The question is simple. How?
How can a team that had just turned a corner at home play so well for 42 minutes, carry a six-point lead with five minutes left, shoot 50 percent from the field, hold a sizable edge in points in the paint and have even a diminished Dwyane Wade down the stretch let this one slip away?
How? Easy.
Brandon Roy caught whatever hot flash Quentin Richardson was dealing with Sunday. As a result, Roy led the Blazers back to snatch a victory from the Heat's grasp in a 102-95 come-from-behind clinic at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Roy scored 11 points in the final four minutes and finished with 28 to match Wade's output. His perfect touch on five three-pointers also offset Quentin Richardson's 7-for-7 performance as the Blazers dropped the Heat to 2-3 on its six-game homestand.
D. WADE'S DOINGS: It was evident that Wade was a bit off from the outset. He missed five of his first six shots from the field, including three shots in the lane and an airball on a short baseline jumper. The back spasms that kept him out of Saturday's practice "kept coming back and leaving" during the game Sunday. He still managed 28 points on 13-of-31 shooting and 10 assists. But without much lift, many of his shots fell short and he also went without a rebound for just the fourth time in his career. First it was the wrist. Now it's the back. Wade is 25 games into the season and is already banged up to mid-season levels. He'll have two days to rest before the Heat closes out the homestand on Wednesday. He'll need every bit of it.
TURNING POINT: Let's see. The Heat was ahead 87-81 with 5:28 left. Over the next five minutes, Portland would rally to go ahead 99-92 with 28 seconds left. That's a 18-5 run that sucked the life out of the Heat. Brandon Roy had 11 during the spurt, but he got plenty of help from LaMarcus Aldridge inside, Martell Webster outside and Andre Miller's veteran savvy, ability to hit tough shots and penchant to draw fouls.
LOSING EDGE: The Heat didn't really find a way to lose this one as much as the Blazers just came from behind to snatch victory away. But if there was one critical stat that stands out, it was Portland's 15-9 edge in made free throws.
HEAD-SCRATCHER: In a game where there was no shortage of three-point threats, it remains puzzling as to why Daequan Cook continues to be in such a deep freeze. Cook, reigning 3-point shootout champ from All-Star Weekend, is buried so deep in the rotation these days that he might as well sit alongside special assistant Keith Askins behind the Heat bench. Cook is a great kid with an even better attitude and a solid work ethic, which is why it's so tough to see him struggle. Meanwhile, Richardson has so clearly taken over as the Heat's resident three-point specialist. That means Miami spent a first-round draft pick (Cook) and majority of its 2008 mid-level exception money (James Jones) on something it essentially acquired in what many dismissed as a throw-away trade (Richardson-for-Mark-Blount).
KEY CONTRIBUTION: It's all about the Q. Richardson tied a franchise record for most consecutive made three-pointers without a miss when he finished 7 of 7 from beyond the arc. He closed with a season-high 22 points. As good as that effort was, Roy found a way to upstage it and get the win. But the Heat has found a scoring sidekick to complement Wade and Beasley. If Q plays, he's almost good for 20 every time he steps onto the court. He's been that consistent lately. He's also been battling nagging injuries.
NEXT UP: Jazz at Heat, Wednesday - 7:30, 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.)
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