Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Heat on a roll
Center has 26 points, 22 rebounds in home game
95-89 win over Pacers is second in a row.
MIAMI — Hassan Whiteside did the heavy lifting when the turnovers and equally wayward foul shooting could have buried the Heat.
The only question was whether he ultimately would be left standing alone on a night he finished with 26 points, 22 rebounds and two blocked shots in a nationally televised display of his All-Star level possibilities.
Because in a season where home has not been a haven, little has come easy for the Heat, this 95-89 victory Wednesday night over the Indiana Pacers at AmericanAirlines Arena no exception.
“He was dialed in,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “When he’s playing at a high level, we’re a completely different basketball team.”
With the Heat closing strong for the second time in as many games on this six-game homestand, this time with a strong fourthquarter defensive stand, the mood lightened for yet another night.
Whiteside, who posted his second 20-20 of the season and fourth of his career, did get solid bench efforts from Tyler Johnson, James Johnson and Josh Richardson in support on a night Justise Winslow returned to the Heat rotation. But 10 first-quarter turnovers and 14-of-25 Heat foul shooting took this one to the final seconds. Still, this night was about Whiteside. “He was obviously all over the place tonight,” Spoelstra said.
As has been the case through the majority of the Heat’s games this season, it came down to the closing minutes, with Pacers
“When he’s playing at a high level, we’re a completely different basketball team.” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Hassan Whiteside
forward Paul George making sure of that, pacing the Pacers with 22 points on a night the Heat had a 58-38 rebounding advantage.
“We’re gaining confidence from ’em,” Spoelstra said of all the close games. “We’re starting to learn what our late-game package is.”
A George 14-foot jumper with 2:38 to play pulled the Pacers within 92-89. The Heat, however, survived a missed shot and a Goran Dragic turnover, as George missed a jumper with 1:56 left.
But Dragic, who struggled with his offense, then saw his floater blocked by Myles Turner with 1:33 to play, leaving Indiana in possession and down by 3.
Turner then rimmed out a 3-point attempt with 1:14 left. Off a scramble, the Heat inbounded off a timeout with 54.4 seconds to play and 2.4 seconds left on the shot clock. A James Johnson missed jumper followed.
Turner then missed another 3-pointer, with Whiteside following with his 20th rebound. The Heat then put it away with a Richardson dunk.
“It was good to see us grind another one out,” Spoelstra said. “You could see our level of intensity was up.”
The Heat could have put it away at the start of the fourth, when the Pacers went without a point in the period until Aaron Brooks converted a 19-footer with 6:10 remaining. The problem was the Heat also strugturnovers. gled, up only 84-81 at that stage. Brooks then also scored on the Pacers’ next trip to trim the Heat’s lead to 86-83.
That’s when the Heat brought Whiteside back, and he promptly scored inside, setting up the game’s final drama, as the Heat pushed to a 92-85 lead.
The Heat went into the fourth quarter down 79-78, with Whiteside up to 23 points, 19 rebounds and two blocked shots by that stage, countered through three quarters by 20 points from George.
With Whiteside already up to 20 points and 14 rebounds by halftime, the Heat took a 53-52 lead into the intermission. That effort helped compensate for a first half in which Dragic went 0 for 7 with three Whiteside’s points and rebounds were his season highs for a first half, with the 20 points matching his career high for a first half.
The last Heat player with at least 20 and 10 at halftime was Shaquille O’Neal in 2004.
Dragic did not convert his first basket until 10:16 left in the third period, when he drained a 16-foot jumper.
Winslow returned after a 16-game absence due to a sore left wrist.
In his first action since a Nov. 14 loss to the Spurs, Winslow entered with 47.9 seconds remaining in the first quarter, his first appearance as a reserve this season, after starting the first nine games of the season. He then played the balance of the first half.
Winslow, who shoots left-handed, played with a black-tape wrap on his left wrist but no splint or brace.
Winslow closed 1 of 5 from the field, with 2 points, two rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.
Of Winslow’s place in the rotation going forward, Spoelstra said before the game, “Everything has to be earned.”
Wayne Ellington and Rodney McGruder again opened as the Heat’s wings, with Whiteside starting at center, Josh McRoberts at power forward and Dragic at point guard.
Winslow’s return gave the Heat 13 available players for the first time this season, the amount teams are allowed to dress on game nights.