Haslem’s time to shine
Heat veteran is ready when called
MIAMI — As he waited, Udonis Haslem kept telling himself there would be a moment to seize another opportunity to show why he’s still here.
In the series opener, there were a scant 59 seconds of action, at the end of the first half, nothing more. Then two games without action, 12 in the next and an entire night in hiswarmups for all of Wednesday’s crushingGame5 home loss.
And, yet, there he was at closing time in Friday night’s 97-90 victory that allowedtheMiamiHeat to set up Sunday’s 1 p.m. winnertakeGame 7 against the Charlotte Hornets at AmericanAirlines Arena.
To put the trust in Haslem at the Heat’s greatest moment of truth of the season into perspective, consider that he played 8 minutes, 27 seconds of Friday’s fourth quarter at Time Warner Cable Arena. Then consider that that was just nine seconds fewer than game hero Dwyane Wade over those final 12 minutes.
“I mean, you know, it’s just next man up; just stay ready,” the 13-year veteran power forward said. “It’s just being a professional. I’ve been around a lot of great basketball players. They’ve taught me a lot about professionalism. I’ve had to rely on that probably more this year than any other year ofmy career.”
And then, with starting centerHassan Whiteside in foul trouble, eventually to foul out with 2:54 to play, and with coach Erik Spoelstra seeking any possible second-line-of-defense against Charlotte’s relentless pick-and-roll sets with point guard KembaWalker, the momentwasHaslem’s.
“You never know,” Haslem said of Spoelstra turning in his direction after earlier in the night first turning in the direction of Josh McRoberts in relief of Whiteside. “But I just know with the season on the line, on the road, in a hostile environment, as many battles that I’ve been through with coach Spo and this organization, I just would hope that hewould have the confidence in me to call my number.”
Number called. Seven rebounds later, the opportunity for even more on Sunday.
“It became pretty clear [Friday] night that the game became medieval and those are the moments that I turn toU.D. andDwyane,” Spoelstra said on Saturday media conference call. “We’ve been through over 100 of these playoff games. When games are like that and it becomes about the trenches, the effort plays, the toughness plays, the charges, the traffic rebounds, I don’t have no more of trust of anybody thanU.D.”
In just about every way, Haslem is the counter of Whiteside, his defense mostly played on the floor, taking charges, and then biding his time on offense while waiting to pounce for rebounds.
“He’s one of the hardest workers I know,” Whiteside said. “He comes out here, he’smentallyprepared. Ifhe doesn’t play, if he plays 30 minutes, he doesn’t care. So hecomesout here every day with a chip onhis shoulder.”
The chip grew in the hours leading to Friday’s Game 6, including as Haslem sat with Wade at midday ontheHornets’ practice court.
“I had no doubt in my mind what kind of mindset he was going to come with and how he was going to play the game,” Haslem said ofWade, who arrived to the Heat, ashedid, in2003. “We sat and talked after the shootaround, about how much this meant to us, how much this has meant to us.”
As the two spoke, “not tonight” was the focus.
“I knew what kind of mentality he was going to bring and he know what kind of mentality I was going to bring,” said Haslem, whohasbeenplaying with a plantar fascia foot issue that would sideline most other players.
For teammates, Wade’s 23 points, particularly the10 in the fourth quarter, practically were the expectation. But there alsowas anexpectation if Haslem got his opportunity.
“Udonis came in, gave us some great minutes, picked up some charges; things that won’t show up in the stat sheet,” forward Joe Johnson said.
And now, another Game 7. The last time the Heat played aGame7, the role for Haslem was limited to 1:37 ofmop-upwork as theHeat defeated the San Antonio Spurs for the 2013 championship. This time, there could be more of an active role. Or not. Because there have been no givenswhenit comes to when, or if, Haslem’s time will come.
No matter. He said he will be ready for anything and everything.
“Yeah, man, I mean, it’s what you play for; that’s what you live for,” he said, “the opportunity to move on to the next round, on our home court.”
And if it calls for a repeat of Game 6, Haslem is up for it.
“Whatever it takes,” he said. “I told the guys coming into [Friday], ‘If we lose, we’re not walking out. We’re coming out in stretchers and wheelchairs.’ So loose balls, head first, charges ... take it.”