Working it out
Heat players rededicate themselves to focused, complete games
The Heat’s hard practices pay off with a win.
MIAMI — The moments were awkward two weeks ago in Phoenix and Utah, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra left to defend himself against claims from Ray Allen about overworking the team’s championship roster in 2013-14.
The mere fact that hard work had gotten spun into some sort of negative was particularly perplexing, because nothing touches closer to the franchise’s DNA.
Then fast forward to the two days that followed Sunday’s humbling 120-95 loss to the Indiana Pacers at AmericanAirlines Arena.
“The last three days were really hard for us,” guard Goran Dragic said in the wake of Wednesday night’s 104-98 victory over the Boston Celtics. “We worked hard, probably the toughest three practices that I was a part of in my career.
“You can see it’s translating to the games. So we still need to practice like that every day.”
Because this is who the Heat are and what this particular roster has to be about, playing in lockstep, without a star system, but with a collective hunger to overcome the individual brilliance of opponents, be it Kyrie Irving on Wednesday night or KarlAnthony Towns, LeBron James or Kristaps Porzingis on this upcoming four-game trip.
“I would have rather gone through training camp to be honest,” forward James
Johnson said of the steelcage matches that broke out on the practice court at the start of the week. “They were tough, nitty-gritty. Everybody set a precedent for themselves.”
And then it showed, as the Heat snapped the Celtics’ 16-game winning streak, just as they had stepped forward five days earlier in a road victory over the Washington Wizards, just as they found a way to three victories on the recent six-game trip amid those dated complaints from Allen.
“We set a bar not only for each other, but ourselves,” Johnson said. “We found out that once we take our excuses away that we can really do a lot of things.”
For three days, Spoelstra made clear that excuses would not be tolerated, that it was time for results. In each media session leading to the Celtics game, including one just 90 minutes prior to tipoff, he spoke of accountability, of being ready for training sessions, practice sessions, the opening tip, and the start of the second half, with the Heat particularly heeding that message by stepping up, instead of the usual standing down, in the third quarter against the Celtics.
“I think we just needed it,” guard Dion Waiters said. “You got to look in the mirror sometimes, including myself. I just wanted to go out there. I didn’t say nothing to the officials. I didn’t say nothing. I just said I’m just going to play basketball, man, and just lock in.
“All the other stuff: I get fouled, I get fouled. If I don’t, I don’t. Forget about it. Just keep playing.”
It also was a time for accountability.
After two days of conjecture about blame for the team’s inability to create crisp screening opportunities, center Hassan Whiteside stepped forward in Wednesday’s pregame locker room.
“He let it be known with his speech before the game,” said Johnson, a tricaptain along with Dragic and Udonis Haslem. “We all got the chills from that. We all kind of built on that. We knew what Hassan Whiteside we were getting.”
The one who stood firm with his screens, opened the door for Dragic to score 27 points against the Celtics, and Waiters 26.
“We looked at the film against the Pacers, and we didn’t play up to the standard we can play,” Whiteside said. “I got on my guys and we came out here and ended up defending amazing.”
It made it easier to give thanks on Thursday, but is also made the team aware that no matter what the calendar said, this is no time to feel sated.
“It’s not like we won 10 straight. It’s only one game,” Dragic said of snapping the Celtics’ streak but still standing at 8-9. “The history shows that we have a good win and then we have the worst game possible. We just need to get in, try to have a good practice, prepare the best that we can and then have the same desire.”