By Navindra Persaud
The Miami Heat managed to hold off a fighting Charlotte Bobcats in the first round of the NBA Playoffs Sunday, defeating them 99-88. The Bobcats, however, showed clear signs that the have the ability to take control in opening minutes, which could be threatening to the reigning NBA Champions.
Not only were the Miami Heat outrebounded but they also may have gotten a little help on the officiating end as the Bobcats had 12 free throw attempts while the Heat had 26, most of which came from, you guessed it, Heat guard Lebron James.
Charlotte, who have now fallen to the Heat a total of 17 times in a row, managed to out rebound the heat 44-38 in the game despite an injury sustained by their center Al Jefferson. Most of Miami’s rebounds came from center Chris Anderson and James who combined for 19 of Miami’s 38 boards.
Jefferson did return to the game and put together some quality minutes. He is quite capable of generating points in the paint and being a he defensive presence as well. He averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds this season and managed to score 18 points and grab 10 rebounds through 35 minutes, the majority of which were played with a plantar fasciitis injury.
The Bobcats also got help on the offensive end from guard Kemba Walker who provided 20 points, dished six assists and grabbed five rebounds. Walker provided not only offense but also a spark on the Bobcats that they seemed to ride as the game went on. Guard Gary Neal also provided 17 points and forward Josh McRoberts added 15 points and seven rebounds.
“We did some really good things today,” Walker said in an Associated Press interview. “We just have to keep executing throughout the game. We can’t get rattled.”
Clearly the Bobcats offense was clicking. However, the fact that the Heat got to the free throw line much more often is the major factor in their win over Charlotte. They were allotted more trips to the line providing an advantage to earn easy points. Perhaps this could be prevented if the Bobcats didn’t turn the ball over 13 times versus the Heats seven total.
The numbers are simple and the Bobcats should know exactly what adjustments they need to make. Jefferson told the Associated Press he does not plan on sitting out and should hopefully be able to fight through his injury to help the Bobcats win.
They will also need to find a way to neutralize Miami guard Dwayne Wade who, despite only playing 28 games out of precaution by the Heat, came back absolutely strong, finishing with 23 points and going 10-of-16 from the field and adding five assists.
Wades ability to penetrate the defense and get inside the paint for high percentage shots has always been key to the Miami Heat’s success prior to the arrival of James but when they both take the court the Bobcats need to figure out how to stop both from scoring rather than just concentrating on one of them.
Jefferson took care of Miami center Chris Bosh in the paint, holding Bosh to just four rebounds in the entire game. Bosh’s offense was also limited but he managed to score 13 points.
The pieces are there for the Bobcats and after a few minor adjustments fans should be prepared for a fight from Charlotte, who are making the playoffs for just the second time of the 10 years the franchise has been in the league.