Shorthanded Heat End Skid in Brooklyn

The Miami Heat returned to the win column on Monday with a 95-83 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.

Miami had lost three games in a row dating back to their last win on November 9th. This game was the back half of a back-to-back and was also the third in a row without Dwyane Wade. The Heat were also without the services of Josh McRoberts and Luol Deng. This marks the first time that Miami has won this year without Wade on the court.

The Heat were forced to put a new look starting lineup on the court and the results were positive. Danny Granger saw his first action of the year and made the start. Granger ended up with four points in 20 minutes and will slide back into a depth role once the regulars are ready for action.

Also in the starting lineup for this one was Mario Chalmers who started for the second straight day. Chalmers had a big game with 22 points in 34 minutes along with five assists and a pair of steals. The guard has come up big when Miami has needed him with its depleted roster.

After a rough star line a day earlier, Chris Bosh had a better game on Monday. Bosh had 15 points and seven rebounds in his 29 minutes. The Heat were +16 with Bosh on the court as he had the biggest positive impact on the night.

James Ennis played the most minutes of his career with 36 in this one. Ennis who has been given an opportunity with Wade and McRoberts out contributed ten points and eight boards. The rookie also had two assists and a steal. His efforts could pay off with more rotation minutes even when the regulars return.

Miami was better as a team with rebounds and free throws than it was a day earlier. After struggling in both of those departments, the Heat were 24-27 from the free throw line and had 41 rebounds in the win.