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 On Wednesday, their best player, forward Al Jefferson, was
playing on one healthy leg, and the Bobcats were facing the two-time
NBA champion Miami Heat in their own building and in full health.
And, oh yes, the Bobcats had to deal with Heat forward LeBron James
and his 32 points, six rebounds and eight assists.
Yet, somehow, Charlotte had a chance to tie the score in the final
10 seconds before losing 101-97 Wednesday night at AmericanAirlines
Arena.
The Heat leads the best-of-seven first-round Eastern Conference
playoff series 2-0. Game 3 will be played Saturday at Charlotte.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was asked if was surprised by "the fight
of the Bobcats."
Normally patient with the media, Spoelstra bristled.
"That's absurd," he said. "Not in the playoffs. Once you get to this
level, it gets highly competitive.
"We expect a dogfight in Charlotte."
Wednesday's game was a little like that, too, especially after
Charlotte cut a 16-point deficit to three. A 3-pointer by guard
Kemba Walker and a runner by Jefferson made the score 97-94 with
1:42 left.
After a miss by Heat forward Chris Bosh, Charlotte had a chance to
tie, but guard Chris Douglas-Roberts was off the mark on a 3-point
try.
James made one free throw with 50 seconds left after taking a hard
foul by forward Josh McRoberts, who may face a league penalty for
the hit.
"I was just trying to catch my breath," said James, who declined to
comment on whether he thought it was a flagrant foul.
Walker, who had 16 points, then made another 3-pointer with 11
seconds left to cut Miami's lead to 98-97.
Miami finally put Charlotte away on two free throws by James with 10
seconds left and guard Dwyane Wade's steal against Douglas-Roberts
on the Bobcats' final possession.
"He wasn't my man," said Wade, who had 15 points. "But I saw him
bobble the ball and made a play."
Bosh credited Wade — and Spoelstra.
"Dwyane made the correct play," said Bosh, who had 20 points and hit
4 of 5 3-pointers. "(Spoelstra) gives us the freedom to rely on our
intelligence and make plays.
"We had a little bit of slippage (in the game), but we got out of
here with the win."
Charlotte was led by forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who had 22
points and 10 rebounds.
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"That was the best game he has played as a pro," Bobcats coach Steve
Clifford said. "He set the tone defensively. He was attacking the
basket. He had three offensive rebounds. He played an all-around
game."
Charlotte also got a courageous effort from Jefferson, who played 40
minutes despite a painful foot injury. He scored 12 of his 18 points
after halftime and finished with 13 rebounds.
"I thought he was better in the second half when he got more
comfortable with his foot, but obviously he was nowhere close to 100
percent," Clifford said. "He had no mobility."
Miami led by as many as 13 points in the first quarter, but Bobcats
guard Luke Ridnour banked in a 3-pointer from beyond the top of the
key at the buzzer to cut their deficit to 29-19 at the end of the
quarter.
James scored 12 points in the first quarter and six in the second as
the Heat took a 57-47 lead at halftime.
"We started the game well, but as soon as we subbed, our defense
went down and our turnovers went up," Clifford said. "In the second
half, we subbed a lot less."
NOTES: Heat PG Mario Chalmers started despite a deep bruise on his
left shin and finished with 11 points, including nine in the first
quarter. ... Bobcats F Al Jefferson started despite a left foot
injury that required two cortisone shots before the game. He left
the game briefly during the first quarter, went to the locker room,
got his foot retaped and returned. ... Heat F Chris Bosh's
6.6-rebound average during the season was a career low. His scoring
average of 16.2 was the lowest since his rookie season of 2003-2004.
... Bobcats coach Steve Clifford on his boss, team president Michael
Jordan: "He will text me with what he sees. He knows our team well
and can identify our players' strengths individually. He knows what
we're trying to do, and he's a great resource for me. I appreciate
how he treats me — he gives suggestions but lets me know I'm the
coach."
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