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ATLANTA – The ultimate sign that the confidence was back arguably was in the shot total.
Andrew Wiggins at times can tend to be as deferential on the court as he is off the court with his reserved personality. But in Wednesday night’s play-in victory over the Chicago Bulls, the 11th-year forward led the Miami Heat with 20 shots.
He again was active, aggressive.
After missing six games late in the season with a hamstring issue, returning for two, and then sitting out the regular-season finale on Sunday. Wiggins again appeared to have pep in his step.
“For sure,” Wiggins said. “Every day that goes by I feel better and better. I felt good on the court. I felt like I was in stride, in good rhythm.”
Now all the Heat need is for Wiggins to replicate Wednesday night’s effort on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena, in the Heat’s second and final win-or-go-home game during the play-in round.
“We still got more to do,” said Wiggins, who closed Wednesday night’s 109-90 victory in Chicago with 20 points and nine rebounds. “You’re looking at the bigger goal, the bigger picture, which is the playoffs. We got to do whatever we can.”
Which also will require something similar to what Wiggins offered defensively in Chicago, when he helped limit Bulls guard Coby White to 5-of-20 shooting and closed with two steals and two blocked shots.
“We locked in defensively,” Wiggins said of the Heat’s performance at the United Center. “This has to carry over to Atlanta. We got one more game to do the same thing. Lock in defensively.”
Eliminated by the Heat in the play-in round for the third consecutive season, there was ample postgame respect Wednesday night in the Bulls locker room.
“We thought if we just do what we normally do, then we’d be good,” White said. “But they got guys that have been to the Finals. They got guys that know what it takes. They got a head coach who’s one of the best head coaches in the league. They just came in and were the better team.”
In his first Heat-Bulls play-in game, Chicago guard Josh Giddey said the Heat simply imposed their will.
“‘I thought we came out with the wrong mindset,’’ Giddey said. ‘‘And, credit to them, they dictated terms, and we just didn’t respond the way we needed to. We dug ourselves a deep hole, and it was tough to get out.’’
The Heat never trailed Wednesday night.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra went out of his way after Wednesday night’s game to cite the unsung performance of veteran forward Kyle Anderson.
Anderson finished scoreless in his 22:33, but also with five rebounds, a block and a steal, with the Heat outscoring the Bulls by 15 in his minutes. Anderson also afforded the Heat the opportunity to rest Bam Adebayo for nearly 13 minutes.
“Kyle, without scoring a basket in this game,” Spoelstra said, “had as much impact as anybody. I love stat lines like that, how much you can help win a game without scoring a point.”
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Andrew Wiggins at times can tend to be as deferential on the court as he is off the court with his reserved personality. But in Wednesday night’s play-in victory over the Chicago Bulls, the 11th-year forward led the Miami Heat with 20 shots.
He again was active, aggressive.
After missing six games late in the season with a hamstring issue, returning for two, and then sitting out the regular-season finale on Sunday. Wiggins again appeared to have pep in his step.
“For sure,” Wiggins said. “Every day that goes by I feel better and better. I felt good on the court. I felt like I was in stride, in good rhythm.”
Now all the Heat need is for Wiggins to replicate Wednesday night’s effort on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena, in the Heat’s second and final win-or-go-home game during the play-in round.
“We still got more to do,” said Wiggins, who closed Wednesday night’s 109-90 victory in Chicago with 20 points and nine rebounds. “You’re looking at the bigger goal, the bigger picture, which is the playoffs. We got to do whatever we can.”
Which also will require something similar to what Wiggins offered defensively in Chicago, when he helped limit Bulls guard Coby White to 5-of-20 shooting and closed with two steals and two blocked shots.
“We locked in defensively,” Wiggins said of the Heat’s performance at the United Center. “This has to carry over to Atlanta. We got one more game to do the same thing. Lock in defensively.”
Respect offered
Eliminated by the Heat in the play-in round for the third consecutive season, there was ample postgame respect Wednesday night in the Bulls locker room.
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“We thought if we just do what we normally do, then we’d be good,” White said. “But they got guys that have been to the Finals. They got guys that know what it takes. They got a head coach who’s one of the best head coaches in the league. They just came in and were the better team.”
In his first Heat-Bulls play-in game, Chicago guard Josh Giddey said the Heat simply imposed their will.
“‘I thought we came out with the wrong mindset,’’ Giddey said. ‘‘And, credit to them, they dictated terms, and we just didn’t respond the way we needed to. We dug ourselves a deep hole, and it was tough to get out.’’
The Heat never trailed Wednesday night.
Unsung hero
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra went out of his way after Wednesday night’s game to cite the unsung performance of veteran forward Kyle Anderson.
Anderson finished scoreless in his 22:33, but also with five rebounds, a block and a steal, with the Heat outscoring the Bulls by 15 in his minutes. Anderson also afforded the Heat the opportunity to rest Bam Adebayo for nearly 13 minutes.
“Kyle, without scoring a basket in this game,” Spoelstra said, “had as much impact as anybody. I love stat lines like that, how much you can help win a game without scoring a point.”
Continue reading...
