Heat vs. Bobcats Preview
CHARLOTTE, NC (AP) – The Miami Heat appear poised to continue their late 2010 surge into the new year.
After opening 2011 with a fifth consecutive victory overall, the Heat look to extend their road winning streak to 11 games Monday night against the Charlotte Bobcats.
Miami (26-9) concluded 2010 with a franchise-record 15 wins in December, but needed to overcome a 20-point deficit in Saturday’s 114-107 victory over Golden State. The Heat have won 17 of 18.
According to NBA odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Heat -9 point spread favorites for Monday’s game against the Bobcats. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 92% of more than 193 bets for this game have been placed on the Heat -9.
“Those aren’t the habits that we want to build and that’s not how we wanted to start 2011,” coach Erik Spoelstra told the Heat’s official website. “We talked about being humble and being hungry, having a sense of urgency. I hope that malaise that we were in the first half was an aberration.”
Miami players believe that’s the case.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade each scored 25 points while Chris Bosh added 20 with 11 rebounds. That trio combined for 35 second-half points – matching Golden State’s total.
“Everybody was pretty calm,” Bosh said of the team’s early struggles. “There was no reason to get erratic or kind of lose our cool. We had to pick it up and change that.”
The Heat did that and now can focus on winning 11 straight on the road for the first time since Feb. 4-March 7, 1998. Miami became the first team to win 10 straight road games in a month during its December run.
“To have 10 road games in a month is difficult for any team,” James said. “And for us to win every last one of them is a tribute to our game and a tribute to us getting better every day.”
Miami is averaging 105.1 points on 50.7 shooting, and given up 90.0 points per contest during the road streak.
James has averaged 28.5 points during that stretch and Wade 28.2 while playing nine of those games.
James had 32 points and Bosh added 22 with 14 rebounds in a 95-87 win over Charlotte on Nov. 19. Bosh is averaging 27.2 points and 11.5 boards in his last 10 games against the Bobcats.
Though the Heat won the teams’ last meeting, they will try to avoid a third straight road loss to the Bobcats. Charlotte has won six of seven at home against Miami, but the Heat didn’t have their superstar trio in those games.
The Bobcats (11-20) dropped to 2-1 under interim coach Paul Silas with a 96-95 home loss to Golden State on Friday. Silas, who coached James during his first two seasons in Cleveland, replaced the fired Larry Brown on Dec. 22.
Stephen Jackson scored 22 points and Gerald Wallace added 20 as the Bobcats fell short trying to overcome an 11-point second-half deficit.
“We’ve always made fourth quarter fights, where we’ve been able to stick around and get a little closer,” Wallace told the Bobcats’ official website.
Despite being the subject of trade rumors, Jackson has averaged 25.8 points his last four games. He had 30 at Miami in November and has averaged 24.8 in the last five against the Heat.
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