NBA -- Heat rise as Suns set in Miami
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 04 Mar 2015
CHICAGO -- When he demanded a ticket out of Phoenix prior to this year's February 19 trading deadline, Goran Dragic went out of his way to explain that he no longer trusts the Suns organization.
So when he met his former team for the first time since his departure, Dragic, who played nearly five full seasons in Phoenix, showed the Suns the goods they no longer have.
Ignoring the discomfort of lingering back spasms, the 6-foot-5 guard from Slovenia scored 21 points and four assists in just 15 minutes to help the Miami Heat take down the Suns, 115-98, on Monday night at the American Airlines Arena.
"It means a lot. It was a tough game. You can see a lot of technicals, ejections, but it's a man's sport. I thought we played awesome tonight," Dragic told ESPN.
But beating the Suns, a fast break happy squad with adequate firepower, required more than just Dragic's inspired play.
Rookie Tyler Johnson made the most of 23 minutes off the bench by making 10-of13 field goals for 26 points. Dwyane Wade missed 12 of 19 shots but still scored 16, while Luol Deng and Michael Beasley each had 12.
P.J. Tucker and Eric Bledsoe finished with 20 apiece to pace the Suns. But Phoenix made only 33 of 78 field goals, a poor 42.3 percent clip.(HDS)
With a 26-33 record, the Heat leapt to seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The 31-30 Suns, on the other hand, fell to 10th place in the Western Conference.
Photo: Goran Dragic eludes a Suns defender and lays in 2 of his 21 points to help the Heat beat the Suns, 115-98.
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