Atlanta

Sloppy Heat Fall to Hawks

The Heat had less baskets made than turnovers in the first half of Saturday's game

The Miami Heat gave the ball away often on Saturday and it cost them in a 93-91 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

In a game that Atlanta led from start to finish, Miami had more turnovers in the first half than they did baskets made. While Miami played better in the second half, it wasn't good enough to finish a comeback attempt. Mario Chalmers drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to make it a two-point loss.

The Hawks are the top seed in the Eastern Conference but the team on the court in this one was mostly comprised of bench players. Atlanta opted to rest the majority of its starting lineup and still came away victorious. This is a strategy that the Hawks have used multiple times this year as they try to stay fresh for the playoffs.

In all, Miami turned the ball over 23 times and shot under 40% from the field. Those turnovers came back to haunt Miami as Atlanta scored 31 of its point off of those lost possessions.

As is the norm, Hassan Whiteside was a bright spot for Miami. the young center had 14 points and 24 rebounds in 34 minutes. Whiteside blocked two shots and kept the ball alive with eight offensive rebounds. The crowd at American Airlines Arena could be heard giving its loudest cheers to Whiteside throughout the game.

The story wasn't as good for Goran Dragic who had a tough game. Dragic had six points and six assists while only shooting 2-7 from the field. 

The Heat will welcome Dragic's old team to Miami on Monday when they take on the Phoenix Suns at 7:30 p.m.

Contact Us