Charlotte Bobcats vs. Miami Heat: Game Grades and Analysis for Heat

Chris Bosh scored 13 straight points in the fourth quarter to help the Miami Heat (14-3) top off a late comeback Sunday night against the Charlotte Bobcats (8-10) in a close 99-98 victory.

This was their 10th straight win. 

Bosh, who finished with 22 points, hit three three-pointers in a 79-second span to give the Heat a 93-91 lead with 1:20 remaining.

LeBron James led the way 26 points, while Dwyane Wade had 17 of his own.  

The Bobcats led 73-61 at the end of the third quarter but got outscored 38-25 in the fourth, giving the lead back to the defending NBA champions.

Kemba Walker had 27 points to lead all scorers. Gerald Henderson had 17, while Al Jefferson contributed a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds. 

Key Players

LeBron James, Small Forward

Over his past four games, James is averaging 28.0 points on 58.7 percent from the field, as well as 29-of-35 shooting from the charity stripe. He's the only player in the NBA currently averaging over 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. 

James did tweak his back against the Toronto Raptors on November 29, which he received treatment for prior to tipoff on Sunday.

A missed dunk at the 5:00 mark of the first quarter could be an indication that he wasn't playing at 100 percent, considering the lack of lift he had on the play. 

He still had 14 points, two rebounds and two assists by halftime, so it wasn't all bad. Even James at less than 100 percent is enough to lead this Miami team. 

Things quieted down in the third, as James put just two more points on the board. It was looking more and more obvious that he wasn't at perfect health and that his back was playing a factor in his performance. 

His second field goal of the second half came with 7:54 remaining in the fourth quarter, hitting on a drive to the basket while picking up a foul, cutting Charlotte's lead to 79-70. 

James scored 10 points in the final 12 minutes, finishing with 26 points, five rebounds and four assists. 

Final Grade: A - 

Dwyane Wade, Shooting Guard

The nine-time NBA All-Star had a relatively quiet start to this game. Well, that was until he came off the pine for the final seconds of the first quarter, hitting a jumper as time expired. 

His two blocked shots in the first half moved him past Dennis Johnson (675) to become the NBA's all-time leading shot-blocker at 6'4" or shorter. That's quite the feather to have in your cap. 

The Charlotte Bobcats defense deserves a lot of credit for making life extremely difficult for Wade, forcing him into five total turnovers. Nothing came easy, whether it was around the basket or simply looking to create on the offensive end.

Seventeen points on 6-of-10 shooting is nothing to ignore. He earned every single one of those points. 

Final Grade: A -

Chris Bosh, Center

There is no denying that Bosh has been on quite the slump as of late. Prior to Sunday, Bosh had totalled just 17 points on 29.1 percent shooting over his previous three games. 

The Heat were certainly looking to get Bosh the ball early to help get him out of his funk, but he returned the favour by hitting just one of his first four shots. He did come on strong near the end of the first quarter, nailing his final two attempts to finish 3-of-6 for seven points after 12 minutes. 

He didn't touch the ball much in the second quarter, so that aforementioned stat line is how he'd finish the opening half. 

The 99th three-pointer of his career came at a perfect time, bringing the Heat to within two points in the final moments of the game. Unfortunately, Jefferson would post him up on the following play, hitting the basket and drawing the foul.

So what does he do to redeem himself? Bosh comes back and hits another three-pointer to cut the lead to just one at 91-90.

He couldn't possibly hit another one, right? Wrong!

His third straight three-pointer gave Miami the lead at 93-91 with 1:20 left in the final quarter.

His teammates put their trust in him and Bosh came through. Thirteen straight points in the fourth quarter? That's how you break a slump.

Final Grade: A

Mario Chalmers, Point Guard

The Mario Chalmers vs. Kemba Walker matchup was never going to be much of a contest from the get-go, but that didn't stop the Heat guard from putting forth the effort.

Erik Spoelstra went with both Chalmers and backup Norris Cole on the court together as the Heat made their final push of the game.

The ball movement got better and the flow of the offense became much improved.

A big three-pointer by Chalmers cut the Bobcats' lead to just three at 83-80.

A slam dunk with 23.5 seconds left put this one away. The comeback was complete.

He would finish with 12 points, four rebound and six assists. 

Final Grade: B +

Shane Battier, Power Forward

Shane Battier had a very Shane Battier-esque evening.

He always knows how to get himself open, especially around the perimeter. He would hit two three-pointers and finish with eight points, one rebound and two blocked shots.

Nothing spectacular, but were you expecting that to be the case?

He didn't turn the ball over after earning his first of the season against the Toronto Raptors this past Friday. 

Final Grade: C +

Ray Allen, Sixth Man

If fouls were points, you could probably get away with saying Ray Allen had a quality first half. However, that's not true at all.

The 18-year veteran had three fouls in just six minutes of action. 

It wasn't until the 2:58 mark of the third quarter where Allen would finally attempt a shot, hitting a left-handed runner under the basket. He'd follow that up with a missed jumper and three-pointer heading into the fourth. 

Two points, two turnovers and four fouls?

Ouch. It's best to look away. 

Final Grade: D

Bench

By the end of the third quarter, the Miami Heat bench had just 10 points with no one player on the second unit (Allen, Cole, Chris Andersen and Michael Beasley) having more than three. 

Beasley couldn't buy a bucket around the basket. He had plenty of good looks, but as was the case with a majority of his teammates, the ball simply wasn't dropping. He did grab seven rebounds, but his 2-of-8 shooting left a lot to be desired. 

It didn't cost Miami the game, but a Cole foul on Walker behind the arc with 0.7 seconds left in the game wasn't the smartest of moves on his part. He had five points, three rebounds and three assists. 

Final Grade: C

What's Next?

The Miami Heat will have one more game at home on December 3 against the visiting Detroit Pistons before they head out on a three-game road trip. 

The team will head to the Windy City on December 5 to take on the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. The Minnesota Timberwolves await at Target Center on December 7 before the defending NBA champions close out the week with their second game in as many days against the Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills on December 8.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Christopher Walder on Twitter at @WalderSports.