Bobcats 104, Heat 65...
Streaking Bobcats dominate Hea...
Heat-Bobcats, Box...
Cavs roll as Shaq reaches mile...
ROSTER REPORT 2010-01-20...
GETTING INSIDE 2010-01-20...
Wade heats up, burns Pacers...
Heat 113, Pacers 83...
Pacers-Heat, Box...
Heat-Bobcats Preview 2010-01-2...
Heat sign Jamaal Magloire...
Shaq and wife staying together...
Web viewing of NBA games may s...
Heat sign Dorell Wright...
Heat waive Bobby Jones...
Bye who have this number 32 (t
Matured Beastley making Heat c
azithromycin buy online
azithromycin buy online
order amoxil online
order amoxil online
Pasch Bougainvillia alveolosub
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
 
 
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Subscribe in NewsGator Online
Add to Windows Live
News » Heat-Celtics Preview 2009-03-18


Heat-Celtics Preview 2009-03-18


Heat-Celtics Preview 2009-03-18
After carrying the Miami Heat to three straight victories, Dwyane Wade was understandably exhausted as the streak came to an end in the team's last game.

Two nights off before a meeting with the struggling and injury-plagued Boston Celtics should help the league's leading scorer bounce back.

Wade and the Heat go for their second win over the Celtics in a week when the clubs square off Wednesday night in Boston.

Wade averaged 43.3 points on 53.8 percent shooting and also had 6.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 4.0 steals to lead Miami (36-30) during last week's winning streak. Despite that, Wade failed to repeat as the league's Eastern Conference player of the week, losing out to LeBron James.

The All-Star guard also averaged more than 47.0 minutes per game in that stretch, because the Heat needed double-overtime to beat Chicago 130-127 on March 9 and triple-overtime to get past Utah 140-129 on Saturday.

After playing a career-high 52-plus minutes against the Jazz, a weary Wade was held to 18 points on 8-for-21 shooting in an 85-77 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday.

"I didn't have the energy," said Wade, who still played 34-plus minutes.

The same was true for his teammates. Miami was held to nine points in the fourth quarter and combined to shoot 2-for-17 from the field in the final 10 minutes.

"We were probably fatigued," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "There are games where you can't close them out."

The Heat were idle Monday and Tuesday, giving Wade rest that could come in handy against the Celtics, who haven't looked very fresh lately either. Boston (50-17) has lost four of five to fall to 9-9 since its 12-game winning streak from Jan. 11-Feb. 3.

The Celtics looked particularly sluggish defensively in a 127-121 loss at Chicago on Tuesday. It was the highest point total allowed by Boston since the team acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett before last season, setting it up for its 17th NBA championship.

Part of the problem Tuesday was the continued absence of Garnett. The league's reigning defensive player of the year missed his 12th consecutive game with a knee injury. He's expected to return soon, but won't play Wednesday.

Allen could join him on the sideline after hyperextending his right elbow against the Bulls.

"It's all predicated on how I feel (Wednesday)," Allen said.

Leon Powe, filling in for Garnett in the starting lineup, was also injured Tuesday. He bruised his right knee when he ran into Chicago's Ben Gordon while trying to set a screen and will be re-evaluated Wednesday.

The depleted Celtics could have a hard time keeping up with the Heat, who had six players score in double figures in their 107-99 home win over Boston last Wednesday. Wade led Miami with 32 points and sealed the victory with a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left.

Allen had 27 points and Powe added 23 with 13 rebounds in that game. Paul Pierce, the only fully healthy member of Boston's "Big Three," added 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting.

The Celtics, who won their first meeting with the Heat on Jan. 21, are just one half-game ahead of Orlando for second place in the Eastern Conference. Miami is fifth, three games back of Atlanta for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.


Author: Fox Sports
Author's Website: http://www.foxsports.com
Added: March 18, 2009

 

 
Copyright © Heatportal.com, Inc. All rights reserved 2012.