Big Three sizzle as the Miami Heat romp to a 118-85 win over the Memphis Grizzlies - NBA Recap
The Memphis Grizzlies possess one of the most explosive offenses in NBA. They have been one of the most resurgent teams in the recent past and to top it off they have taken down the like of the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder,
Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic this season.
But, whatever credentials the Grizzlies had coming into Saturday night’s game, simply got flushed down the drain when they took on the red hot Miami Heat. The infuriated men from the South Beach, who were the butt of all jokes
till they gunned down the mighty Lakers a night ago, played like they had a point to prove.
With Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh leading the front, the Heat shot at a rate of 40-of-69 from the floor, 12-of-19 from the long range and 26-of-30 from the charity stripe as they proved to the world that their hopes
and dreams of a Championship ring are not just hopes and dreams.
The intensity of the Heat was evident from the very second they grasped the court. Dwyane Wade set the tone for the night when he blocked four shots in a dazzling 55-second span early in the first quarter. What followed was a procession
of layups, jumpers and pin-point treys that just simply blew the Grizzlies apart as the Heat romped to a 118-85 win at the American Airlines Arena.
Dwyane Wade led the show with a game-high 28 points and 9 assists. King James followed with 27 points, five assists and five rebounds while Chris Bosh finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Heat set up one of the biggest
mauling the Grizzlies have faced this season.
After absorbing some early offensive pressure from the Grizzlies, the Miami Heat eventually got going midway through the first frame. Bosh keyed an 8-1 surge to start the rot which James capped by scoring nine consecutive points
as the Heat went into the second quarter with a 28-22 lead.
O.J. Mayo nailed three shots within the first three minutes of the second frame to make it a three-point game. But, just when the Grizzlies thought they were back in the game, Chris Bosh churned out a three point play to restore
Heat’s dominance.
A minute later Wade took over the game.
The sharp-shooting guard banged one from downtown to spark a 21-7 spurt in the remaining period as the Heat sprinted to a 55-37 lead at the culmination of the first stanza. Wade scored 10 points during that stretch, which essentially
put the game away.
The Heat never looked back after that. Not only, did they pound the Grizzlies 29-23 in the third and 34-25 in the fourth quarter; they also redeemed themselves from the tag of second half chokers – a reputation they had earned
blowing huge leads in the preceding encounters against the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic.
Chris Bosh, whose desire to play inside more has been a huge factor in Miami’s turnaround from a five game tail-spin, said after the game.
"The fact that we had a big lead and we held it, that's what I'm happy most with."
The Heat are now 2.5 games behind Boston in the race for the Eastern Conference title.
For the Grizzlies, it was a night to forget as they only slumped to a shooting rate of below 40 percent. Guard O.J. Mayo led the Grizzlies with 19 points off the bench.
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