{"id":397061,"date":"2011-04-25T16:46:15","date_gmt":"2011-04-25T16:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/04\/25\/slow-starts-holding-heat-back-so-far-ap\/"},"modified":"2011-04-25T16:46:15","modified_gmt":"2011-04-25T16:46:15","slug":"slow-starts-holding-heat-back-so-far-ap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/04\/25\/slow-starts-holding-heat-back-so-far-ap\/","title":{"rendered":"Slow starts holding Heat back so far (AP)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

MIAMI (AP)\u2014Much of the talk after Game 4 of the Miami-Philadelphia series revolved around the way the 76ers finished.<\/p>\n

How they\u2019re starting against the Heat seems just as important.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia 78, Miami 46. That\u2019s the combined score when Miami\u2019s starting five is on the floor to open contests in this Eastern Conference first-round series against the 76ers, who have given the Heat more than a few headaches in the early portions of games.<\/p>\n

So when Miami returns to practice Tuesday, getting the early jump will surely be a priority. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Miami, a second try for the Heat to close Philadelphia out and advance to the East semifinals where Boston\u2014 which swept away the New York Knicks<\/a>\u2014is already waiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody\u2019s threatened by anybody,\u201d said Heat forward LeBron James<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> whose team still holds a 3-1 series lead. \u201cEverybody\u2019s grown men. \u2026 There\u2019s no intimidation factor.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this series, by the time Heat coach Erik Spoelstra initially goes to his bench, Miami is usually in some trouble. Philadelphia led 25-11 when Miami first subbed in Game 1, followed by a 24-16 cushion in Game 3 and 20-6 in Sunday\u2019s Game 4.<\/p>\n

The only buck-trending example is Game 2, when Miami was up 13-9 in the series\u2019 lone blowout.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t really come out and work ourselves into the basketball game,\u201d 76ers guard Lou Williams said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to be the aggressors coming out against a team that, you know, if two guys are off they still have another superstar that can pick up the slack and we don\u2019t have the luxury of that being a young basketball team. So I think for us, the lesson that was learned is we can\u2019t really ease into these games. We\u2019ve got to go out and hit first.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s working.<\/p>\n

Miami\u2019s star-studded starting five\u2014James, Dwyane Wade<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> Chris Bosh<\/a>(notes)<\/a>,<\/span> Mike Bibby<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> and Zydrunas Ilgauskas<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span>\u2014has played a combined 33:12 together to open games in this series. During that span, they\u2019ve shot 33 percent, 19 for 57.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been three out of four games now,\u201d Spoelstra said. \u201cThat\u2019s more than a trend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over that same opening 33-minute stretch, the Sixers are shooting 59 percent (32-54), including nine straight makes in Game 1 and a 19-of-29 effort to begin Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have our energizing lineup in to start,\u201d Wade said. \u201cThat\u2019s not our high-energy lineup in the first place. We\u2019ve just got to do a better job of coming out and knowing that we\u2019ve got to make shots with that lineup and defensively we\u2019ve got to do a better job, knowing that these guys, this is what they do in the first quarter. They attack.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once Miami begins subbing and adjusting, everything seems to change.<\/p>\n

After those initial minutes, the Heat have outscored Philadelphia by an average of 15.8 points, shooting 46 percent to the Sixers\u2019 36 percent.<\/p>\n

Why that doesn\u2019t happen from the beginning is a mystery to Miami.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I knew,\u201d Bosh said Sunday, \u201cthat wouldn\u2019t happen. \u2026 We\u2019ll have to figure that out. We\u2019re going to have to sit down and we\u2019re going to have to talk about it, because we really can\u2019t afford to spot teams five points, six points. As it gets tougher those deficits are going to be tougher to (overcome). Against this team, that gave them life. We had a chance to put them away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, instead of having six or seven days to prep for Boston, it\u2019s the Celtics with an extended break.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m thinking it\u2019s great,\u201d Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Sunday. \u201cBut with us, who knows? Listen, we know we have played very well when we\u2019ve had rest and preparation time. Those are always good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miami had a chance for the week off as well.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia trailed 82-76 after Wade scored with 1:35 left in Game 4, and getting swept out of the postseason seemed to be a distinct possibility. The Sixers didn\u2019t miss another shot\u2014Evan Turner<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> made a running jumper, Jrue Holiday<\/a>(notes)<\/a><\/span> hit a 3-pointer, and Williams then made another 3, even with Wade\u2019s hand in his face, to put Philadelphia ahead for good.<\/p>\n

Spoelstra wasn\u2019t thrilled about the finish, of course.<\/p>\n

But he pointed to the start as a reason why Miami lost.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t need to overanalyze it,\u201d Spoelstra said. \u201cYou can see a different energy in the second quarter when we\u2019re a desperate team. \u2026 They have our respect. They have our full attention. That type of desperation has to be 48 minutes, to put these guys away.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

View article:
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