washington, 7 p.m. Tuesday 

Heat 97, Wizards 77 (Beyond the Box Score)

Perhaps this was the Miami Heat at its best.

And maybe this was the Washington Wizards at their injury-riddled worse.

The result was a blowout as the Heat bounced back from Wednesday's loss to Portland with a 97-77 victory against the Wizards at AmericanAirlines Arena. Those who arrived extremely casually late expecting to see another monster fourth quarter from Dwyane Wade were disappointed.

Wade was on ice by then. He did his damage in the third, when he scored 12 points in 12 minutes, and the Heat used a 20-1 run to put away the Wizards. But this night wasn't about Wade. It was about his supporting cast, one that played to its full potential.

Shawn Marion, back from a two-game absence because of a groin injury, was at his lock-down best defensively. He shut down Caron Butler, who scored only six points. Marion and Udonis Haslem finished with points-rebounds double-doubles. The Heat had four players score in double figures and another three finish with 9 points.

Now if Miami could simply bottle this performance, it could be a serious contender this season. But a bit of perspective is always needed. This was a Wizards team that was beaten up before tip-off. Still, when you're the Heat, and coming off a 15-win season, any win is a much-needed victory.

We move beyond the box score

Player of the Game: Shawn Marion - The Matrix collected 12 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks in 29 minutes. It might have been the most defensively dominant 12-point, 12-rebound game that can be played. Marion, who missed two games with a groin injury, provided the energy and athleticism that was missing in Wednesday's loss to Portland. He held Caron Butler to 3 of 10 shooting and six points. Marion's offense is still not where it's been during his career. But his value to this team should be viewed first and foremost from a defensive perspective.

Surprise, Surprise: Mario Chalmers - After two wayward performances, Chalmers perked up. Perhaps it was that pre-game talk with coach Spoelstra. Or maybe it was the fact that Chris Quinn is coming on so strong. But Chalmers found his offense late and finished with 9 points, 7 assists and 2 steals in 30 minutes. He still hasn't found his shot (3 of 9 from the field, 2 of 7 from 3s), but he's regained some of his defensive swagger that allowed him to lock down the starting job.

Tough night: Daequan Cook - When Cook finishes with 9 points, 6 rebounds and some of the most aggressive defense this side of Shawn Marion and it's still considered a tough night, it goes to show just how good things were going for the Heat. Cook missed seven of his 10 shots and had two turnovers. Not that big of a deal in the grand scheme.

Shut 'em Down: Caron Butler - The two-time All-Star and former Heat lottery pick was held to 3 of 10 shooting from the field and just six points. Credit Shawn Marion with the lockdown. Butler had the look of a man who is facing a long season with so many teammates out injured. You know the look. It's the same one Dwyane Wade had last season.

Stat of the Night: Pick 'em. You can go with the 52-33 edge the smaller Heat team had in rebounding over a Washington team that rotated two 7-footers. Or, you can go with the 77-38 scoring edge the Heat's starters had on the Wizards starters.

That Says it All: "We can't just put it all on Dwyane's shoulders. We have to get other guys comfortable enough to make plays. It's also a game that doesn't have to be a home-run game. When the ball is moving, and we're sharing the ball, we're a much more dangerous team." - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the balance his team played with at both ends of the court to complement Wade.

Next Up: Heat at Toronto, 1 p.m. Sunday (Air Canada Centre)

Blazers 104, Heat 96

In the end, it wasn't Portland's length - and it had plenty of it - that bothered the Heat. It was Miami's liberal ball-handling that proved too difficult to overcome in a 104-96 loss to the Blazers Wednesday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

The irony in this game was that the Heat actually made adjustments and essentially neutralized Portland's height. But by the time that happened, Miami began to self destruct. The Heat committed a 19 turnovers that led to 26 points for the Blazers, who added another 42 points in the paint.

A Heat team that already has a razor-thin margin for error just made too many mistakes. As a result, it fell short of opening the season 4-0 for what would have been the first time in franchise history. Wade had another phenomenal scoring night, topping the 30-point mark for the fourth consecutive game.

But even on a night when Wade did just about everything he could do, it still wasn't enough. We move beyond the box score.

Player of the Game: Dwyane Wade - Finished with a season-high 36 points, eight assists, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals. He also had four turnovers and four fouls. But this was a night Wade needed veteran help on both ends of the court. He even said as much after the game when mentioned that this would have been an ideal game for Shawn Marion, who missed his second straight game with a groin injury. Wade's heroics just couldn't overcome Miami's youthful mistakes.

Surprise, surprise: Joel Anthony - Basically, Anthony negated Oden's impact on the game. Sure, it was Oden's first game back from a foot injury he sustained in the season opener. But Anthony's strength, athleticism and inside toughness kept Oden from getting much accomplished. Oden had two points, two rebounds, two blocks and two turnovers in 16 minutes. Most of that time, Anthony was on him. It's clear now that Anthony has moved ahead of Mark Blount as the first center off the bench.

Tough Night: Mario Chalmers - Most nights this season, Chalmers has looked like he's ahead of the curve at point guard. But this clearly wasn't one of those nights. The rookie looked like, well, a rookie. Chalmers had another off night from the field, missing three of his four shots. He also had a game-high five turnovers, including two in the critical fourth quarter.

Lit 'em Up: Rudy Fernandez - It looked like the rookie from Spain was playing HORSE out there with some of the incredibly difficult shots he hit. That barrage included a sick turnaround jumper at the top of the key that came during Portland's game-clinching run. Fernandez scored 14 of his team-high 25 points in the fourth quarter. He was 5 of 6 from the field in the second half.

That Says it All: "Mistakes. Mistakes. We coughed it up on unforced and unnecessary turnovers. To give a very solid, very efficient team 26 points off turnovers, it's tough to beat." - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the major difference in the game.

Next Up: Heat vs. Washington Wizards, 7:30 p.m. Friday, AmericanAirlines Arena

Heat 99, Nets 94 (Beyond the Box Score)

The numbers say it all.

Dwyane Wade's 19-point fourth quarter.

The Heat's crucial 8-0 run down the stretch, one that helped erase a 10-point deficit with less than six minutes left.

Michael Beasley's huge 15-point first half. Chris Quinn's six consecutive free throws to clinch it.

Just about everywhere you look, its easy to find a key contributing factor in the Heat's 99-94 come-from-behind victory over the New Jersey Nets at AmericanAirlines Arena.

They all led to another set of impressive numbers for the Heat. How about 3-0 at home for the first time since the 1999-2000 season? How about the overall 4-3 record, the first time the Heat has been above the .500 mark since April 18, 2007.

We go beyond the box score.

Player of the Game: Jolinda Wade - Give Dwyane Wade's mom credit for delivering the player who has delivered for the Heat in so many big moments. With his mom in town to celebrate her birthday - and sitting courtside on the baseline - Wade scored 19 of his game-high 33 points in the fourth quarter. Wade made a career-high four three-pointers, including three in the quarter. It's his third consecutive 30-point game, one that came after he shook off a rough first half from the field.

Surprise, Surprise: Daequan Cook - Came off the bench to score a season-high 15 points, including the three-pointer that started the Heat rally from a 10-point deficit in the fourth. But Cook's biggest play came on defense, when he forced Vince Carter into a turnover in the final seconds as the Nets trailing by three. Honorable mention here goes to Joel Anthony, who moved ahead of Mark Blount as the first center off the bench. Anthony provided solid defense inside early and was active around the basket. He finished with a block, a dunk and four boards.

Tough night: Yakhouba Diawara - Got the start at small forward in place of Shawn Marion, who sat out with a groin injury. But Diawara was just 1 of 4 from the field in 21 minutes. Diawara, however, wasn't brought in for his offense. His struggles from the field opened the way for Cook to get extended minutes on the perimeter alongside Wade and Quinn down the stretch.

Shut 'em down: Vince Carter - Scored 22 points, but never really found a rhythm against the Heat's help defense. Miami clearly had to give up something in order to contain Carter, and that meant watching Yi JianLian go off for a big night. Yi had 24 points, including 12 in the third quarter when the Nets built a 12-point lead. Carter was hounded into four turnovers and missed 9 of 16 shots from the field.

That says it all: "It's significant with what we're trying to build at home. We're trying to make this a tough place to play, and we're trying to win our fans back." - Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the Heat's 3-0 start at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Next up: Heat vs. Portland, 8 p.m. Wednesday at AmericanAirlines Arena

Hornets 100, Heat 89 (Beyond the Box Score)

NEW ORLEANS - On a night when Hornets guard Chris Paul made history, his team dealt the Miami Heat a little misery.

Paul scored 21 points and dished out 13 assists as the Hornets held off the Heat 100-89 Saturday night at New Orleans Arena. Dwyane Wade matched Paul's productive night with 30 points and 10 assists of his own, but a sluggish start proved to much for the Heat to overcome.

Miami was outscored 23-13 in the decisive second quarter, when it shot just 22 percent from the field. The Heat made a late push to get within striking distance, but Paul just kept striking back. At the end of the night, the Heat closed a pretty tough two-game trip with a split against teams expected to contend with the Lakers to represent the West in the NBA Finals.

We move Beyond the Box Score

Player of the Game: Dwyane Wade - Wade matched Chris Paul's dynamic double-double with 30 points and 10 assists on 9 of 20 shooting from the field to go with two blocks, six rebounds and five turnovers. It was the second straight 30-point game for Wade, who had a season-high 33 in Friday's win at San Antonio.

Surprise, Surprise: Chris Quinn - Quinny, once the forgotten man in the Heat's point guard rotation, stepped up again with a solid shooting night. He was 5 of 8 from the field, including 4 of 7 from three-point range. Quinn did all of his scoring in the second half.

Tough night: Shawn Marion - Marion had 10 points and eight rebounds and was productive during the moments he was actually on the court. But he left briefly in the first half and was treated in the locker room for a strained left groin. He's now juggling multiple injuries. He came back to play in the second half, but is now also dealing with a broken nose and a torn ligament in his pinky finger.

Stat of the Night: 23-13. The Heat was outscored by that margin in the pivotal second quarter. The Hornets used that cushion to keep the Heat at bay.

Lit 'em up: Chris Paul - Became the first player in NBA history to finish with at least 20 points and 10 assists in his first six games to open a season.

That Says it All - "Overall, when you look at it, I try to find the positive out of it and the positive is we did okay. The negative is we didn't play the way we did last night (at San Antonio), with the same energy." - Heat forward Udonis Haslem

Next up: Heat vs. New Jersey Nets, Monday 7:30 AmericanAirlines Arena

Heat 99, Spurs 83 (Beyond the Box Score)

SAN ANTONIO - Dwyane Wade was 14 years old the last time this happened. Michael Beasley was seven.

In other words, Friday's 99-83 win at San Antonio can be classified as a historic event of sorts. It marked the first time Miami has won on the road here since Dec. 23, 1996. It was only the second road win against the Spurs in 22 all-time meetings.

Miami had also lost 11 consecutive regular-season games here. Don't think for one second that the drought wasn't mentioned before the game by the coaching staff, which includes Keith Askins, who started for the Heat the last time it left the Alamo City with a victory.

"It's big," Wade said. "We haven't won (here) since, (assistant coach Bob) McAdoo told us 1996. So it was a good win to get. One message at halftime was, let's grow up and win this game."

Several factors led to the victory. Wade finished one assist shy of a triple double. Udonis Haslem finished with a double-double. Michael Beasley posted his second straight 20-point game. And, of course, Tony Parker was limited to just one quarter of action after spraining his left ankle in the first.

But the Heat was already up 24-9 when Parker left, meaning it was firmly in control when Mr. Longoria was healthy. We move on Beyond the Box Score.

Player of the Game: Dwyane Wade - A season-high 33 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists placed Wade just shy of a triple-double. His command on both ends of the court, his positive reinforcement with his teammates and his ability to hit big shots and thwart any hope the Spurs had of coming back were all key factors in the game. In other words, it was a vintage D. Wade type of performance.

Surprise, Surprise: Chris Quinn - Came off the bench with a season-high 15 points on 5 of 6 shooting from three-point range. This performance came after coach Erik Spoelstra said he gave Quinn one job, and that was to shoot the ball just about every time he touched it. Quinn responded with a breakout game for the Heat, which had been longing for some consistency from three-point range.

Tough night: Mark Blount - Followed his best game of the season (9 points, 5 rebounds in Wednesday's win against Philly) with a bagel and two boards in 10 minutes. He was 0 of 4 from the field. He did use all of his seven-foot frame to deter Tim Duncan a couple of times in the paint. So his night wasn't a total loss.

Shut 'em Down: Tony Parker - It wasn't anything the Heat did. It was a bad twist of fate - as well as a twist of Parker's left ankle. Parker left the game late in the first quarter after spraining his ankle on a drive to the basket. He followed his 55-point, 10-assist effort on Wednesday by finishing with only four points and a turnover in 10 minutes Friday.

Stat of the Night: Miami made its first 16 free throws and finished 20 of 22 from the stripe, with Beasley sinking all 10 of his attempts.

That says it all: "Miami beat us in every way imaginable. We were already down 15 points when Tony went down. We were not competitive. I'm disappointed with the starters. I enjoyed our group that played in the second half. Hopefully our starters saw it; if not, they were hiding." - Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on his team's play early.

Next up: Heat at New Orleans, 8 p.m. Saturday.

Heat 106, Sixers 83 (Beyond the Box Score)

So just maybe the Heat has discovered a path to the playoffs.

To make up for going winless on the road, where the Heat is 0-2 so far, it just might go 41-0 at home.

Clearly, there are two different Heat teams. One that plays to near-defensive perfection at home, as has been the case in two lopsided wins against Sacramento and Philadelphia. And it's a team that has almost no sense of direction on the road, where it's been beaten soundly twice now by New York and Charlotte.

Maybe Miami is somewhere in the middle. Maybe it's simply a neutral-site type team. Then again, that didn't work to well during the preseason trip to Europe.

The fact remains that this is a pretty sound defensive team when Mario Chalmers is focused at the point, Dwyane Wade is motivated at shooting guard, Shawn Marion (aka, That Masked Man) is in lock-down mode at small forward, Michael Beasley makes it easy at power forward and Udonis Haslem is Wes Unseld reincarnated at center.

The Heat, which has won consecutive home games for the first time in two seasons, just has to put nights like this together a few more times. Now, let's go beyond the box score.

Player of the Game: Dwyane Wade - After having a heart-to-heart with first-year coach Erik Spoelstra about his role in the offense, Wade came out like the D. Wade of old. He was dunking, hitting jumpers, getting to the free-throw line and harrasing his man on defense (Did Andre Iguodala ever arrive at AmericanAirlines Arena on Wednesday?). Wade had his most complete game of the season so far, with 29 points, seven rebounds, six assists, five steals and three blocks. Maybe he needs to check in with Spo a little more often.

Surprise, Surprise: Mario Chalmers - This is why the Heat traded to get this guy in the draft. This is why Larry Bird said Mario was "the steal of the draft" during summer league. This is why Pat Riley would resist the urge to act hastily and take a Steph (Marbury) in another direction. Chalmers had six points and six assists, but it was his team-record nine steals that set things off for the Heat. In only his fourth pro game, Chalmers broke Tim Hardaway's record for steals in a game. It would be unfair to expect him to do this night in and night out as a rookie. But you have to respect how Chalmers responded against one of the better point guards in the East in Andre Miller.

And allow us to give a Surprise, Surprise shoutout to Mark Blount, who shook off the rust and dust to contribute a surprising nine points and five rebounds. This is the same 7-footer who went five straight games, counting the preseason, with only one rebound.

Tough Night: Marcus Banks - Was out of the rotation and in street clothes with a right hip flexor strain. The injury limited Banks in Tuesday's practice. He is listed as day to day. With Banks out, Spoelstra was able to spread minutes out on the perimeter, which created an opportunity for Yahkouba Diawara to step up on the wing and contribute 11 points off the bench on 3 of 6 shooting from 3-point range.

Shut 'em Down: Andre Iguodala - The $50 million man was held in check all night. He picked up early foul trouble while trying to guard Dwyane Wade. He had two points and four turnovers on 1 of 7 shooting from the field in 23 minutes.

That Says It All - "We need to (always) play like it's a home game. We want to protect our house and make AmericanAirlines Arena somewhere scrared to come to. We have to apply those same rules on the road." - Heat forward Michael Beasley

Next up: Heat at San Antonio Spurs, 8 p.m. Friday

Bobcats 100, Heat 87

CHARLOTTE - So much for consistency.

Three games into the young season, that remains a foreign term for the Miami Heat, which followed Friday's blowout win over Sacramento with a 100-87 loss Saturday to Charlotte.

As Dwyane Wade said, "it's part of the growing pains." Indeed, it is. The Heat is still trying to learn how to balance out its up-and-down play this season. And it remains a work in progress. So, for as much excitement and hope that the Sacramento win provided the other night, there's just as much reason to face the reality of the situation after Saturday's loss.

One thing's already obvious. This version of the Heat is much better than the team that finished 15-67 last season. There's promise on this roster. There's hope. But the Heat will also have its share of bad nights - games when not even Dwyane Wade can shoot them out of danger.

Clearly, Saturday was one of those nights. As much as Wade tried to carry the team on his shoulders, there were moments when he looked like there was little regard for anything other than his shot attempts. When those shots go down, he's a hero. When they don't - and the man he's guarding seems to score at will - it can be a disaster.

Again, Saturday was one of those nights. We venture Beyond the Box Score.

Player of the Game: Udonis Haslem - Made his first seven shots of the game and did all he could to keep the Heat in the game on both ends with 16 points and seven rebounds. But the most important contribution came midway through the game when he went off on the team in an attempt to spark some emotion and energy. It didn't work. But his message about not getting "punked" needed to be heard.

Surprise, Surprise: Michael Beasley - Became the third-fasted rookie in Heat history to score 20 points in a game when he finished with 25 points, four rebounds and two blocks against the Bobcats. It was Beasley's third game. The only Heat players to score 20 faster in their rookie season were Steve Smith and Kevin Edwards. Offense, obviously, isn't where Beasley needs work. Defense is another matter.

Tough night: Dwyane Wade - Finished with 19 points, but missed 10 of his 15 field goal attempts and had five fouls. Wade admits he hasn't yet "hit my stride or rhythm" in three games. But what made a tough night worse was that his man - pick one - got off. Jason Richardson had 23 points on 10 of 17 shooting. Gerald Wallace, who was also guarded by Shawn Marion, had 34 points on 11 of 16 shooting.

Stat of the Night: The Heat forced 21 turnovers - and scored 20 off those Bobcat miscues - and still managed to lose by double digits.

That says it all: "I just told the team that if we lose, let's not lose because we got punked or they were more physical than us. Let's just lose a ball game because the better team won tonight." - Heat forward Udonis Haslem told the team during a second quarter timeout.

Next up: Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 7:30 Wednesday, AmericanAirlines Arena