Whiteside, Olynyk star in Heat win, and a Hornets player explains the problem facing Miami
Five takeaways from the Heat’s 91-84 victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night at Spectrum Center:
▪ This bench role – as long as it continues – looks like it’s going to work out just fine for Hassan Whiteside.
Whiteside was a force in his 20-plus minutes, collecting 18 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks, disrupting a bunch of shots and anchoring a zone defense that gave the Hornets fits.
“Hassan was tremendous, had a tremendous impact on both ends of the floor,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.
And Whiteside, who often doesn’t play the fourth quarter when he starts, played all but four seconds of the fourth quarter. He was simply too good to take out.
Dwyane Wade liked how Whiteside was “totally focused” and “hasn’t said a word” about his new role.
“He’s coming out doing whatever it takes,” Wade said. “We don’t win this game without what he brought. I haven’t played with him like this in a while; it was good for me and him to have that connection and getting back out there playing together. Game ball goes to him tonight for his efforts on both ends of the floor.”
Whiteside, playing his second game after missing three with a hip injurry, reiterated after the game what he told me Wednesday morning: He’s OK with coming off the bench.
“Whatever coach Spo wants, I will do that,” he said. “If he wants me to start, I’ll start. If he wants me to come off the bench, I will come off the bench. You just try to control your minutes when you’re out there and make an impact on the game. I was just trying to read the game and see how can I come in and make an impact.”
Playing well in Charlotte is particularly meaningful for Whiteside because “I was born 20 minutes from here. It’s definitely a special place for me. I love playing here.”
He spent Tuesday evening at his mother’s home watching television together.
▪ The Heat’s offense, which had been on a roll, struggled initially against the zone but then figured it out in a 30-point fourth quarter.
“It was a throwback, collegiate type feel of game just because there was a lot of zone on both ends being played,” Spoelstra said. “For a while it didn’t seem like either team was in a great rhythm.
“Since we implement our own zone, we work on it [offensively as well] all the time. Once we got after the first half, we were sped up a little bit, a little more patient, a little more coherent, for better or worse, getting the type of shots that are in our wheelhouse. But in those type of games, you have to roll up your sleeves and just find a way to make some plays and get some things done. And our bigs were the ones who really moved the needle on that.”
The Heat entered having scored at least 114 points in five consecutive games, which is a franchise record.
But Miami shot just 6 for 23 in the second quarter with nine turnovers (including four by Derrick Jones Jr.) and then shot 8 for 24 with three turnovers in the third. Those nine second quarter turnovers were the most by the Heat in any quarter this season.
But Miami shot 12 for 22 in its 30 point fourth quarter, with Kelly Olynyk scoring eight and Wade 6. Miami led by as many as 17 in the fourth; Charlotte drew within four with 51 seconds left but no closer after that.
According to AP’s Tim Reynolds, Miami became the first NBA team this season to win a road game with as few as 91 points. Teams had been 0-69 in that scenario before Miami’s win.
▪ Olynyk continued his best stretch of the season, logging a game-high 44 minutes and closing with 22 points (on 8 for 14 shooting), 11 rebounds, two steals and a block.
“I wasn’t even that tired,” he said.
Spoelstra said “we kept him in there because of his skill level against the zone. He gives us spacing but he’s also one of our better passers. He’s continuing to gain confidence and make big plays.”
Olynyk hit five of seven three-point attempts and has now has made 13 of his last 19.
Olynyk’s good work was needed on a night Dion Waiters (six points) shot 2 for 11 and Josh Richardson (13 points) shot 5 for 14. Wade (eight points) closed 4 for 15. Goran Dragic was back in South Florida, missing a third game in a row with a sore calf.
▪ The Heat’s defense was exceptional.
Yes, Charlotte missed some open shots in closing at 36.6 percent from the field (30 for 82). But the Hornets couldn’t do much in the paint (they were outscored 48-24 there) and couldn’t deal with Miami’s zone.
“Their team is built a little different,” Hornets forward Marvin Williams said, “when you have Bam [Adebayo] and Whiteside back there and you can’t get past them and they have really pesky, scrappy perimeter guys and you still have the big fellow back there waiting for you.”
Olynyk said it’s easier to defend for him because he knows if he’s beaten, Whiteside or Adebayo is at the rim to disrupt or block a shot.
“I told him I’m his insurance,” Whiteside said. “If you’re in trouble, you can call 800 swat.”
Miami held Kemba Walker to 20 points on 5 for 17 shooting, including 2 for his last 14.
“We tried to make anybody but Kemba [beat us],” Whiteside said. “We tried to make it as tough as possible on him and make other guys make plays. I was blitzing on Kemba.”
Wade and Walker shared a nice moment after the game.
“I got so much respect for Kemba; every year he comes back better,” said Wade, who expressed appreciation to the Hornets for their video tribute in the first quarter and a loud standing ovation.
▪ The Heat moved back into playoff position, now alone in eighth in the East.
Miami, at 30-34, leads No. 9 Charlotte and No. 10 Orlando by one full game.
“Who cares about the record? Come on,” Spoelstra said. “We’re in a playoff race right now. Everyone feels alive in that locker-room. Unfortunately there are so many meaningless games in this league because of the lottery. Neither one of us is a part of that. This is great for our guys.”
But No. 6 Detroit (32-31) and No. 7 Brooklyn (34-33) both won on Wednesday, leaving Miami 2.5 games behind each of them.
“We don’t want to just have that mentality of we need to get to eighth,” Wade said. “We’re not that far from sixth.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2019 at 10:40 PM.
