Miami Heat: The 10 Best Games of the NBA Season for LeBron James and Co.
75 games into the 2010-'11 NBA season—and the Miami Heat have disappointed the league's fan base by not winning at least 100% of those games.
Even though they won 52 of those games, standing in first in the Southeast Division and in a tie for second in the Eastern Conference, the efforts of the newly formed big three and the new-look Miami Heat has been considered a disappointment in the eyes of those who believed this newly formed team would wipe the floor with every team in the league.
Alas, the team struggled to get off the ground. They saw eight of their 23 losses come in the first month of the season. Nine of the other losses came during two separate losing streaks where the team either faced injury problems or an identity crisis. It seems that the national media has focused most of their attention on these losses—even though Miami won as many as 12 consecutive games and went 21-of-22 at one point during the year.
Wins have come frequently for the Heat—and most of the time, they have come easily. They hold one of the best records against teams with records under .500; and despite their struggles against the elite, they certainly have proven to some of the best in the league that they are more than capable of taking on any in the NBA.
Those victories against the elite represent some of the Heat's most quality and most memorable wins of the season. The combined efforts of the big three in those games—and in every game for that matter—has always been the center of attention. Sometimes accountable for as many as 90% of the team's points, the big three has lived up to its hype, and then some.
With 53 quality wins under their belt, we were only able to narrow this list down to the 10 best. The team has had memorable moments and wins throughout this 2010-'11 campaign and we will probably be just as impressed next season—when 1) the team doesn't struggle in the early going, 2) actually has a bench, or 3) has developed better chemistry.
For now though, let's appreciate the 10 best wins of the season for America's favorite team to hate.
10. February 8th Vs. Indiana Pacers
1 of 10
Final result: Miami 117, Indiana 112
Combined stats of 'Big Three': 77 points, 23 rebounds, and 16 assists.
A Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers match-up doesn't sound like the game of the night, but no matter what kind of team each roster consists of, these two teams will play each other until the final seconds. It was no different in the February 8th match-up that was meant to be a revenge game for the Heat after losing to the Pacers by 16 at the American Airlines Arena in mid-November, their worst home loss of the season.
LeBron James led the attack from start to finish with a few thunderous dunks, including one that started off with a crossover on Danny Granger and even a dunk on Dwyane Wade. James was sensational in the first half, finishing with 26 points, but the Heat still trailed by three at the half thanks to a 18-4 Pacers run in the second quarter. No one on the Heat could really get into a rhythm on both sides of the ball as they yielded 97 points through the first three quarters and trailed by seven going into the fourth.
Luckily, though, LeBron James was in a rhythm and that's all the Heat needed. Not only that, but the defense really stepped it up after three quarters of lackluster and lazy defense from nearly everyone in a Heat jersey. Indiana was only able to score 15 points and were outscored by 12 to give Miami a victory. The key moment of the game came with the Heat up by three and ten seconds remaining in the game when the Pacers were trying to inbound, but were forced into a rare five second call thanks to some quality defense.
James had one of the best games of his season finishing with 41 points on 15-of-23 shooting, while also contributing 13 rebounds and eight assists. Chris Bosh offered 19 points and seven rebounds, and Dwyane Wade contributed 17 points and seven rebounds with most of the points coming in the fourth quarter.
9. December 8th at Utah Jazz
2 of 10
Final result: Miami 111, Utah 98
Combined efforts of the 'Big Three': 75 points, 20 rebounds, and 16 assists.
Back when the Utah Jazz actually were considered an elite team, this was quite the statement for the Heat. Prior to this win against the Jazz, the Heat had beaten only one team worthy of note (and that was one of the first games of the season against the Orlando Magic in Miami's home opener.) Not only did the Heat get their win against the Jazz, they did it in Utah's house—often described as one of the hardest places for an opponent to win on the road.
After the first meeting, Miami desperately needed a revenge game. Miami was up by as much as 20 points when the Jazz came to the American Airlines Arena, only to see it erased in the final minutes thanks to some miraculous three-pointers by Paul Millsap. This time around, there were no heroics from anyone on the Jazz at least. Utah was able to take a one point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Heat used a dominant 34-20 advantage in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory.
LeBron James led the way with 33 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, while Dwyane Wade offered up plenty of support of his own with 28 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Chris Bosh missed ten of his 16 shots, but still finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had one of his best games of the season, contributing a solid 16 points and 10 rebounds as the starting center.
As for Paul Millsap, he wasn't dropping 42 points this time around. Miami contained him to only 18 points this time around.
8. January 30th at Oklahoma City Thunder
3 of 10
Final result: Miami 108, Oklahoma City 103
Combined efforts from the 'Big Three': 75 points, 20 rebounds, and 16 assists.
An easy candidate for one of the NBA's games of the year that pitted the Heat's big three of Wade, James, and Bosh against the former big three of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Jeff Green. Each teams' big three fought it out for most of the game with the Thunder's core holding a slight edge in scoring by three points. However, it was the player you least expected that would give the Heat a win.
The fourth quarter was another 12 minutes of artistry from some of the league's best players on both teams as they exchanged countless blows in an attempt to give their team the victory. With 35 seconds remaining, Durant had hit a jumper to give the Thunder a late 103-102 lead. With the ball in the Heat's hands and the raucous Oklahoma City crowd breathing down their necks, it would have been easy to believe that the big three would hit the shot. Wade shot it up from 20 feet and missed, but the rebound would go into the hands of Mike Miller who would kick it out to an open LeBron James along the perimeter.
With Daequan Cook closing in, James elected to pass it to veteran point guard and three-point specialist Eddie House who would drain the shot from deep to give the Heat a 105-103 lead. The three-pointer would be House's only made shot of the game. Durant would miss a jumper on the next possession and Miami made some free throws to seal the deal for one of the Heat's biggest quality victories of the season.
Wade struggled handling the ball and finished with nine turnovers, but he was able to contribute a solid 32 points, nine rebounds, and two assists to make up for it. LeBron finished with 23 points, 13 assists, and four rebounds, while Chris Bosh offered a solid 20 points and seven rebounds.
7. December 17th at New York Knicks
4 of 10
Final result: Miami 113, New York 91
Combined efforts from the 'Big Three': 84 points, 26 rebounds, and 16 assists.
Turns out that LeBron James isn't the only player on the Heat who loves going off at Madison Square Garden. LeBron certainly had the best game of any player that was on the floor that night finishing with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. However, his big three teammates didn't do all too bad either, with Wade and Bosh both scoring 26 points to give the Heat one of their easiest victories of the season.
Miami used a 34-25 first quarter advantage to rocket out to a fast start, but the Knicks closed the gap in the second quarter outscoring the Heat by nine to tie it at the half. The second half, however, was all Miami as they outscored the Knicks 33-17 to run away with the game. They used a six point fourth quarter advantage to give Miami an exclamation mark on the win.
This win doesn't represent itself as just one win against a good team, but as a statement for any member of the big three who disappointed every team in the NBA by joining forces in Miami. New York was the most spurned as they basically dropped most of their roster and planned for years for the possibility of signing James and dragging their team out of the obscurity that they had wallowed in for a decade. Since he showed up to the Garden, James was met with a chorus of boos and jeers that he quickly silenced with one of his most complete games of the season.
6. October 29th Vs. Orlando Magic
5 of 10
Final result: Miami 96, Orlando 70
Combined efforts of the 'Big Three': 56 points, 22 rebounds, and 11 assists.
It wasn't the best offensive game for the big three considering that all of them shot below 50% and Chris Bosh only hit two of his nine shots. If you really look at the final score, though, you'll see that this game was a statement by the Heat showing why that they will be regarded as one of the top defensive teams in the league. Against one of the NBA's most dangerous offensive teams from deep and near the post, the Heat held the Magic to a season low 70 points, a mark that still stands today.
As a team, the Magic combined to shoot 30% overall and 17% from deep, hitting only four of their 24 attempts. Dwight Howard led the way for the Magic with 19 points, but got into foul trouble in the second half and couldn't score again. Jameer Nelson and Ryan Anderson were the only Magic players to score in double digits for Orlando, who got a collective zero of 14 shooting from starters Rashard Lewis and Quentin Richardson.
As for the Heat, it wasn't the prettiest offensive display considering they only shot 41%, but they were able to hit half of their 18 shots and get 26 points from Dwyane Wade who hit nine of his 20 shot attempts. LeBron had a solid effort with 15 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, while Chris Bosh gave the Heat his first double-double of the season finishing with 11 points and ten rebounds.
5. January 9th at Portland Trail Blazers
6 of 10
Final result: Miami 107, Portland 100 (OT)
Combined efforts of the 'Big Three': 96 points, 29 rebounds, and 11 assists.
That's no typo. The Heat's supporting cast totaled a collective nine points amongst six players—and the Heat were still able to score 107 points and pull out a win in the process. This game truly represents the best display of talent that Dwyane Wade and LeBron James might possess as teammates for the next five years. Wade and James alone combined for 78 points, with LeBron leading the way at 44 points.
As for the game, it wasn't too bad itself (for the Heat at least.) Miami was abused by LaMarcus Aldridge, who would drop 31 points and 14 rebounds and appeared to help give Portland the win considering they were up 89-82 with a little over two minutes remaining in the game. LeBron then turned into LeBron and hit a three-pointer and a few free throws to tie the game and eventually somehow send it into overtime. From that point on, it was the LeBron James and Dwyane Wade show.
Dwyane and LeBron would hit the most ridiculous of three-pointers in the additional five minutes to give the Heat an improbable 107-100 overtime victory over Portland in one of the hardest arenas for an opponent to win. LeBron and Dwyane were absolutely phenomenal as James finished with 44 points on 17 of 26 shooting, while Wade contributed 34 points on 15 of 22 shooting. Chris Bosh wasn't too bad either as he dropped in 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
4. December 2nd at Cleveland Cavaliers
7 of 10
Final result: Miami 118, Cleveland 90
Combined effort of the 'Big Three': 75 points, 19 rebounds, and 20 assists.
This was the most hyped-up game of the season and that was even before the official NBA schedule was released. LeBron James' departure from Cleveland wasn't on the greatest of terms considering that he had basically embarrassed the entire city on national TV during The Decision. Obviously, Cleveland didn't take too kindly to this and reacted as any spurned fan base would react: by burning and destroying any LeBron memorabilia a person could get their hands on.
The return date for James was a December 2nd nationally televised special. The Quicken Loans crowd was said by analysts to be one of the most raucous crowds in the history of the NBA. It was a sold-out crowd of over 20,000 strong that came complete with derogatory signs and constant jeering and booing all directed towards one man on the floor. The Cavs came out strong and took an early 17-11 lead, but after that it was all LeBron James replaying the memories that he had left on the Cavaliers court for seven years prior.
James went all-out on the city that used to idolize him. In only 30 minutes of game time, LeBron finished with 38 points, eight assists, and five rebounds and could have easily inflated those numbers had he played any of the fourth quarter. James and the Heat had somewhat silenced the crowd by the half and by the ending of the third quarter, you could hear a pin drop in the stadium that only a few hours before was ready to blow the roof off.
Dwyane Wade finished with 28 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds in 32 minutes.
3. December 25th at Los Angeles Lakers
8 of 10
Final result: Miami 96, Los Angeles Lakers 80
Combined efforts of the 'Big Three": 69 points, 29 rebounds, and 18 assists.
Match-ups between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat have always tended to be games for the ages and ones to remembered for years to come. From the entirety of the Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant feud to Bryant hitting one of the most difficult shots to give the Lakers a win last season, no matter how good or bad each team has been, the match-up's usually go down to the wire.
Somehow, this one wasn't one of those games. In one of the most heavily anticipated games of the NBA season, the Heat held the Lakers to only 14 first quarter points and controlled the tempo the rest of the way with leads as much as 20 points in the fourth quarter that completely put the game out of reach. LeBron outshone Kobe as the best player on the court and finished with another triple-double, this time with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, while also hitting five of his six three-point attempts.
The key to the game however was Dwyane Wade's impenetrable defense on Kobe Bryant for all 40 minutes that Kobe played. While Wade was held to 18 points on six of 17 shooting, his ability to limit Bryant to 17 points on 6 of 16 shooting while never letting him get into a comfort zone was what gave the Heat a comfortable lead throughout the contest. Despite not having too outstanding of an offensive game, it was one of Wade's best games of the season for the defensive pressure he put on Kobe.
Chris Bosh also showed his might against the lengthy front court of the Lakers finishing with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
2. March 14th Vs. San Antonio Spurs
9 of 10
Final result: Miami 110, San Antonio 80
Combined effort from the 'Big Three': 80 points, 27 rebounds, and 13 assists.
Considering that the Heat had lost to the Spurs by 30 only two weeks prior at the AT&T Center, we can easily call this the sweetest win of the year for Miami.
Miami was torched in San Antonio in the middle of their season long five losing streak allowing the Spurs to pick and choose their shots and allowing them to gain a 22 point advantage after only one quarter. This time around, the Heat would not stand for it. Instead, they vied for giving the Spurs a taste of their own medicine with one of their worst losses of the season. Miami controlled the game from the start and used a 33-17 fourth quarter advantage to make the game insurmountable and your average, old-fashioned blow out.
San Antonio had hit a franchise record 17 three-pointers in the meeting before and only hit six this time around as the Heat used close outs and hard-nosed defense throughout the contest to limit the Spurs to only 80 points on 38% shooting. The defense was only half of the best part of this game because the Heat's offense made as good a defensive team like the Spurs look lost, weary, and worn out with 110 points on 54% shooting.
Chris Bosh had one of his best games of the season with 30 points and 11 rebounds against tough defender Tim Duncan, while Dwyane Wade dropped 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help out. LeBron James contributed 21 points, eight assists, and six rebounds to aid and support the Heat in one of their most quality victories of the season.
1. March 10th Vs. Los Angeles Lakers
10 of 10
Final result: Miami 94, Los Angeles Lakers 88
Combined efforts of the 'Big Three': 63 points, 22 rebounds, and 14 assists.
If you thought Dwyane Wade as a tough defender after the first meeting with the Lakers, then you need truly need to see just how well of defense he played down the stretch against one of the most fierce finishers in the league in Kobe Bryant. This time however, Wade not only used his defensive skill set, but his offensive one as well to give the Heat their best and most complete victory of the season.
This was another one of those classic Heat and Lakers match-ups that featured a back and forth game with lead changes and highlight plays throughout the 48 minutes that these two teams battled for. When the final five minutes came around, the game became centered on only two players: Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant. Every time Wade knocked down a shot, Kobe was right there to match him with a shot just as good. It went on and on and on until a moment with a little less than a minute and a half remaining in the game. A moment that will live forever in Heat history and one that the Lakers—and most of all Bryant—would like to forget.
In a tied game and the Lakers in possession, it was up Kobe to once again save his team. Bryant made his move and Wade reacted by poking the ball away to Mike Bibby who would pass it back to Dwyane who would then send it to LeBron who would finish it off with a fast break slam that would give the Heat the lead for good. For a team that wasn't playing too well in the final minutes of games and had lost it's previous five, the Heat looked like the team that the NBA was waiting to see for months.
As intriguing as another Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers Finals match-up sounds, any neutral fan would want to see a Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers series just to see what else are these teams made of. Not only that, but to see just how revenge-driven Kobe will be after being embarrassed for two consecutive games by the Heat.
For the Miami faithful, they are hopeful that their team will be waiting.
