Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat: Game Grades and Analysis for Heat

The Miami Heat (8-3) forced the Hawks (6-5) into 24 turnovers as the defending NBA champions picked up their eighth victory of the season with a 104-88 win over Atlanta Tuesday night.

LeBron James scored a season-low 13 points in 24 minutes, but a strong effort from a bench that put up 45 points gave the Heat's star player some leeway. 

Entering this game, Miami and Atlanta were two of just four teams in the Eastern Conference with a record above .500. This loss for the Hawks ends their two-game winning streak.  

The Heat were up by just two points in the third quarter, but a hot stretch from Mario Chalmers helped Miami take over and never look back.

Mike Scott led the Hawks with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Al Horford and rookie Pero Antic had 12 points apiece. 

Paul Millsap and Dwyane Wade both sat out for their respective teams. 

Key Players

LeBron James, Small Forward

For just the third time this season, LeBron James went scoreless in a quarter. He did contribute an assist in the opening 12 minutes, but he missed all three of his shot attempts and turned the ball over twice.  

Eight players on the Heat got their first points of the night before James, who didn't score until the 7:57 mark of the second quarter, driving to the hoop for a layup. 

That offensive slump didn't sit well with The King, as James went on to hit his first three shots after putting up a big fat zero early on. He scored 10 points in the second, extending his double-figure streak to 506 games. 

He didn't play in the fourth quarter because, frankly, his services weren't required. Miami had a commanding lead, so its best player was able to sit back and relax. 

Thirteen points, six rebounds, five assists and three turnovers is how James ended the night.

Don't look too much into it.

Final Grade: B

Chris Bosh, Center

The Heat's 97-81 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on November 16 was a solid all-around win for the team, but eight-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh didn't quite leave his mark on the game like he probably thought he would. In a little over 15 minutes, Bosh had seven points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field. He finished with more personal fouls (five) than rebounds (three), which is never a good stat to have for a big man of his talent and skill.

Against Atlanta, it was an entirely different story. Bosh made his presence felt immediately, hitting four of his first five shots in the opening quarter. In fact, by the 4:28 mark, he had already scored more points (eight) than he did against the Bobcats (seven). 

Whether it was on the block or just pulling up for a jumper, Bosh was making positive things happen on offense.  

He missed just one shot all night, going 8-of-9 from the field and scoring 19 points. 

Anyone who can survive this tumble deserves a good grade regardless.

A job well done. 

Final Grade: A

Ray Allen, Sixth Man

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra could have easily gone with Ray Allen as the replacement for Dwyane Wade in his opening lineup but chose to keep the veteran shooter in his regular role off the bench.

You wouldn't have guessed that Allen was just coming off a bout with the flu. With the way he was moving around, you could tell right away that his flu was completely out of his system. 

He was drawing in defenders, driving the baseline, hitting jumpers and (obviously) knocking down a three-pointer or two.  

No illness will cut into Allen's shot. It's always going to be there. 

Of his 17 points, 12 came in the fourth quarter. It's like he was never gone. 

Final Grade: A-

Mario Chalmers, Point Guard

A majority of the points Mario Chalmers scored on this night came in a nice little spurt in the third quarter.

After throwing a short half-court pass that was picked off by Atlanta, Chalmers would come right back and attack DeMarre Carroll at the basket, protecting his body and scoring the easy bucket while drawing a foul.

Two straight three-pointers put Miami up by 14 at 68-54 with 5:06 remaining in the third quarter. He would add another in the period, giving him 12 points in total, the most he's scored in any quarter all season.

When Chalmers' confidence is high, you're going to have a hard time stopping him from shooting the basketball. 

Final Grade: B+/A-

Shane Battier, Power Forward

What Shane Battier does really well that doesn't get noticed a lot is move without the basketball. He puts himself in situations where his teammates can get him great looks without forcing him to create his own shot.

In 22 minutes, Battier scored six points and handed out two assists.

Nothing special.

Final Grade: C+

James Jones, Shooting Guard

In an effort to preserve his knees, Dwyane Wade was kept out of the starting lineup against the Atlanta Hawks. James Jones got the nod at shooting guard, which was a fairly surprising move, considering he's played all of three minutes and 30 seconds this season for Miami. 

This was his first start for Miami since the 2012 NBA season. The roster is extremely deep, so it's easy for a guy like Jones to get lost in the shuffle. 

As a career 39.9 percent shooter from behind the arc, the 11-year pro can light it up from long distance in a hurry. Kyle Korver of the Hawks fell for Jones' pump fake on the perimeter in the first quarter, sending him to the charity stripe. Had it not been for his right foot touching the line, that foul could have led to three freebies.

A made three-pointer with 9:54 remaining in the third quarter was Jones' 1,000th field goal of his career.

It just goes to show that no matter what your role is on any NBA team, you need to be ready to play at all times. James Jones was ready to play.

Final Grade: B

Bench 

By the end of the first quarter, Erik Spoelstra had already gone six players deep in his bench. 

Udonis Haslem suited up for the Heat after missing four games with back spasms. Where he contributed most in his return was in the fouls department, earning three in his first five minutes. He fouled out of the game in nine minutes, but he did add seven points in garbage time. 

Norris Cole deserves a lot of credit for being a tremendous facilitator with the basketball for the second unit. He's pushing the tempo and showing disciplined control. His nine assists were a season high. He also grabbed five rebounds and scored eight points in 25 minutes.

How about Rashard Lewis? Yes, he's a three-point shooter, but against Atlanta, his defense is where he excelled, stealing the ball five times. 

Michael Beasley continues to bring a nice scoring punch off the bench, adding six points and five rebounds. 

Final Grade: A-

What's Next?

The Miami Heat will now play the second game of a back-to-back Wednesday night, as they do battle with the Orlando Magic (4-6) at Amway Center. 

The Magic are a far more dangerous team in their own building than they are on the road, as all four of their wins have come on their home floor. 

They're also coming off a three-day rest period, so the Magic will undoubtedly have fresh legs as they host the champs.  

Follow Christopher Walder on Twitter at @WalderSports.