NBA -- Heat's 40-point 4th quarter burn Hawks
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 22 Feb 2013
CHICAGO -- The defending champion Miami Heat outscored the Atlanta Hawks 40-17 in the final 12 minutes of play and quickly erased a 10-point deficit on the way to a 103-90 decision Wednesday night at the Philips Arena in Atlanta.
Trailing 73-63 after three quarters, Shane Battier swished a 3 that ignited a 13-0 run to start the fourth quarter. And LeBron James finished it with a pair of free throws that gave Miami a 76-73 advantage. Another Heat 3, this time by sharpshooter Ray Allen, pushed Miami's lead to 86-79 with 5:37 to go and the Hawks never recovered.
LeBron James finished with only 24 points and six rebounds, but the reigning league MVP whipped eight of his 11 assists in the fourth quarter to frustrate the host Hawks. Dwyane Wade accounted for 20 points while Battier added 17 on 5-of-8 shooting from behind the 3-point arc. Allen had 15 and point guard Mario Chalmers added 14 for the Heat, who shot 47.4 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from long distance.
"We've grown so much. There are many different ways we can win ball games. In 2010, either we were just getting back into transition or just one-on-one basketball. Now, we get into transition but we also execute in the half court," Wade told the Miami Herald.
Trade rumors continued to swirl around talented forward Josh Smith and if this was indeed his last game in a Hawks uniform, the 6-foot-9 forward acquitted himself well with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in 38 minutes. Atlanta center Al Horford had a huge night -- 27 points and nine rebounds -- but it went for naught against Miami's impressive fourth-quarter barrage.
At 37-14, the Heat kept a healthy five-game lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference. The 29-23 Hawks fell to sixth place. (Homer Sayson)
Photo: Forward Shane Battier drills one of his five 3s that helped the Miami Heat sink the Atlanta Hawks, 103-90 at the Philips Arena.
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