The Miami Heat and their Big Three are leaving their fans in shock after putting together a string of games that included blowing leads as large as 24 points, only to end up on the losing end all three nights. To make matters worse, all three games came at the hands of Eastern Conference teams who they may be facing in the upcoming NBA Playoffs.
On Feb. 24, LeBron James and the Heat were up by 11 points against the Chicago Bulls but lost that game 93-89 after Chris Bosh shot 1-of-18 from the floor. That’s not a typo people. The Heat followed that lackluster performance with a game on their home court on Feb. 27 against the New York Knicks. The Heat jumped out to a comfortable 15 point lead in that one but riding on the shaky shoulders of Dwyane Wade’s 5-of-15 shooting, bowed out to the Knicks and left the court with their tail between their legs 91-86.
Wanting to avenge that implosion, the Heat returned to their home court last night to face their interstate rival Orlando Magic and to the delight of the crowd came out with a vengeance. At the end of a dominating first half, Mike Miller sank a 70-footer at the buzzer, a shot that would not count but that didn’t seem to matter at the time. Trotting off the court with a 63-45 halftime lead, the Heat brought the raucous home crowd to their feet.
Appearing to have this one on the bag, at one point the Heat were hammering Dwight Howard and his supporting cast with a beatdown that included a 24-point lead.
Then came Déjà vu.
The Magic didn’t quit and mounted a historical comeback. With the help of a 40-9 run, Orlando outscored the Heat 54-33 in the second half and shocked the South Beach crowd with a 99-96 win.
There’s a pattern developing here with the Heat. The team has been dominating at times but are 5-12 in games decided by five points or less. Not a good sign with the playoffs right around the corner; a time when so many games are decided by the narrowest of margins.
And BTW, who got the final look in the Orlando game only to clank a 3-pointer off the rim? The one who calls himself “King”.
Used with permission of the author.
Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.
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