Miami Heat vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Postgame Grades and Analysis
The Miami Heat visited the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday hoping to bounce back from four losses in their last five games.
Things went swimmingly until halftime, but the Blazers romped their way to a 99-83 victory. LaMarcus Aldridge drove the bus with 24 points, and Dwyane Wade's 23 weren't enough for Miami.
The Heat never trailed in the first half but only led by five at the break. The Blazers also came in with an NBA-best 10-6 record when trailing at the half, per TNT, and outscored the Heat 33-16 in the third quarter. They walked into the end zone from there. The Palm Beach Post writer Jason Lieser notes Wade had this to say:
Portland head coach Terry Stotts pointed to a defensive key after the decisive third quarter in an interview on TNT: His team allowed eight points in the paint after giving up 30 in the first half.
The Heat shot just 37.7 percent, and their 30 free-throw attempts, twice as many as Portland, could not make up for the poor field-goal shooting. Lieser quotes Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the team's performance:
Here are game grades for all key players from the blazing comeback.
| Damian Lillard | B |
| Wesley Matthews | B+ |
| Nicolas Batum | B- |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | A- |
| Chris Kaman | B+ |
| Rest of Team | C+ |
| Mario Chalmers | C+ |
| Dwyane Wade | B+ |
| Luol Deng | C- |
| Chris Bosh | B |
| Chris Andersen | C |
| Rest of Team | C+ |
Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard, Point Guard
Damian Lillard scored nine points in the first half, but he collided with Wade late in the second quarter as both players fought for the ball, and they each looked worse for wear afterward. However, Lillard's a gamer, and Thursday marked his 200th consecutive start, per Trail Blazers PR Twitter on Jan. 3.
TNT cameras showed Lillard walking gingerly out of the locker room before the beginning of the second half. He scored five in the third quarter, including an alley-oop slam, then exited late in the frame before returning to action again.
He gritted out the game, ending on 16 points from 6-of-17 shooting (and two three-pointers on eight tries). He added three assists and two surprising blocks. More importantly, this young star put his toughness on display.
Grade: B
LaMarcus Aldridge, Power Forward
LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with a dozen points at the half, and he wasn't done there. Playing in a contract year, he continues to lead the team in both scoring and rebounding.
"LMA" finished with 24 points and 12 boards. Six of those rebounds were offensive, a category in which Portland finished at plus-five.
Grade: A-
Nicolas Batum, Small Forward
The Heat held Portland to 2-of-14 shooting behind the arc in the first half, and Nicolas Batum missed all three of his attempts. He hit halftime with just three points.
While the team picked up the pace from downtown in the second half, Batum did not and ended with eight points on 10 field-goal attempts. He still provided a scattershot of stats with nine rebounds, four dimes and two steals.
Grade: B-
Wesley Matthews, Shooting Guard
Wesley Matthews helped with the ball movement early on, but he struggled to find his stroke from three-point range and had only four points through two quarters. Then the second half happened, and someone flipped the switch.
Wes poured in 18 points by game's end, including three of the team's six second-half triples. He even tied a game high with five assists.
Grade: B+
Chris Kaman, Center
Chris Kaman stunned TNT's announcing crew with a nifty spin move in the third quarter that left Chris Bosh rooted to the spot and resulted in a point-blank basket.
He posted 10 points, nine boards and two blocks in the win, which was just another proficient performance for the former All-Star. Kaman has found a significant role in Portland in the wake of Robin Lopez's broken hand, and he's seizing the opportunity.
Grade: B
Rest of Team
When Steve Blake goes to work, even part-time, he hands out dimes like a train conductor. In 19 minutes off the bench, he recorded five assists to go with seven points. The L.A. Lakers surely wish they still had him on the roster (or at least Kobe Bryant does).
Meyers Leonard scored just four points on seven shots and missed both three-pointers he attempted, but his nine rebounds and a steal, as well as his plus-14 floor rating, suggest his value in reserve.
Dorell Wright hit a long two-pointer from the corner with his foot on the line to beat the horn in the third quarter. Apparently, he also made another field goal at some point.
Grade: C+
Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade, Shooting Guard
Wade wowed with 15 first-half points as the Heat cooked for the first two quarters. Then they forgot to keep stirring the sauce.
Wade tallied 23 for the game, but he lacked the spark he exhibited early on and seemed decidedly stiff after yet another collision with Lillard during the fourth quarter. Wade had this to say about the collision, per Lieser:
Grade: B+
Chris Bosh, Power Forward
Bosh matched Aldridge's dozen points by halftime, but he faltered with the rest of the team in the second half. With a five-field-goal night, Bosh got his 18 points from 16 shots. He also led the team in assists with five, which probably should not happen. Lieser quotes Bosh on his team:
Grade: B
Luol Deng, Small Forward
Luol Deng had five rebounds by halftime, already eclipsing his per-game average of 4.8 boards, but he also had just two points to his credit.
The Heat trudged their way to 11-of-35 shooting in the second half, and Deng missed eight of his 11 shots overall. Don't be fooled by his seven robust points, and he didn't even have a rebound in the second half. Maybe the Heat should call the Chicago Bulls and trade him back home.
Grade: C-
Mario Chalmers, Point Guard
Mario Chalmers had ceded starts at point guard to Norris Cole, but veteran savvy can be hard to duplicate, and Chalmers has become a surprise workhorse for the 2014-15 Heat by virtue of playing in every game.
He put in 30 minutes of work, more than doubling Cole's court time, and notched eight points with three assists. The Heat would love to see Cole earn the starting job, but he doesn't seem ready for prime time.
Grade: C+
Chris Andersen, Center
Chris Andersen got his defensive stats as usual (two steals and a block), but it would be nice if he hadn't missed half of his six foul shots.
TNT's announcing crew also lamented the loss of his bold mohawk, though now he sports a more muted version cropped close.
Grade: C
Rest of Team
Danny Granger completed a three-point play, but he didn't do much else in the game. The Heat are still waiting for his renaissance period.
Hassan Whiteside has quietly been a revelation for Miami, resurrecting himself from the NBA D-League. Prior to Thursday's game, his per-36 averages were fairly shocking: 11 games, 13.7 points, 13.2 rebounds, 4.4 blocks and 1.3 steals, via Basketball-Reference.
Whiteside continued that stunning efficiency against the Blazers. He posted six points, four boards and a block in his first seven minutes, and he ended with 10 points, eight boards and four blocks in 19 minutes. So, yeah, his per-36 efficiency continues to rise.
Cole's defense should warrant decent playing time, but he has failed to make a dent in the rotation of late. He had four points in 13 minutes.
James Ennis did not make any spectacular dunks.
Grade: C+
Coming Up Next
The Blazers bring in the struggling Orlando Magic on Saturday night. The Heat stay out West and visit the L.A. Clippers for a Sunday matinee.
