Supporting Cast Comes Through For Miami Heat In Win Over Cleveland Cavaliers
By Jared Doyle
@outofboundsjay
Steve Mitchell- USA Today Sports
When looking at the box score of the Miami Heat‘s crucial 101-91 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the first player to jump off the page is of course Dwyane Wade, who led the team in scoring with 31 points and topped it off with five rebounds and five assists. The rest of the Heat’s starting lineup also came through in the clutch, with Luol Deng notching 25 points and Chris Andersen holding his own as the starting center with 12 points and eight rebounds.
The Heat looked particularly impressive in this game against one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Their energy was there from tip-off, and the offensive and defensive rotations seemed to be a lot more precise. The biggest takeaway from this game ,though, was how the supporting cast managed to come through and actually support the starting lineup.
Danny Granger in particular, a player who has truly struggled since joining the Heat, played his best game of the season, scoring nine points and grabbing seven rebounds. The last five points he scored were especially important, because they came towards the end of the fourth quarter when the Cavaliers were attempting to make a comeback. Granger managed to secure an offensive rebound and put back, then a few seconds later a crucial corner three-pointer to put the Heat back on top.
Norris Cole and Udonis Haslem also held their own, combining for 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. This type of production from the Heat’s second unit needs to be sustained now. This is the only way the Heat will manage to get above the .500 mark again, even with the eventual return of Chris Bosh to the starting lineup. This game was a great first step for getting the Heat’s role players back on track.
Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @outofboundsjay, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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