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 "Except for Golden State and the Spurs, everyone's just trying to
figure it out," Spoelstra said.
The Heat looked like they're on their way to figuring it out during
Monday's 100-88 road win over the Atlanta Hawks. Forward Chris Bosh
had 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Miami dominated the
backboards and got a big lift off the bench to snap a seven-game
losing streak to the Hawks. It was Miami's first win in Atlanta
since Feb. 20, 2013.
Guard Gerald Green came off the bench to score 20 points for the
Heat. Led by Green, Miami's reserves outscored Atlanta's bench,
31-17. The Heat outrebounded the struggling Hawks, 54-37.
"It's great to have a stat like that," Spoelstra said of his team's
rebounding edge. "It's not easy to rebound. First, you have to force
a team to miss, and secondly, nobody is just giving you rebounds.
Guys were not just leaving it to Hassan (Whiteside) or to our big
guys. (They) were tracking it down and pursuing it. Those kids of
efforts are what's required to win on the road."
Spoelstra praised his team's grit, a night after rallying from
behind to beat Memphis on the road. Miami point guard Goran Dragic
had a tooth knocked out by an accidental elbow from Atlanta forward
Al Horford. Dragic went back the locker room briefly, but returned
and finished with 12 points, eight points and seven rebounds.
"I think we all learned a little something about him tonight" Heat
forward Dwyane Wade said of Dragic. "Most people -- if they get
their [teeth knocked out] -- want to go to the locker room. But he
didn't want to go and wanted to stay in the game. He's just a tough
guy. We knew he was tough, but didn't know he was 'get your teeth
knocked out, bleeding and come right back in' tough."
Miami (14-9) was on the second half of a back-to-back and riding
momentum from Sunday's stunning comeback win over the Grizzlies. The
Heat scored the last 11 points of the game to stun the Grizzlies.
Miami took control in the third quarter against Atlanta. Bosh's
corner 3-pointer put Miami up 60-45 with just over seven minutes
left in the third quarter.
Miami's lead quickly ballooned to 18 early in the fourth quarter.
Hawks guard Kyle Korver hit a straight-away 3-pointer to ignite
Atlanta's last challenge. Korver, who had missed his first five
3-point attempts, looked to the sky in sarcastic disbelief after
three ball went down.
Point guard Jeff Teague followed with a basket, cutting the deficit
to 79-66 and causing Miami to call timeout with 9:14 to play.
But Green and Bosh answered with back-to-back jumpers, pushing the
lead to 90-74 with 4:24 to play, and Miami forward Loul Deng
finished with 18 points, including a late 3-point play that sealed
the win.
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Atlanta guard Kent Bazemore, who was reinserted into the starting
lineup after a seven-game absence, led the Hawks with a career-high
28 points. Bazemore delivered early, scoring seven of the Hawks'
first nine points. But Atlanta soon lost its shooting touch.
"We did (have energy)," Bazemore said. "We just couldn't make shots
and that kind of kills your energy when you miss open looks."
The Hawks missed their first seven 3-point attempts, before backup
point guard Dennis Schroder connected from the corner to cut the
Heat lead to 26-23 early in the second quarter. The Heat closed out
the half on a 16-8 run and took a 47-38 lead into intermission.
Atlanta connected on just eight of 33 3-pointer attempts and shot
39.3 percent from the field. The Hawks, who have lost three
straight, were coming off their worst loss of the season, a 103-78
home drubbing at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
Since winning seven of their first eight to start the season,
Atlanta has gone 7-11.
"Obviously, we're not playing well," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer
said. "We're going to have to find a way to fight through this, to
work through this. It's going to be a call of our character, a call
of our work ethic. We'll have to get after it."
NOTES: Atlanta G Kent Bazemore was inserted into the starting lineup
in place of F Thabo Sefolosha against Miami. Coach Mike Budenholzer
said the lineup adjustment was not a one-game move. ... Heat G Tyler
Johnson (shoulder) and F Josh McRoberts (bruised right knee) were
inactive. Johnson and McRoberts have missed the last three games.
... Miami assistant coach Keith Smart was not with the team and is
on medical leave. ... Atlanta guards Tim Hardaway Jr. and Edy
Tavares were inactive.
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