Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Heat short all around
114-103 loss sinks home mark to 2-8
MIAMI — The support staff was in short supply, seemingly as limited as Miami Heat home victories this season.
So even with Goran Dragic establishing his scoring high as a member of the Heat, Hassan Whiteside cobbling together another double-double and Josh McRoberts reaching a season high in rebounds, it merely was more of the same Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena, especially with no one to stop Carmelo Anthony.
The 114-103 loss to the New York Knicks dropped the Heat to 2-8 at home this season, with roster thin and the challenges only to mount, the loss opening a stretch of four games in five nights, the next three against the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls.
“I just remember the last time we were beat up on the glass like that,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, with the Heat yielding 18 offensive rebounds. “We’re better than that, and we’ll be better than that on the road.”
While Anthony stood alone for the Knicks with his 35 points, there were 29 from Dragic for the Heat, as well as 23 points and 14 rebounds from Whiteside, and nine rebounds from McRoberts.
“Intensity of play is a skill, and Goran has that,” Spoelstra said, with Dragic ending with a “stinger” on his elbow, to become the Heat’s latest injury question mark.
But 16-of-27 inaccuracy from the foul line and 31 second-chance points from the Knicks proved too much to overcome, as the overall record dropped to 7-14.
“I loved the way we competed against him,” Spoelstra said of the defense against Anthony.
Not only were the Heat down to nine available players, but coach Spoelstra said all five of his injured players would not travel for the impending three-game trip that opens Wednesday night against Dwight Howard and the Hawks.
“Nine strong,” he said of the traveling party of players who will take flight this week.
With Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters, Josh Richardson, Luke Babbitt and James Johnson being left behind, and with Chris Bosh away from the team, it will leave the Heat with only the nine who saw action Tuesday for the trip that continues Friday against LeBron James and the Cavaliers and then Saturday against Dwyane Wade and the Bulls.
By league rules, teams must dress at least eight players, with the Heat to operate for the coming week one above that total, unless there is a further injury.
“We’re more focused on who’s available than all the injuries and all that,” Spoelstra said.
Spoelstra said the five will remain behind with members of the training and coaching staff. The Heat will not have a formal practice on the road, with a game-day shootaround only before the game against the Cavaliers.
“The setup we have right here is double the work, in our facility,” Spoelstra said. “We’re going to keep all the three staff members behind. They’re getting way more work than they could get on the road.”
“Nine-man rotation, that’s usually enough for any team,” Spoelstra said, with his options down to Whiteside, McRoberts, Rodney McGruder, Wayne Ellington, Dragic, Udonis Haslem, Derrick Williams, Willie Reed and Tyler Johnson.
The Knicks moved to a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter, with Anthony, already up to 31 points at that stage, then going to the bench.
With Anthony out, the Heat closed within nine, as Dragic continued to score, but even when McRoberts converted a 3-pointer with 4:27 to play, it still left the Heat down 101-93. Knicks guard Brandon Jennings then immediately followed with a 3-pointer of his own for a 104-93 Knicks lead.
The Heat’s issues from the line again were problematic, with the Heat at one point in the third period standing both 8 of 15 on free throws and 3-pointers.
Whiteside was up to 12 points and seven rebounds by halftime, with Anthony at 16 points for the Knicks at the intermission, mostly against the defense of McGruder.