Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

Is McGrady Worth a Look?

ESPN’s Marc Stein reported Tuesday morning that the Houston Rockets cleared All-Star forward Tracy McGrady to take a leave of absence from the team. McGrady, who has expressed displeasure over his lack of playing time, has apparently asked for a trade. Houston is willing to find a partner before the Feb. 18 trade deadline.

AP Photo/John Raoux

McGrady is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $23 .2 million, the most any player will receive this season. Any deal that would bring the prolific scorer to South Beach would have to involve Jermaine O’Neal, whose expiring contract will pay him $23 million this season. Some throw-ins may be added to sweeten the deal for either team, but we first have to analyze the reasons to make the trade.

It appears very likely that Miami will go into the playoffs with the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. No team below the Heat is even at .500 and no team above Miami has more than eight losses. McGrady is not the person who can help the Heat go on a tear that will bring it among the East’s elite. His injury problems have been well-documented, and it’s not as if the two-time scoring champion has offered much reassurance this season.

There is no question that McGrady is a gifted scorer. But in Miami, his stay with the Heat would probably be no more than a half-year rental. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra would continue to view Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley as the top two options. Besides, McGrady’s offensive game is awfully similar to Beasley’s; and it would not be a wise move to stunt Beasley’s growth.

An O’Neal-for-McGrady swap would also leave Miami without a post presence, something the Heat desperately needed before it traded Shawn Marion to acquire O’Neal. While it is true that McGrady can create his own shot and Marion can’t, trading away O’Neal would leave Miami vulnerable in the middle in terms of easy scoring and rebounding. McGrady has settled for far too many jumpers in recent years.

Perhaps Houston could try to stomach the contracts of disappointments Daequan Cook and James Jones in such a trade, but even that wouldn’t make me come around. Trading for McGrady would simply be too much of a risk as the Heat maneuvers for playoff positioning. The Heat is in the midst of its best stretch since it opened the season 6-1. There is no need to try and make trades that would be lateral moves at best. If a trade opened up that could vault Miami into elite status, Heat President Pat Riley should look into it. But right now, the only moves I would want the Heat to make would be small moves to get rid of Jones or Cook.

Many players not named Wade have made strides this season. O’Neal is shooting 57 percent from the field. Beasley is averaging 16 points per game. Udonis Haslem is coming off the bench to average double-digit points. Quentin Richardson has proven to be a lethal three-point threat and a capable defender. Dorell Wright has made a name for himself as a scrappy, active player off the bench. Why should the Heat break up its team just as it is playing well?

During the off-season, Riley spoke of not making changes simply for making changes. It appears to have worked well for him. Many expected Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Washington and Philadelphia to be far better than they are. On the other side of the coin, Atlanta’s moves have clearly worked wonders for the Hawks. But unless someone who has the ability to improve a team like Jamal Crawford comes up, I would pass.

Heat Burns Pacers

Exactly two weeks before the Miami Heat hosted the Indiana Pacers Sunday night, the Memphis Grizzlies humiliated the Heat in Miami in a 28-point demolishing. That loss, the team’s worst in two years, sparked a series of team meetings. It looks like the Heat has found a groove since those meetings, and its 114-80 win over the Pacers epitomizes that newfound consistency.

Winners of five of its past six games, Miami is now 16-12, returning to four games above the .500 mark for the first time since the team was 9-5. The Heat played its best game of the season, playing with a remarkable amount of efficiency. It made its first eight shot attempts, jumping out to a 17-3 lead in the early stages of the game. Miami’s lead even reached 40 at one point.

Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

With eight minutes and 12 seconds left to go in the first, Dwyane Wade found Jermaine O’Neal for a vicious dunk. On the Pacers’ ensuing possession, Quentin Richardson stole a pass from Earl Watson and dealt an outlet pass to Wade, who proceeded to the basket unimpeded for a one-handed dunk. With two minutes and 38 seconds left in the quarter, Carlos Arroyo found Joel Anthony for an alley-oop. At that point, Miami led 34-12. And it was great that the Heat never took its foot off the gas pedal.

Wade had 25 points in just 28 minutes of playing time, shooting 10-of-17 from the field. His highlight moment came at the midway point of the third quarter, when Wade received an alley-oop pass from Arroyo and slammed it home with authority. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette also dished out six assists, collected three steals and only had one turnover. Miami as a team committed only seven turnovers.

Jermaine O’Neal was equally efficient, scoring 19 points in just 19 minutes of action. O’Neal scored 12 of his points in the first quarter against his former team, even showcasing some post moves from his heyday in Indiana. He shot six-of-seven from the field and made all seven of his attempts from the foul line.

Complementing Wade and O’Neal was Michael Beasley, the sophomore forward out of Kansas State. Beasley had 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field. During one sequence in the second quarter, Beasley grabbed a rebound from an Arroyo missed layup and stayed with the play to dunk the ball. He also took a charge against Roy Hibbert in the third period, his first of the season and only the second of his career.

Udonis Haslem added 13 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and seven rebounds. Quentin Richardson added eight points and a team-leading nine rebounds. Miami grabbed 55 rebounds  Sunday night, but the Heat’s defense held the Pacers to 31 percent shooting from the field. Arroyo provided his consistent superb ball-handling ability.

Anthony had six points, and seems to be much better at catching the ball than he used to last season. He is by no means a polished offensive scorer and probably never will be, but he is becoming more efficient when he is involved in pick-and-roll situations. Dorell Wright added six points and eight rebounds, hooking up with Arroyo for an alley-oop in the second quarter. Mario Chalmers added nine points, making the Heat’s first three-pointer of the night (it came in the third quarter, which makes Miami’s early lead all the more impressive).

Daequan Cook played 17 minutes and was zero-for-three from the field. He did grab three rebounds in nine minutes of play, though. To get back his shooting stroke, perhaps Heat coach Erik Spoelstra should use a back-court of Wade and Cook so that Cook could get open shots.

Despite the Heat’s solid play recently, I don’t see Miami catching the 21-8 Atlanta Hawks. But it can continue to play well so that it can be a good enough team to beat the Hawks in a seven-game series come April and have an extended stay in the playoffs.

Wade Delivers on Christmas

The Miami Heat came into its Christmas Day meeting with the New York Knicks as winners of three of its last four games. Unfortunately, it faced a Knicks team that was on a three-game winning streak. However, Dwyane Wade took over the game in the game’s closing minutes, helping the Heat stave off a Knicks rally to win 93-87.

After a first half in which both teams shot poorly, Miami led most of the second half in the six-to-ten point range. With five minutes and 47 seconds left in the game, Wade knocked down a jumper with Wilson Chandler right in his face, extending the Heat’s lead to 77-67. A little more than two minutes later, Wade drove right in the lane for a vicious one-handed dunk to keep Miami’s lead at 10, 81-71. But the Knicks had one last run left in. Danilo Gallinari’s three-pointer with 2:05 left made it 83-78. On New York’s next possession, David Lee posted up Wade on the block and made a soft hook shot that trimmed the Heat lead to 83-80.

AP Photo/Kathy Willens

Miami called a timeout to regroup. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra set up a play in which Wade would drive to the rim and kick it out to former Knick Quentin Richardson on the baseline for the three. Miami executed the play well, but Richardson’s attempt clanked off the rim. Jermaine O’Neal snatched the offensive rebound, though. After the Heat set up a new play, Wade found O’Neal for a 15-footer that clanked the rim and touched the backboard before falling through the hoop. The Knicks came up empty on its ensuing possession, and Haslem, Wade and Chalmers made eight free throws in the final 37 seconds of play to secure the win.

Wade played very well, showcasing his entire offensive repertoire. He calmly sunk jumpers, even making his first three-point attempt, but also drove to the rim frequently. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette also played well on the other side of the court, trapping the 6-foot-9 Al Harrington into a 24-second violation during one third quarter sequence. Wade finished with 30 points on 11-of-21 shooting, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Michael Beasley also brought his game, continuing to make strides in the second NBA season. He had 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field and five-of-six shooting from the line. He, too, displayed the wide array of his offensive arsenal. Beasley’s jumper is still looking smooth, but he also received results when he drove to the rim.

O’Neal started and played 24 minutes Friday, despite suffering a groin injury in Wednesday’s win over Utah. He hooked up with Wade for two consecutive field goals during the second quarter and had a nice three-point play in the third quarter. It’s important not to forget O’Neal’s key offensive rebound and subsequent jumper is closing minute of the game. He finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.

Carlos Arroyo again got Miami in its offensive sets quickly, and had his moments. During one third quarter transition sequence, Arroyo delivered a no-look pass to a cutting Wade for an acrobatic layup. Udonis Haslem added 12 points and six rebounds. Dorell Wright was also active, snatching six rebounds in 17 minutes of play.

Spoelstra went to Daequan Cook when Wade went to the bench. Cook did not look for his shot, attempting only two shots in nine minutes of play. I’m sorry, but I keep remembering back to last season, when Cook’s confidence was sky-high and Spoelstra would bring him off of picks and curls for shots. Miami is committed to Cook in 2010-11, so it would be wise for Spoelstra to try to boost Cook’s confidence and make him a part of the rotation.

Despite Cook’s disappointments, this win puts the Heat three games above .500 for the first time since Dec. 1. Miami has also won four of its last five games. And to add a little bit more Holiday cheer for a Heat fan, Wade even insinuated that he would re-sign with Miami when he becomes a free agent in 2010.

“We’re 4-1 [on Christmas] right now and hopefully next year we can get another one,” he told ESPN’s Doris Burke in his post-game interview.

Blazers Edge Heat

With five minutes and 28 seconds left in the Miami Heat’s game against the Portland Trail-Blazers, Dorell Wright had just made a layup to put the Heat ahead, 87-81. Now with some breathing room, Miami could pull out victorious to win  its third straight game. But it didn’t.

Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

Blazers coach Nate McMillan called a timeout after Wright’s layup; his team subsequently went on a run to win the game. Andre Miller made a layup of his own, and after the Heat came up empty on the other side of the court, Brandon Roy completed a three-point play. Suddenly, Miami’s lead was just 87-86, and there were still more than four minutes left.

Jermaine O’Neal and Quentin Richardson made field goals to keep things even, but the last two minutes were disheartening for the Heat. After Roy made a jumper with 99 seconds left to put Portland up 94-92, Dwyane Wade attempted an ill-advised three-pointer that failed to go in. He later fouled Miller on the Blazers’ ensuing possession, and the veteran made both free throws. Roy later made a three-pointer with 28 seconds left to put in the dagger. It was 99-92. The Blazers won by a final score of 102-95.

Roy and Wade both had 28 points, but Wade took 31 shots to get that far. Roy only had to take 14; he shot a sizzling 11-of-14 from the field and was a perfect five-for-five from downtown. Wade did have 10 assists, but was uneven throughout the night. Perhaps his back spasms and sore right wrist have something to do with it.

Quentin Richardson had 22 points and did it on a perfect seven-for-seven shooting from the field. All of his field goals came from beyond the arc. Richardson’s seven triples tied a Heat record, and the veteran small forward also went to the free-throw line for the first time this season at the AmericanAirlines Arena.

Michael Beasley shot 7-of-13 from the field for 17 points. Beasley also grabbed eight rebounds and a blocked shot. He more than held his own against LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 23 points but did it on 10-of-23 shooting.

Jermaine O’Neal had 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and grabbed six rebounds. Carlos Arroyo, again getting the nod for the starting position, provided some good ball-handling. Arroyo’s ball-handling and play-making has been consistent ever since he received the starting role. The problem for Miami was that outside of Wade, Richardson, Beasley and O’Neal, no one managed to score more than four points.

Wade alone took 39 percent of Miami’s shots. That’s not a problem when he is on fire from the field, but it is a big problem when he is shooting 13-of-31. O’Neal should have gotten more plays set up for him, especially considering that Greg Oden is out for the season. Wright had scored in double figures for four of the past five games coming into Sunday night’s game. Why did he only attempt six shots? Although Udonis Haslem contributed with his eight rebounds, he only attempted two field goals.

This is definitely a tough loss to swallow. Miami hung in tough, but Wade could not answer Roy’s fourth-quarter heroics down the stretch. The Heat can now do no better than 3-3 on its six-game home-stand. Its final game of the home-stand is Wednesday night against Utah.

Heat Hot In Win Over Magic

It is stunning to see how far this Miami Heat team has come in such a short period of time. Just days ago, it suffered two disappointing losses to the Dallas Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies at home. After Miami’s 28-point loss to Memphis, the team called several meetings. Heat President Pat Riley even subtly called out franchise player Dwyane Wade for being out of shape.

Something must have clicked, because Miami looked very good Thursday night against the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic. It out-played the Magic the entire game, cruising to a 104-86 victory. Wade looked very energetic and the other players contributed in the win.

The Heat led by 15 at intermission and took control of the third quarter to put this game to rest. At the six minute, 13 second mark of the quarter, J.J. Redick substituted Mickael Pietrus, leaving the former Duke standout to defend Wade. The 2006 NBA Finals MVP went right to posting up Redick, and converted a fall-away jumper on Miami’s next possession to make the score 77-54. About two minutes later, Wade found Udonis Haslem for a soft jumper. As the quarter approached the two-minute mark, the 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette found Dorell Wright in the corner for a three-pointer. Wright’s triple made the game 82-60.

Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

Haslem stole the ball from Vince Carter on the Magic’s ensuing possession. Joel Anthony converted on a hook shot from a Wade pass shortly thereafter. Rashard Lewis missed a three-pointer on the other side of the court, and Wade snatched the rebound. He pushed the ball up the court and took a heat-checking three. It went in and put Miami ahead 87-60. Thirty-six seconds later, Anthony Johnson stole the ball from Haslem and threw an outlet pass to Redick, who was all alone. Like a trailblazing train, Wade ran behind and swatted Redick’s layup attempt, drawing cheers from the crowd in the quarter’s waning seconds.

Wade played very well, scoring 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting in just three quarters of work. He moved constantly without the ball and got involved in just about any way he could. Wade also dished out seven assists and blocked three shots. He went to his post game frequently, and it yielded positive results. Miami’s offensive schemes consisted of a lot of moving, and that neutralized Dwight Howard’s effectiveness when Wade set up from the top of the key. My only complaint was Wade’s four missed free-throws.

Michael Beasley was also very efficient. He added 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting for the Heat. He penetrated in the lane several times and made eight trips to the foul line. The former Kansas State product also grabbed eight rebounds. Beasley was the first starter sent to the bench; it appears the thinking with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is to have Beasley on the floor when Wade receives his rest at the start of the second quarter.

Miami’s two small forwards, Quentin Richardson and Dorell Wright, also played well. Richardson made two first-quarter triples, helping the Heat to build an early lead. Wright made a nice buzzer-beating jumper in transition to close the first quarter. He was very active on both sides of the court, grabbing eight rebounds. Both worked hard against Carter and contributed 11 points apiece.

Dwight Howard had his way with Jermaine O’Neal this time. O’Neal’s foul trouble limited him to just 18 minutes. It didn’t matter if it was O’Neal, Anthony or Jamaal Magloire guarding Howard. The Magic center always got great positioning. Last year’s Defensive Player of the Year had 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 14 rebounds. The problem was that Howard’s team shot just 43 percent from the field.

Haslem and Mario Chalmers combined for 16 points off the bench. It remains to be seen whether Chalmers will continue to come off the bench or not, but he is aggressive when prolific scorers like Wade, Beasley and O’Neal are not playing with him.

Miami simply needs to ride its wave of momentum. It plays against Portland and Utah to close out its six-game home-stand before it goes up to New York to visit the Knicks Christmas day.

Heat Routs Raptors

The Miami Heat appeared like a completely different team Tuesday night than the team that let the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies embarrass it to start the team’s six-game home-stand. Against the Toronto Raptors, Miami played inspired basketball to come away with a much-needed 115-95 win.

The Heat utilized a third-quarter surge to blow this game open. Carlos Arroyo — who started in place of Mario Chalmers, who missed the team’s morning shoot-around — made a jumper with six minutes and 44 seconds left. After the Raptors came away empty-handed on its ensuing possession, Dwyane Wade nailed a three-pointer to extend the lead to 77-63. About two minutes later, Chalmers found Wade underneath the basket for a reverse layup. Wade later made a tough fallaway jumper to make the lead 83-68. By the time the third period had ended, Miami was on top, 91-74.

This game was rather strange for the Heat. In addition to Arroyo starting, Yakhouba Diawara started in place of Quentin Richardson, whose hamstring injury continues to bother him. Dwyane Wade was also not Flash. He only scored 19 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field. Although he came on in the second half, Wade took far too many ill-advised shots in the first half. Tuesday night, it was Michael Beasley who did most of the heavy lifting with the scoring.

Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

Beasley finished tying a career-high with 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting. He matched Chris Bosh point-for-point (which is fantastic) and showcased his array of offensive weapons. There is no question that Beasley would be a far more prolific scorer if he wasn’t playing with Wade. He just needs to take upon the role as the second option, taking a bulk of the shots. Beasley also grabbed 11 rebounds and had a nice block on Demar DeRozen in the second quarter. Beasley has made some strides this year.

Daequan Cook received significant minutes for the first time since Dec. 3 Tuesday. Wade picked up his second personal foul in the first quarter, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra decided to put Cook in. The former Ohio State Buckeye shot two-for-four from the field and knocked down a three-pointer. Don’t be surprised to see Cook get some playing time for the next few games.

Dorell Wright continues to expand his role with the team in what is becoming the youngster’s best professional basketball season. The 6-foot-9 forward drafted straight out of high school in 2004 contributed 14 points for the Heat. He shot 7-of-11 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds. Wright’s jump-shot looks so much better than it did when he first came into the League. He should be starting when Richardson is injured, not Diawara.

Jermaine O’Neal did not play significant minutes. The Raptors utilize the perimeter-oriented Andrea Bargnani as its center, so O’Neal only played 23 minutes. He nonetheless made the most of his playing time, contributing 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting. During one third-quarter sequence, O’Neal performed a couple nice post moves to score over Bosh.

Arroyo also made the most of his 21 minutes of action. He added 12 points on four-of-six shooting from the field for Miami. Arroyo also dished out three assists. I envision Arroyo staying with the team because he is an offensive weapon the Heat can use if it needs some scoring.

Udonis Haslem scored eight points on four-of-five shooting and grabbed six rebounds. Joel Anthony added eight rebounds. It was uplifting to see the Heat play with some heart and enthusiasm. Miami’s next game is a tough one, though. It plays the Orlando Magic Thursday at 8 p.m. on TNT.

Dallas Burns Heat

To open its six-game home-stand, the Miami Heat continued its home woes, dropping to 6-6 in the AmericanAirlines Arena this season. The Heat came out completely flat, falling behind 1-13 when the game was just five minutes old. Miami could never muster a full-fledged surge to take the lead, losing 93-106.

The Heat missed its first 10 shots, but did mount a run in the second quarter after falling behind 30-18 at the end of 12 minutes of action. Mario Chalmers found Joel Anthony for a nice alley-oop dunk at the midway point of the second period to pull within 35-38. Udonis Haslem made a jumper with three minutes left to go in the quarter to trim the lead to 43-46. But by the nine minute, 39 second mark of the third period, Dallas found itself with a double-digit lead again.

Dwyane Wade shot poorly from the field, going just 8-of-24. On the flip side, Wade did make to the free throw line 15 times, connecting on 12 of his trips. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette did collect a career-high 11 rebounds and five rebounds, but was not anything close to the same Wade who murdered the Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals. He turned the ball over four times and could never get into a rhythm offensively, despite his numerous trips to the foul line.

Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images

A big reason why the Heat lost was its shooting percentage. It connected on just 40 percent of its field goal attempts. Dallas, by contrast, shot 49 percent from the field. Dirk Nowitzki shot 10-of-18 from the field for 25 points. Udonis Haslem was the silver lining in the dark cloud, however. He made his first eight shots and closed 9-of-10 from the field for a 22-point night. Haslem also grabbed 10 rebounds.

Michael Beasley added 16 points on 7-of-19 shooting. I’m glad that Beasley tried to exert himself more because Wade was struggling. He did not shoot that well from the field, and there are sometimes nights when you just can’t buy a bucket. Beasley did lead Miami’s second-quarter surges, though, and did grab 11 rebounds.

Miami simply did not have enough offensive weapons to keep up with the hot-shooting Mavs. Jermaine O’Neal missed his second consecutive game, tending to his family in South Carolina following his uncle’s recent passing. Quentin Richardson started, but did not even last seven minutes of action. He left the game in the first quarter, still bothered by the hamstring strain he suffered in Sunday’s game against the Sacramento Kings.

Mario Chalmers’ 11-point performance was a mirage. He shot just 3-of-11 from the field. Moreover, Chalmers was very ineffective on defense, especially defending the three-point line. Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and J.J. Barea combined for eight of Dallas’ 10 three-pointers. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra even scrambled for Carlos Arroyo in search of some offensive help, who had not played since Dec. 3 entering Friday night’s game. Arroyo didn’t inspire much confidence; neither did Dorell Wright, who shot one-for-six from the field.

Miami’s .500 record at home is unacceptable. The top four teams in the East — Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and Cleveland — are all starting to pull away from the rest of the pack. If the Heat wants to have home-court advantage in the first round, it needs to do well the rest of this home-stand. Miami’s next two games are against sub-.500 teams. There is no excuse for not winning these next two games.

Heat Ends Trip on High Note

After Beno Udrih made a foul shot with five minutes and 42 seconds left in the game, the Miami Heat’s 19-point lead over the Sacramento Kings was trimmed to 97-91. Dwyane Wade simply did not allow the Kings to take away the game. He decided to take control.

Wade made a jumper on Miami’s ensuing possession, and later added a fade-away jump shot to extend the lead to 101-91. The Kings called a timeout to try to stop the bleeding, but that didn’t work. Udrih missed a jumper after Sacramento came out of the huddle. Wade subsequently found Quentin Richardson for a triple to put the Heat up, 104-91. And with a little more than two minutes remaining, the 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette decided to put his final stamp on the game. After Richardson missed a three, Wade jumped up and snatched the rebound. He found a cutting Dorell Wright for a powerful dunk. Miami won by a final score of 115-102.

Wade played with something to prove. Maybe it was because ESPN analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy’s criticism of Wade for nonchalantly walking up the court during Friday’s telecast of the Heat-Lakers game. Maybe it was because of the fact that Wade’s girlfriend, actress Gabrielle Union, was in the stands. Whatever the reason, Wade played with a renewed sense of vigor. He finished with 34 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 14-of-16 shooting from the foul line. The 2006 NBA Finals MVP also collected five rebounds, 10 assists and four blocks. There have been times this season when Wade looked to play with a sense of complacency — he would settle for fade-away threes and not hustle on defense. Sunday night, Wade played the way he played during his MVP-worthy 2008-09 season. It was nice to see Wade back.

Jermaine O’Neal was not with the team, in his native state of South Carolina to tend to his uncle, who was just taken off life support. As a result, other players had to step up. No one stood out more than Dorell Wright.

Wright played 29 minutes off the bench and exceeded expectations. He finished with 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Wright made a three-pointer and seems to have a solid stroke with his jumper. The 6-foot-9 Los Angeles native played a substantial amount of time at the point guard position. He didn’t disappoint. The 24-year-old dished out five assists without a turnover. When he wasn’t directing the offense, Wright was making smart cuts to the basket. With Wright being so efficient as a ball-handler, perhaps we have seen the end of Carlos Arroyo’s stint with Miami.

AP Photo/Steve Yeater

Michael Beasley and Quentin Richardson added 20 points apiece for the Heat. Beasley’s offensive skills continue to shine in his role as starter. He shot 7-of-10 from the field and made six trips to the foul line. Beasley was particularly effective against the Kings’ zone defense, consistently knocking down open jumpers. He is becoming more and more comfortable as the first option when Wade is on the bench.

Richardson made five three-pointers Sunday night. He was another useful tool against Sacramento’s zone defense. The 6-foot-6 veteran has a great deal of chemistry with Wade. The Heat’s superstar seems to always know where his fellow Chicago native is. There is no doubt that the Richardson-Blount trade was a great steal for Miami.

Udonis Haslem added 15 points, making his first six shots from the field and grabbing six rebounds. During one third-quarter sequence, Haslem set a screen for Wade. As Wade drove into the lane, he made a behind-the-back pass to an open Haslem on the baseline, who sunk the jumper. Haslem was also utilized against the zone defense. Miami’s jump shooters played a significant role in the win Sunday night.

The Heat will now begin a six-game home-stand starting Friday. Although it features games against Dallas, Orlando and Utah, it gives Miami a chance to build some cohesion. The Heat is three games behind Atlanta for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. If it takes care of business now, maybe the Heat can get home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Heat Starts Trip With Bang

Coming off of consecutive home losses to the Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat would receive a test to open its four-game road trip against the Portland Trail-Blazers. Miami came out with a bang, scoring the game’s first seven points and never relinquishing its lead. The Heat built a 17-point lead and was able to withstand late Portland surges to come away with a 107-100 victory.

Michael Beasley was great Tuesday night. He scored a season-high 27 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 11-of-12 shooting from the foul line. A basketball fan who doesn’t pay much attention to college ball would have gotten a chance to see why Beasley was such a gifted scorer in his lone year at Kansas State. The 6-foot-9 forward had a nice alley-oop dunk off of a Wade lob, but a more impressive offensive move came when Jermaine O’Neal set up on the baseline, about 15 feet away from the basket. Beasley came across from the other side of the court, received a chest-pass from O’Neal and made a turnaround hook shot. Beasley drew a foul on the possession and completed the three-point play.

Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images

Dwyane Wade scored 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field. Wade went back to his bread and butter: driving to the rim. He only attempted one three-pointer, and when the defenses surrounded him, Wade would calmly pass the ball to the open man. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette had 12 assists, a season high. He spent a considerable amount of time at the point guard position. Wade played very well at the point, easily facilitating the team’s three-point shooting.

Four of Miami’s seven three-pointers came courtesy of Quentin Richardson, who returned to the starting lineup Tuesday. Richardson notched a season high 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field. James Jones played 26 minutes, making two three-pointers in the game. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra also gave Dorell Wright eight minutes of playing time, the first time he got off the bench in five games.

Playing time for Richardson, Jones and Wright left Daequan Cook as the odd man out. He did not get off the court. For whatever reason, Cook has simply not been the shooter he was last year. Cook will get second chances, though. His contract includes $2.2 million guaranteed for the 2010-11 season. If Heat President Pat Riley can’t find a taker for him in a trade (and who would trade for a 29 percent three-point shooter?), he will find himself on the court trying to regain his stroke.

There is a reason why Spoelstra gave 40 minutes — and the starting job — to Richardson, however. The 6-foot-6 swingman’s skills are more than just shooting, as is the case with Jones and Cook. Richardson continued rebounding the ball well, grabbing nine rebounds Tuesday night. The nine-year NBA veteran is averaging five boards a game while frequently being matched up against players who have a few inches on him. Richardson also utilized his post-up game when he was matched up against the 6-foot-3 Steve Blake.

O’Neal added 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. The 6-foot-11 center is shooting 56 percent from the field, a great percentage. He has proven that he can be a consistent scoring threat if he is given the ball in his sweet spots. On the flip side, although the 13-year NBA veteran more than held his own in match-ups against Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal, the Heat center struggled against Greg Oden. Oden scored 13 points, but did grab 20 rebounds, 11 of which were offensive. O’Neal, by contrast, only grabbed five boards.

The Heat’s win improved it to 10-7 on the season, retaining the fifth seed in the East. It remains two games behind Atlanta and Cleveland. The road trip does not get any easier; Miami’s next game is against the Denver Nuggets Thursday night. The Heat simply has to bottle up the energy and intensity it took to win in Portland and take it to Denver.