Miami Heat vs. Phoenix Suns: Postgame Grades and Analysis for Miami

The Miami Heat beat the Phoenix Suns 97-88 in what was the final game of Miami's six-game road trip.  

The Heat triumphed despite the absence of Dwyane Wade due to a left foot sprain and the illness that clearly affected LeBron James throughout the entire game. 

Miami turned the ball over 19 times, although 12 of those turnovers were committed in the first half. 

The Heat opened the game by scoring the first nine points, but they were unable to hold the lead once their bench players got involved.  

At the half, the game was knotted at 52 as the Suns were playing tough at home. 

The Heat outscored the Suns 22-17 in the fourth quarter as their defense improved greatly in the second half. 

The victory over the Suns in their road trip finale moves the Heat to 4-2 on the trip as they head home for for their next four games.  

The Heat are 8-3 overall and are currently tied at the top of the Eastern Conference. 

Let's take a look at how the Heat fared individually in their second matchup against the Phoenix Suns this season. 

Mario Chalmers: B+

Overall Game Grade: B+

Mario Chalmers did his job in the first half, as he scored four points, dished out two assists and compiled two steals. 

Chalmers was efficient when shooting the ball, as he converted on two of his three attempts in the first half. 

It appears as if the Heat only rely on Chalmers when he is their only viable option, as he did not help make up for the scoring production that was lost due to Dwyane Wade's absence. 

Chalmers took care of the ball well through three quarters, as he did not commit a single turnover through the first three frames. 

Chalmers did turn the ball over twice in the fourth quarter, but fortunately for the road team, those turnovers did not translate into a Heat loss. 

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Chalmers scored the team's first four points which kept the Suns at arm's length when LeBron James and Chris Bosh failed to score.  

Chalmers is clearly comfortable in this system and with his role in the team, which will ensure steady performances like the one he turned in against the Phoenix Suns

At the end of the game, Chalmers walked off the court with a plus/minus differential of plus-12 and aided in the Heat's victory. 

As Chalmers progresses through his fifth season with the Heat, it will be interesting to monitor whether or not Erik Spoelstra gives him more responsibility when either Wade or LeBron James are on the bench. 

Mike Miller: A-

Overall Game Grade: A- 

Mike Miller took Dwyane Wade's spot in the starting lineup, as Erik Spoelstra decided to keep Ray Allen on the bench. 

Miller led the Miami Heat in plus/minus differential in the first half, as he went into the locker with plus-nine.

Miller's plus/minus number was slightly skewed because he was on the court during the Heat's 9-to-0 opening to the game. 

The Heat saw their lead disappear when Miller and the starters went to the bench but managed to make up a nine-point disadvantage to enter halftime tied with the Phoenix Suns. 

In the first half, Miller scored four points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal while playing 14 minutes.

Miller finished the game with nine points, five rebounds and five assists while playing 24 minutes and compiling a plus/minus differential of plus-23. 

When on the court, Miller is mainly used as a floor stretcher who is a threat from behind the arc when left open. 

While he only played half of the game, Miller stepped in for Wade and did what his team needed him to do in order to get the win. 

Miller is a below-average perimeter defender, so Spoelstra monitored the 32-year-old small forward's minutes throughout the game. 

Shane Battier: A

Overall Game Grade: A

Shane Battier was deadly from behind the arc in the first quarter, as he converted on a trio of three-pointers in the first frame. 

Battier finished the first half with nine points and a rebound while posting a plus-five in plus/minus differential. 

Battier has always been known for his perimeter defense, as he is one of the few players who can hold opposing superstars at bay for long periods of time. 

In the first half however, Battier struggled to contain Michael Beasley, who shot 60 percent from the field and scored 12 points. 

Luckily for Battier and the Heat, Beasley missed the entire third quarter due to an injury.

Beasley was not the same player when he returned to the contest. 

If Beasley had not gotten injured, he would have been on pace to score 24 points.  

With Dwyane Wade out, Battier played 35 minutes, which was 10 minutes more than his season average.

In extended time, Battier played a solid overall game and turned in the hard nosed performance that the Heat needed from him in order to overcome the Phoenix Suns on the road. 

Battier finished the game with a plus-26 plus/minus differential, which was the highest on the team. 

At this point in his career, Battier is a savvy veteran presence on both ends of the court. 

LeBron James: A-

Overall Game Grade: A- 

According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, LeBron James is suffering with an illness that clearly affected him against the Phoenix Suns. 

James went into the locker room in the first quarter due to the illness, but he returned shortly thereafter and still played a team high 20 minutes in the first half. 

LeBron entered the locker room at the half with nine points, four rebounds and a plus-one plus/minus differential. 

While those stats aren't typical for LeBron, he influenced the game in areas that cannot be represented on the stat sheet. 

LeBron improved his plus/minus differential by 10 points in the third quarter, as the Miami Heat starters continued to dominate the Suns. 

Although James was held scoreless in the first quarter, he improved as the game progressed and finished the game with a plus-20 differential. 

LeBron created mismatches non-stop, as the Suns had no answer for him no matter where James lined up on the offensive end of the court. 

At game's end, James had 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals as he led the Heat to another road victory ahead of their first major homestand of the season. 

This game was a bit average compared to what LeBron usually does, but it's extremely impressive when you consider the fact that he was under the weather. 

Even though LeBron was not feeling well, he was still the best overall player on the court. 

Chris Bosh: A

Overall Game Grade: A

Chris Bosh was by far the Miami Heat's most productive player in the first half, as he filled up the stat sheet. 

In 17 first half minutes, Bosh scored 16 points, hauled in three rebounds and dished out two assists while shooting 85 percent from the floor. 

The one negative aspect of Bosh's first half was the four turnovers he committed, but he did enough to make up for those blunders. 

Bosh ended the first half with plus-three differential.

The ex-Toronto Raptor also scored more points in the first half against the Phoenix Suns (16), than he scored in the entire game in the previous contest against the Denver Nuggets (14).

Bosh has clearly improved his range with his jump shot since his arrival to Miami, which has only made the Heat more dangerous offensively. 

When Bosh is on his game and stretching the floor offensively, the Heat will be very difficult to stop once Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are back to full strength. 

In a way, Bosh is the most important member of Miami's "Big Three" because his performance tends to be more inconsistent than those turned in by LeBron or Wade. 

When Wade or LeBron do miss time, Bosh typically steps up and fills the void, and he did so once again against the Phoenix Suns.  

Bosh finished the game with 24 points, nine boards, three assists and two blocks, while converting on nine of his 11 attempts. 

The only flaw in Bosh's performance was his five turnovers, although four of them came in the first half. 

If Bosh had taken care of the ball better in the first half, then he would have received an "A+". 

Ray Allen: D

Overall Grade: D

With Dwyane Wade out of the lineup, Erik Spoelstra could have inserted Ray Allen into the starting lineup but chose not to.

Instead, Mike Miller made the start at shooting guard, and Allen came off the bench like usual. 

In his 25 minutes of game time, Allen scored nine points, grabbed three boards and recorded three assists 

Surprisingly, Allen had the worst plus/minus differential in the game with a negative-14. 

Allen's plus/minus differential is somewhat skewed because he shared the court with the rest of the reserves, all of whom struggled. 

The Bench: D

Bench: D 

The Miami Heat bench was thoroughly outplayed by their Phoenix Suns counterparts, but it didn't make a difference in the overall outcome of the game. 

In the first half, the Heat bench had compiled a plus/minus of negative 25 as a unit. 

Ray Allen and Norris Cole both struggled in terms of taking care of the ball, as both turned it over twice in the opening half. 

At the half, the only Heat reserves that scored were Allen and Rashard Lewis, as each contributed five points. 

Udonis Haslem is on the brink of becoming the franchise's all-time leading rebounder, as he is just one rebound behind current leader Alonzo Mourning. 

None of Miami's reserves finished the game with a positive plus/minus, as Allen, Haslem and Lewis all posted double-digit negative scores plus/minus differential. 

The bench contributed 20 points, which pales in comparison to the 51 points posted by the Sun's reserves. 

The Heat bench was under more pressure in this game due to the absence of Dwyane Wade, as Mike Miller was promoted into the starting lineup. 

While Miami's bench is still a work in progress, the reserves will post better numbers once Wade returns and Miller shifts back to his reserve role.