(SportsNetwork.com) – The perfect record is gone, but the Miami Heat are still
one of the more competitive teams in the league.
Miami was one of the few unbeaten teams in the NBA until its recent loss and
gets back to work Wednesday on the road against the Charlotte Hornets.
The Heat dropped a 108-91 decision to the undefeated Houston Rockets (5-0)
Tuesday night in South Beach, as reigning Eastern Conference Player of the
Week Chris Bosh scored 21 points against the team he spurned in the offseason.
Bosh chose to stay in Miami instead of heading to Houston and has scored at
least 20 points in each game this season.
Dwyane Wade scored 19 points and Shawne Williams added 14. Miami had its
three-game winning streak to start the season stopped and made 41.9 percent
for the game. The Heat committed 19 turnovers and pulled within 90-86 midway
through the fourth quarter before Houston pulled away.
“It was a very competitive game,” Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We
just had some unusual mental breakdowns heading down the stretch.”
Miami sank 12-of-28 3-pointers and has made at least nine in each game this
season, the longest such streak to begin a campaign in franchise history.
Heat big men Chris Andersen (ribs), Danny Granger (hamstring) and Udonis
Haslem (quadriceps) all missed Tuesday’s game and are day-to-day.
The Hornets suffered their third straight loss after opening the season on a
positive note. Each loss has been close for the Hornets, who fell 71-69 to
Memphis, 96-93 to New York and 100-91 Tuesday night in New Orleans.
Gary Neal scored 21 points off the bench and Al Jefferson added 20 and five
rebounds. Kemba Walker had just 11 points for Charlotte, which shot 46.3
percent and fell behind in the third quarter. The Pelicans posted a 26-17
advantage in the decisive period.
“We didn’t keep playing, keep competing for every possession,” Hornets coach
Steve Clifford said.
Lance Stephenson was benched the entire fourth quarter for the second time
already this season.
Charlotte has an outside chance of ending its losing streak if the history
with Miami has any bearing. The Heat have won 16 in a row against Charlotte
and the previous nine meetings in South Beach.
Miami is 53-35 in the all-time series and 31-13 in games played as the host.
