Miami
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
The Heat were swept by the Seattle SuperSonics. After losing a game last week in Miami on a missed Damon Jones trey and missed clutch free throws by Eddie Jones, last night's loss was a blowout in comparison as Seattle won 108-98. The loss came on the heels of a 103-92victory over Portland on Friday. The best thing that can be said about Seattle, as many have noted, is that the two teams won't face each other again this season unless they meet in the Finals.
Shaq led the Heat in scoring for a third-straight game, collecting 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting. He also grabbed 11 boards. He is back to his career averages in both departments, and isn't that something? You know you have a lot of history to live up to if scoring 28 points and grabbing 12-13 rebounds is an AVERAGE night for you.
Seattle really put the shackles on Dwyane Wade, holding him to just 16 points on 7-for-19 shooting. He did continue to rack up the assists, with 6, but as always he's plagued by turnovers (4). Well, that's what Damon Jones is for. Jones dished out 7 assists with just 2 turnovers, but he went 2-for-10 from downtown. He's not going to be getting calls from Seattle anytime soon as a three-point specialist they can add to their roster.
Udonis Haslem had a terrific rebounding night, grabbing 12 boards in 37 minutes. The nice thing is he grabbed more offensive boards (7) than defensive ones (6). He and Shaq were the only ones to get an offensive board, except for a single one for Michael Doleac.
NEXT GAME
The Heat (27-9, first in the Southeast) continue their Western Conference road trip with a matchup against the Phoenix Suns (30-4, first in the Pacific and the league), another potential Finals rival. That game is Tuesday, January 11th, 2005. The game starts at 9:00pm Eastern and will be broadcast on the Sunshine Network and NBA TV in High Definition.
TEAM NOTES
Heat Fans, pleasemark your calendars: On Sunday, January 23, the Heat will play the New Orleans Hornets at the AmericanAirlines Arena at 6:00 pm. The Heat will be on the road on Monday, January 24, taking on the 76ers at 7:00 pm in Philadelphia.
INJURY UPDATE
Malik Allen(back),Dorell Wright(abdominal), andJerome Beasley(back) are parked on the injured list.
Stephen F. Holder ofThe Miami Heatwrites: Well, at least now it's over.The Heat will not have to contend with the Seattle SuperSonics for the rest of the season, and that was about the best thing to come out of Miami's 108-98 loss Sunday, its second to Seattle in six days.The Sonics frustrated the Heat -- which had battled back from a late 19-5 Seattle run and 10-point deficit with a 12-0 run of its own -- drilling shot after shot in the fourth quarter to ward off the surging Heat. The Heat again was the victim of a beautifully executed pick-and-roll offense that allowed Sonics forward Vladimir Radmanovic to connect on three fourth-quarter three-pointers on his way to a team-high 27 points.
John Sleeper ofThe Everett Heraldwrites: "I love Shaq," Fortson would say after the game."He's a great guy. Not only that, but I admire him. He's a legend. Anytime you're out on the court with him, it's an honor." To slow down The Big Man, McMillan's game plan hadn't changed in six days. "We want to keep a body on him as much as possible and try to keep him off the low block," he said. "We want to use our fouls. We want get him off the block and make him take a tough shot. "We've got to be aggressive and go to the basket. (O'Neal) is definitely more active on the defensive end of the floor, but he will foul. We want to force him to make plays and not stay on the perimeter."
Marcus Thompson III ofThe Contra Costa Timeswrites: There's the Los Angeles Lakers' Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. There's the Boston Celtics' John Havlicek and Bill Russell. There's the New York Knicks' Earl Monroe and Willis Reed. Even the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Will the Miami Heat's O'Neal and Dwyane Wade go down as one of the best inside-out tandems of all time? "They have a chance to be phenomenal," Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "It's too early to tell, but they have a chance to be (one of the best tandems ever)."