Deng Has 30 Points, Short-Handed Heat Beat Hawks 115-111
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ATLANTA (AP) — Luol Deng and the Miami Heat found a way to move up a spot in the Eastern Conference even while playing without All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Deng scored 30 points and Josh McRoberts had 19 — season highs for each player — and the Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 115-111 on Friday night.
Wade was ruled out about an hour before the game due to soreness in the back of his left knee, leaving the Heat with nine healthy players.
Bosh is out indefinitely with a blood clot in his leg. Miami also was missing center Hassan Whiteside, who was suspended for one game.
Deng and McRoberts helped fill the scoring void of the missing starters as Miami moved into a tie with Atlanta for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
"We knew we were missing those guys," Deng said. "We knew we had to come out with a lot of energy. Throughout the whole game we did a good job of keeping the pace up."
Deng had 11 rebounds, and McRoberts had 10 assists.
"We easily could have said we had guys out, we could have said we lost this game, that's the reason for it," Deng said. "But we came out and played hard."
Jeff Teague led Atlanta with 23 points, and Kyle Korver had 18.
Korver insisted Atlanta players didn't assume it would be easy to beat the depleted Miami team.
"I don't think we really dismissed them by any means," Korver said. "I don't think we reacted like that. We just didn't have the fire we needed."
Korver said the Hawks "have to be a little more physical, and we have to play smarter. We can't just expect to play hard and that be enough."
Gerald Green, starting for Wade, had 14 points, and Justin Winslow had 13.
The Heat traded center Chris Andersen and forward Jarnell Stokes this week.
Miami led 98-90 before the Hawks scored eight straight, including 3s from Korver and Teague, to tie it. Deng ended the run with a 3-pointer, and the Heat kept the lead from there.
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MRI FOR WADE
Wade said he will have a MRI on the knee Saturday.
"I gave it a couple days to see if it would go away," Wade said of the discomfort in the knee. "It didn't, so I just want to go back and get another, second opinion. But it's nothing I'm overly concerned about. It's just some soreness I haven't felt in a while so I just want to make sure everything's good."
CHARACTER TEST
The Hawks had 21 turnovers, including five from Dennis Schroder, in the first game after the All-Star break.
"I do believe in the character of our group, but at some point it has to happen on the court," said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer. "That character has to come out on the court. It has to come out in the games, and I believe it will."
TIP-INS
Heat: The Heat won the season series 3-1. ... Amare Stoudemire had six points and six rebounds in his 11th start of the season. ... Whiteside was suspended one game without pay for throwing an elbow at San Antonio center Boban Marjanovic's head on Feb. 9.
Hawks: G Kirk Hinrich, obtained from Chicago on Thursday, had his flight to Atlanta delayed Friday night. After taking a physical, Hinrich is expected to be in uniform on Saturday against the Bucks. ... The Hawks lost despite making a season-high 16 3-pointers, including four from Korver and three from Mike Scott, who had 13 points. .. Teague fouled out with 15 seconds remaining. ... Schroder had 16 points. Paul Millsap had 12 points and 13 rebounds.
UP NEXT
Heat: Host Washington on Saturday night.
Hawks: Host Milwaukee on Saturday night.
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