Heat finish trip on high note
Richardson hits 22 in win that ends road swing at 4-2
NEW ORLEANS — Erik Spoelstra said his pregame message to the Miami Heat as they wrapped up a sixgame road trip in New Orleans on Sunday night was about finishing.
“We’ve been on the road for a while, but we don’t want our minds or our bodies at all in Miami,” the Heat coach said.
And finish the Heat did. With a 102-96 victory at Smoothie King Center, the stretch through the West is complete with Miami (13-16) coming through it at 4-2.
Already up double digits entering the fourth quarter, the Heat locked down defensively on the Pelicans (15-16) in the final frame, much like how this team grinded out the end in Memphis against the Grizzlies on Friday – except with more of a cushion this time.
They held New Orleans to five points over the first six minutes of the fourth. Anthony Davis, who led all scorers with 27, didn’t score his first points of the second half until there were under six minutes to play.
Josh Richardson led the Heat with 22. Dwyane Wade scored 19, hitting a tough floater in the lane to put the Heat up eight with 50.9 seconds left.
Hassan Whiteside, despite not playing down the final stretch, had 17 points with 12 rebounds and three blocks. Tyler Johnson scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half. Derrick Jones Jr. had 11 points and eight rebounds.
Jrue Holiday scored 22 and fouled out for New Orleans. Julius Randle, who left with a right ankle sprain in the fourth, had 17.
Miami now has five of the next six and eight of the next 11 at home, beginning with the Houston Rockets on Thursday night after three days off.
Five degrees of Heat from Sunday night’s game: 1. One last time in the Big Easy for Wade: Dwyane Wade returned after sitting out Friday night in Memphis due to a sore back.
Wade said he felt “a little better,” and letting fans in New Orleans see him one last time was motivation to return on Sunday.
“I don’t want to miss as many of these games,” Wade said pregame. “I definitely want to give them the opportunity to see me play for the last time.”
Wade drew a big ovation from the Smoothie King Center crowd as he entered as the first reserve off the Heat bench.
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry had some thoughtful words on Wade. What stands out to him about Wade’s career is his sacrifice during the Heat’s “Big 3” era.
“I think the No. 1 thing that no one really talks about with him is how he was willing to take a step back and make that LeBron’s team,” Gentry said. “There’s a lot of star players that wouldn’t even consider doing that, and that shows me that winning is the most important thing for him and he’s willing to sacrifice his game for the betterment of the team and the franchise.
“You admire that as a coach.” guys like 2. And Wade from deep: So Wade connects on his first 3-pointer on Sunday.
Okay, the career 29 percent 3-point shooter will do that from time to time.
Then he hits another, almost from the same spot on the left wing.
All right. We have something brewing.
Wade then banked in a deep three from the same side over an outstretched Davis with 0.4 seconds left before halftime to send the Heat into the locker room leading 57-51.
3. Active Whiteside is the best Whiteside: In his second game since rejoining the team on paternity leave for the birth of his first son, Whiteside notched a double-double in 22 minutes.
While drawing the Anthony Davis assignment defensively, he was heavily involved in the offense early.
Before getting subbed out at the 4:13 mark of the first quarter, he had 11 points on nine field-goal attempts, making five of them. On back-to-back possessions, he was involved with wing Rodney McGruder – once getting a dunk off a pick and roll with and then taking his pass to hit a deep two.
Also with an impressive and-one layup in transition, the 7-foot center added three rebounds and two blocks in the first.
Despite the early activity, Whiteside again did not play in the fourth.
4. Third quarter of runs: Following the Wade three to end the first half, the Heat started the third quarter on a 13-2 run. They built their largest lead of 17, but the Pelicans responded with a 16-4 stretch to pull back within five.
Tyler Johnson hit a 3-pointer to start the Heat off with their run. He also hit one that got them out of the offensive lull during the Pelicans’ barrage.
Davis was held scoreless in the third.
5. Without Justise: At halftime, forward Justise Winslow was experiencing right ankle pain, according to the Heat, and did not return.
Winslow was on the floor to finish the first half before the team released the news early in the third quarter.
Starting Sunday for the second straight game, Winslow finished with two points, two rebounds and three assists. He was 1 of 4 from the field.