--Forward James Jones said he has no issue with his shift back to the bench, with Quentin Richardson again starting at small forward, a spot Jones held for five games as Richardson worked back from back spasms. "I've always said before, I love playing, but I've been a reserve my entire career and I've had success as a reserve," Jones said. "There's no shame in being a reserve. There's something great about starting, but there's a lot to be said to being able to be effective coming off the bench." --Quentin Richardson credited his offseason loss of more than 25 pounds for upgraded play that included a season-high 20 points against the Trail Blazers and mid-game lockdown defense on Blazers guard Brandon Roy.
"Being able to move my feet, slide side to side and keep up with them all, I attribute all of that to the weight loss," Richardson said.
--Coach Erik Spoelstra said he spoke to Daequan Cook before Thursday's shoot-around at the Pepsi Center, after holding the reserve guard out of Tuesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers amid Cook's shooting slump.
"That position right now, I think will work itself out a little bit in the next few games," Spoelstra said of reserve wing. "He is doing some good things. At least his energy is good. Defensively he's doing some good things."
The benching came after Cook's shooting percentages fell to .289 from the field and .286 on three-pointers.
"I'm surprised a little bit," Cook said of the inactivity, "but it is what it is."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's a disappointing effort on our part. We were just flat in the first half, not only in the body, but in the mind. Then the bottom just fell out." -- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, on the 14-0 second-quarter run that Denver put his team away with Thursday night.
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