Miami Heat vs. Houston Rockets: Postgame Grades and Analysis
James Harden scored 28 points, Dwight Howard posted 23 points and 13 rebounds and the Houston Rockets routed the Miami Heat, 115-79, at the Toyota Center Saturday night.
It was the largest margin of victory for the Rockets this season. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle and coach Kevin McHale (via Clutch Fans) commented on the win:
For the Heat? Well, let's just say they have seen better days. And they have a tough schedule ahead, as pointed out by Bleacher Report's Ethan J. Skolnick:
Yikes.
| Dwyane Wade | C+ |
| Chris Bosh | D |
| Luol Deng | C |
| Mario Chalmers | D |
| Chris Andersen | C |
| Rest of Team | C- |
| James Harden | A |
| Dwight Howard | A+ |
| Josh Smith | B+ |
| Trevor Ariza | D+ |
| Patrick Beverley | B |
| Rest of Team | A- |
Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade: C+
While Dwyane Wade has had some explosive performances this season, Saturday night definitely wasn't one of them.
Wade was kept in check for most of the game, shooting 5-of-11 from the floor for 15 points. He was unable to string together any of his patented runs.
Wade only played 16 minutes, and nearly a point per minute certainly isn't bad, but he simply did not leave his fingerprints on this contest.
He added four rebounds.
Chris Bosh: D
This wasn't one of Chris Bosh's better nights on either side of the floor.
He shot only 4-of-12 from the floor and went 1-of-4 from distance, missing some good looks. He also turned the ball over four times.
On the other end, Bosh was frequently overwhelmed by Dwight Howard.
The Miami big man scored 15 points and made minimal impact on the glass with four rebounds.
Luol Deng: C
Luol Deng shot the ball well, going 5-of-8, but he was unable to get to the free-throw line and was also a bit sloppy with the rock, turning it over four times in 17 minutes.
Deng finished with 10 points and six boards in what ended up being a very uneventful outing for the small forward.
Mario Chalmers: D
Mario Chalmers' line for the night: three points, five assists and four fouls in 15 minutes. Not exactly pretty, is it?
Chalmers never looked for his shot in this game, only taking two. He didn't turn the ball over at all, though, so I guess that's something.
Oh, and somehow, he was a plus-four.
Just a weird, weird game for 'Rio.
Chris Andersen: C
Chris Andersen had a nice alley-oop slam early when the game was still close, but that was about all he did all night.
He tallied four points and three rebounds.
His rim-protection skills were also futile in this game. Howard was just too big.
Also, Birdman injured his ankle, which the team announced, during this one, but returned:
His ankle has been giving him problems all season.
Rest of Team: C-
The Heat reserves got an opportunity to pad their stats in garbage time.
Hassan Whiteside took full advantage, scoring 14 points off 6-of-6 shooting.
James Ennis chipped in nine points, and Norris Cole added six points and four assists.
Danny Granger scored five points off a paltry 1-of-6 clip.
Houston Rockets
James Harden: A
James Harden was terrific in this one.
The MVP candidate scored 28 points in 28 minutes and did it efficiently, going 9-of-17 from the floor and making all seven of his free throws. He also buried three triples.
Harden did a great job of pushing the pace and getting the Rockets out in transition. He also finished around the rim very well, doing a superb job of shielding the ball with his body and scoring among the trees inside.
He added five rebounds.
Dwight Howard: A+
Howard was the best player on the floor Saturday night, and it wasn't even close.
The big man posted 23 points and 13 boards, dominating the Heat inside for the entirety of the night.
Dwight scored 19 of his 23 points in an inhuman-like second quarter, scoring with a variety of post moves against the likes of Hassan Whiteside, Andersen and whomever Miami attempted to guard him with.
Howard shot 9-of-13 from the field and was a game-high plus-31 in 26 minutes.
Josh Smith: B+
Josh Smith was moved to the bench before the contest, and he responded with his best performance as a Rocket.
Smith utilized his unique skill set and played within himself, recording 10 points and six rebounds. He flashed his court vision with some outstanding passes and, most importantly, he looked to give the ball up before letting loose on his infamous mid-range jumpers.
J-Smoove was an efficient 5-of-8 and tallied a plus-30 in 28 minutes.
Trevor Ariza: D+
While most of the other Rockets played well, Trevor Ariza struggled mightily offensively.
The wing, who has been in a shooting slump, connected on only one of his five shot attempts, misfiring on all three of his three-point tries.
He also committed three turnovers in 23 minutes.
Ariza made it up for a bit on the defensive end of the floor, however, equaling his career high with six steals. That saves him from a failing grade.
Patrick Beverley: B
Patrick Beverley had a solid evening.
The fiery point guard shot 3-of-5, all three of his makes coming from beyond the arc. He also played some of his usual fine defense on the Heat's point guards, limiting them to nine combined points.
Pretty solid performance from Beverley.
Rest of Team: A-
Donatas Motiejunas put together a fine outing, recording 12 points off 5-of-9 shooting. Nine of those points came in the first quarter when Motiejunas took advantage of the smaller Danny Granger in the post. Per Clutch Fans, Coach McHale was vague when questioned about Motiejunas starting:
Corey Brewer was also impressive, scoring 11 points. He took seven shots, all from downtown, and made three of them. Brewer added four boards and three dimes.
Jason Terry and Isaiah Canaan each made a pair of threes.
What's Next?
The Heat will finish off their back-to-back when they host the Brooklyn Nets at 6 p.m. ET Sunday night. The Rockets will head to Chicago to take on the Bulls at the United Center at 8 p.m. ET Monday.
