Same Problems, Another Loss

The Miami Heat were not able to take advantage of the undermanned Raptors in a 107-96 matinee match-up Sunday. Will Solomon, starting in place of the injured Jose Calderon stepped up to put Miami back at .500.

Toronto pounded Miami on the boards and inside, reminiscent of the Heat's loss to the Portland Trailblazers last Wednesday. The Heat as a whole only grabbed 35 rebounds, and Udonis Haslem was the only player to get more than six. The Raptors, by contrast, were able to snatch 52 rebounds. Shawn Marion only grabbed four boards and Beasley finished with six. Haslem registered a double-double, with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Erik Spoelstra had a bit of a dilemma going into tonight's game. The Raptors start a lineup that features Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh, both of whom are at least 6-foot-10. With the undersized Heat, Spoelstra knew he would have problems defensively. Beasley struggled against Toronto's height on both ends of the court, only scoring 13 points while missing 10 of his 14 attempted shots. For the Raptors, O'Neal did the damage on the defensive end while Bosh took care of the offense. O'Neal grabbed 18 rebounds while Bosh scored 27 points and got to the free-throw line 15 times.

And just like the Portland game, the Heat let this one get away. Toronto had a two-point lead at the end of three quarters of action before it ballooned to a 10-point lead by the 7:50 mark of the fourth quarter. Miami was able to make a mini-run to cut the lead to 93-98 with just over a minute to play, but the Raptors answered with a six-zero run that all but iced the game for Toronto.

That is what is so disappointing about this game. Spoelstra's team was coming with a height disadvantage, so the rebounding deficit is to be expected (although more out of Marion and Beasley would have been nice). But the Heat let its guard down defensively in the fourth quarter. Rotations were slow and there was little help defense during Toronto's decisive run. This is a young team. There are going to be growing pains, and that is what the Heat is going through right now. But Miami's young players cannot develop until they learn to address their mistakes. Turnovers weren't so much of a factor, but rebounding and defense were.

Dwyane Wade looked good on the stat sheet, and the stat sheet does not lie. Twenty-nine points with eight assists and four steals is nothing to be ashamed of. Shooting 13-for-31 from the field while making it to the free-throw line just four times is something to be ashamed of. But it's more than that. Chalmers could not run the offense and Wade was left to do much of the playmaking. Chris Quinn actually got more minutes of playing time yesterday than Chalmers. Could Quinn move up to the position as the starter? Chalmers has been in a bit of a slump, while Quinn has shown a certain level of calmness as the point guard while being a consistent threat from downtown.

Although Wade played until the end of the game, Miami's star guard sprained his ankle during the third quarter. He sat out Miami's practice earlier today and is listed as a game-time decision for Tuesday's road match-up against Washington. Wade has said that his participation is a priority this season, but it would be better to let this heal than risking a more serious injury. If the team trainer doesn't envision that as a possibility, Wade should play. But the Heat shouldn't risk too much this early in the season.

Dwyane Wade's backup, Daequan Cook, hit four triples yesterday against Toronto on his way to 16 points. But Cook's three first-half three-pointers made the team a little trigger happy. Miami attempted 24 shots from beyond the arc, converting on just eight. These players have to know that relying on the three-point shot does not win games.

Miami will visit the Wizards, as they get a shot at revenge for last week's blowout loss. But Wednesday, the Heat will host the Raptors, with a shot at revenge themselves.