Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Whiteside, Heat blast past Spurs
Win snaps 11-game losing streak to Spurs dating back to 2014 Finals.
MIAMI — There apparently still is a place for the big-muscle game in today’s fast-and-fleet NBA.
So Hassan Whiteside flexed Wednesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena and the Miami Heat powered past the San Antonio Spurs 95-88, evening their record at 5-5.
The victory snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Spurs that dated to the 2014 NBA Finals.
Whiteside seized control on both sides early, allowing the Heat to push to a quick 14-point lead, ultimately closing with 29 points, 20 rebounds and nine blocked shots, a game after sitting out an overtime victory against the Detroit Pistons due to knee pain.
The Heat, though, still were shorthanded, with point guard Goran Dragic out with knee pain of his own and with Dwyane Wade away from the team due to a personal matter.
That turned the focus to Whiteside, who shot 10 of 18 from the field and 9 of 11 from the line.
Whiteside was supported by a season-high 20 points from surprise starter Wayne Ellington and a season-high 16 from Justise Winslow.
The Spurs, who also were shorthanded, with Rudy Gay and Pau Gasol not available, wound up with uneven performances from their centerpieces, with LaMarcus Aldridge shooting 2 of 14 and DeMar DeRozan 6 of 15.
It got close late when the Heat committed a backcourt violation up five with 40 seconds to play. But the Heat then got a stop and held on from there.
Five degrees of Heat from Wednesday’s game:
1. Whiteside’s sizzling
start: Whiteside set a franchise record for any half with eight-first half blocks. The Heat records had been seven by Alonzo Mourning in a first half and seven by Whiteside in a second half.
Whiteside returned from the knee pain that had him out Monday.
“It just feels better,” Whiteside said. “The soreness went away having those days to regroup and watching some film.”
Whiteside said he knew the knee was off during Saturday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
“It was just a lot of pain,” he said. “I felt it in the middle of the game. I came down on a rebound, I was kind of reaching for it. Coach was trying to get me out of there.”
Whiteside closed Wednesday’s first half with 18 points, 14 rebounds and those eight blocked shots.
2. Dragic sits: Reserving the decision until just before game time, Dragic dressed but did not play because of knee discomfort.
Dragic missed Saturday’s loss in Atlanta due to what was listed as a foot issue, then scored 21 points in Monday’s victory in Detroit.
“I just felt it in Detroit a little when I was playing,” he said. “But it just swelled up. Now we’re just trying to get that swelling down.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra said an MRI came back negative.
“It’s weird,” Dragic said, “because when you have swelling in the knee you cannot extend it, you cannot bend it. It’s just weird. It is not painful, it’s just a weird feeling.”
3. Lineup shuffle: With Dragic and Wade out, Spoelstra spun his wheel of lineups and came up with an opening group of Whiteside, Josh Richardson, Winslow, Rodney McGruder and Ellington.
Winslow, who started Saturday at point guard and Monday at power forward, was back as the de facto ballhandler.
With James Johnson and Dion Waiters still out, the Heat summoned Duncan Robinson back from the G League.
The Heat then lost Derrick Jones Jr. after 4:25 of first-half action with a bruised right knee.
That left Tyler Johnson as the Heat’s lone perimeter reserve for the second half.
4. Wayne’s world: Ellington, limited to cameos of eight and four minutes in his two previous appearances this season, promptly came out and converted his first three 3-point attempts. He later converted from 32 feet during a third-quarter sequence, with the Spurs prioritizing keeping him within their sights.
The question now becomes how to assure a place for Ellington when Wade returns, let along when/if Waiters is added to the rotation.
5. J-Poor: Having scored at least 27 points in three of his previous four appearances, Richardson this time opened 1 of 12, standing at 2 of 14 at halftime. He compensated with four first-half rebounds and three first-half assists and came around to close 6 of 22 for 14 points.