Heat Return Home To Face Suddenly Hot Nuggets
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – The Miami Heat are hoping that some home cooking will cure what ails them.
The Heat were not pleased with a 1-2 road trip, especially since they had a chance to end the excursion with a win at the Toronto Raptors before falling in overtime.
The Heat will play three straight and five of their next seven at home as they attempt to climb the standings in the Eastern Conference, beginning with a visit from the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
Miami was outscored 34-23 in the fourth quarter of a 114-108 loss at Milwaukee to begin the road trip and won in Chicago before suffering a 112-104 loss at Toronto on Saturday with Dwyane Wade (thigh) sitting out.
The Heat head into the week one game behind the Boston Celtics for third place in the East while trying to fend off the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers sneaking up from behind.
Miami will have to work not to overlook the Nuggets with the Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers set to visit on the homestand.
Denver is out of the postseason picture in the Western Conference but has not quit on the season yet and hits the road after winning four straight at home.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Altitude (Denver), FSN Sun (Miami)
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (28-38): Denver crushed the hopes of a team fighting to stay relevant in the East when it blasted past the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter on Saturday.
The Nuggets were trailing entering the fourth quarter against the Wizards but let the reserves play the entire final 12 minutes and watched as the bench outscored Washington 41-17 in the period en route to a 116-100 triumph.
Four reserves finished the game in double figures, led by 17 points apiece from Darrell Arthur, Jusuf Nurkic and D.J. Augustin, and the Nuggets finished with at least 110 points for the sixth time in as many games this month.
ABOUT THE HEAT (38-28): The loss of Chris Bosh before the All-Star break for a still-undetermined period of time has forced some players into bigger roles in the offense, and veteran forward Luol Deng is taking advantage.
Deng delivered 20 points in Saturday's loss, including the tying 3-pointer to force overtime, and is averaging 17.5 points since the All-Star break after putting up 10.6 points in his first 46 games.
The Heat are also getting a boost from waiver pickup Joe Johnson, who went for 28 points on Saturday and is averaging 15.5 in eight games since joining the team.
BUZZER BEATERS
- Nuggets G Gary Harris is averaging 16.3 points on 53.3 percent shooting in March.
- Heat F Gerald Green is 9-of-45 from the field while moving in and out of the rotation over the last 11 games.
- Miami earned a 98-95 win in Denver on Jan. 15 despite Wade sitting out with a sore shoulder.
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