Miami Heat thrash the Los Angeles Clippers 97-79
When the Miami took on the Los Angeles Clippers nearly a month ago, Blake Griffin and his team blew away the Heat by launching a 44-point first quarter salvo. On Sunday night though the Heat managed to overcome the Clippers
97-79 to romp to their sixth win in a row.
The loss not only cost the Heat a nine-match winning streak but also initiated a four-game losing spurt.
On Sunday night there was an air of determination about the Miami Heat as they trotted out on the court of the American Airlines Arena. Determined not to repeat the losing feat, the men from the Sunshine State got into their
groove early.
Ace guard Dwyane Wade scored a game-high 28 points for the Heat while power forward Chris Bosh chipped in with 16 points and seven rebounds. Two nights after being crowned player of the month, LeBron James had an unusually cold
night though. The two-time reigning MVP was held to a season-low 12 points and was bested defensively by Randy Foye on multiple possessions. The Heat though, still had enough firepower to ease past the Clippers.
The Clippers entered the match with the unique distinction of being the team that has played the least away games in the 2010-11 season. To make matters worse they were up against a scorned Miami team that was looking to exact
revenge.
The writing was on the wall for the Clippers very early in the piece as they struggled to hold on to the ball. The visitors accounted for eight turnovers in the first 12 minutes which translated into the Clippers scoring just
19 points in the frame.
Luckily for them, the story was same at Miami’s end. The ball appeared to be more like a hot potato as the first quarter culminated with a score line of 20-19. The Heat though got their game
flowing very early in the second quarter. Wade masterminded a 10-2 run early in the quarter, and then with over six minutes to go until the break, he kick-started a vicious 10-0 surge with a thunderous dunk.
The Clippers however, gained some ground in the latter stages of the first half, finishing it at 36-47. The third quarter marked the only period of the
match in which the Clippers managed to top 20 points. The Heat led the visitors by double digits throughout most of that phase, but an 8-3 spurt down the stretch helped the Clippers close to within 61-70 going into the fourth.
The fourth quarter again spelled disaster for the visitors. The Heat brought more intensity into their defence as they switched between zones and displayed aggressive rotations. The double teams on Blake Griffin especially had
the Clippers so out of sorts that it took them nearly five minutes to hit a field goal in the fourth quarter.
For Miami on the other hand, Eddie House came off the bench to start the fourth quarter in belligerent mood. He scored on two consecutive possessions in the second minute as Miami pulled away with a 9-0 run. The
Clippers were seemingly frustrated at that point. Eddie House added fodder to fire as he delivered an elbow to Griffin on a breakaway that sent him sprawling to the ground.
Fireworks followed immediately after as Baron Davis, taking an exception to the unnecessary foul, took on House. The momentary lapse of emotions resulted in a few technicals and a flagrant foul being issued. Miami however, immediately
followed with a 12-0 run as they breezed to a 97-79 victory.
Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 21 points and 16 rebounds. Miami however, managed to keep him under check the whole night, as he shot at just 38.2 percent. Randy Foye had 15 points while Davis finished with 14.
The difference on the night though proved to be the bench strength of the two teams. Miami’s bench possessing a bevy of sharp-shooters outshone their opponents 33-14, with House’s 15 points enough to outscore the Clippers bench
entirely.
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