Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

Heat expect better play despite streak
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-12-29 10:14

The Miami Heat have won 12 games in a row, a franchise record. They have the best record in the Eastern Conference and lead their division by six games. Still, the locker-room consensus is they can get a lot better.

The 116-102 victory Monday over Atlanta followed a familiar — and slightly disturbing — pattern. Miami survived a lackluster first half, trailed at halftime and needed a second-half burst to pull away.


Shaquille O'Neal(C) of the Miami Heat tangles with Atlanta Hawks' Tyronn Lue and Kevin Willis in Miami, Florida. [AFP]

"Would I like us to play more dominantly throughout? Yeah," Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said. "But you know what? The other team's trying to win, too. That's the biggest problem I find in coaching. If everybody else would quit doing that, it would make it a lot easier."

During the 12-game run, Miami has trailed at halftime eight times. The Heat have been outscored 606-605 in the opening half before wearing teams down and pulling away by an average of 9.6 points after the break.

Against the Hawks, Miami used a 13-0 third-quarter run fueled by Dwyane Wade to transform a six-point deficit into a seven-point lead that it protected the rest of the way. Wade had six points during that spree, and had assists to set up the other seven.

"We don't try to do it that way. It's just the makeup of our team right now," said Wade, who's averaging 27.8 points and 10 assists in his last four games. "When it's time to dig in, we dig in. And that's a good makeup to have, especially for a team with eight or nine new guys."

Shaquille O'Neal, the most notable new guy, is thrilled with how the Heat has put this streak together — especially since two of the wins were 2-point, come-from-behind affairs against Sacramento and then Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers.

Against the Kings, Miami rallied from 12 down with 5:17 remaining. And then in the Christmas showdown with the Lakers — O'Neal's team for eight years his trade to Miami during the summer — the Heat survived a 42-point outburst from Bryant and pulled out a win in overtime.

"When you look at the guys we have on paper, it can't happen," said O'Neal, who's averaged 25.7 points in his last seven outings. "A lot of people probably thought it wouldn't happen, especially last week. Going out there to Sacramento, a lot of people thought we'd overlook that game or Sacramento was too tough. And then people probably thought we'd overlook that game on Christmas, especially with that guy coming out as hot as he was. But my guys have got a lot of poise."

Entering Tuesday, the Heat's 23 wins ranked second-best in the NBA. They held a 5 1/2-game lead over Cleveland for the conference's best record and a six-game cushion over Orlando and Washington in the Southeast Division. They were 17-2 against conference rivals — easily the best of any East team.

"It's hard to win three in a row," said Van Gundy, whose team is off until a Thursday trip to Detroit, which beat Miami 78-77 last month. "It's hard to win games back to back, and then you've got people gunning for you."

Perhaps the most impressive part of the winning streak is the schedule. The off days Tuesday and Wednesday mark the first time the Heat have a two-day break between games since Dec. 1-2.

The 12 wins came in a 22-day stretch, and while some welcome this respite, others would prefer to keep riding the wave.

"I just want to keep it rolling, to be honest with you," guard Eddie Jones said. "Let's keep going. I hate the fact that we have a couple days in between. ... I know we're not invincible, but we're really confident right now."



 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

Chinese aid joins world tsunami rescue

 

   
 

Asian tsunami toll approaches 60,000

 

   
 

Building resumes at Olympic centre

 

   
 

FM: Lee's visit a blow to ties

 

   
 

State to speed up public info flow

 

   
 

Billions of US dollars to cross borders

 

   
  NBA marvels as LeBron turns just 20
   
  Heat expect better play despite streak
   
  Chelsea wins to extend Premier League lead
   
  Nuggets fire coach Jeff Bzdelik
   
  Rockets send a pair to Hornets for Wesley
   
  Warriors defeat Nuggets 104-101
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产一卡二卡四卡免费| 一级一级人与动毛片| 欧美成人一区二区三区在线电影| 免费无码成人AV片在线在线播放| 越南大胆女人体337p欣赏| 日韩欧美中文字幕在线视频| 成人h动漫精品一区二区无码| 亚洲欧美日韩综合一区| 精品久久人人做人人爽综合| 国产91精品一区二区麻豆亚洲| 高清欧美一级在线观看| 日韩欧美一区二区三区视频| 亚洲最大的黄色网| 猫咪免费人成网站地址| 午夜a一级毛片一.成| 色伊人国产高清在线| 国产亚洲自拍一区| 麻豆国产精品免费视频| 国产男女插插一级| **真实毛片免费观看| 国产美女一级做受在线观看| 99精品欧美一区二区三区综合在线| 妞干网手机视频| 久久精品国产亚洲7777| 欧美三级电影在线看| 亚洲嫩草影院在线观看| 波多野结衣一道本| 人妻被按摩师玩弄到潮喷| 野花社区在线观看www| 国产色欲AV一区二区三区| a级毛片高清免费视频在线播放 | 777精品视频| 国产精品毛片完整版视频| 丝袜足液精子免费视频| 日本三级吃奶乳视频在线播放 | 国产成人精选免费视频| aaaa欧美高清免费| 日日日天天射天天干视频| 久久综合五月婷婷| 波多野结衣作品大全| 俄罗斯一级成人毛片|