NOTES & QUOTES
Heat Starting Five: Antonio Snow, Dwyane Wade, Josh Richardson, James Johnson, Hassan Whiteside
Summary: The Miami Heat have swapped out three players and we’re not even a full month into the NBA season yet. Their decision to get this done early on would be so that the team could gel as the season wears on. There are still a few hiccups I the system as was shown tonight as they faced the Atlanta Hawks (3-5).
We got to see Carmelo Anthony for the first time as a member of the Heat. He recorded a block on his first defense stand and then scored an 18 foot jumper on the offensive end to cut Atlanta’s lead to single digits in the second quarter. Later, in the third quarter, he tied the game at 59 after hitting a pair of free throws.
Trae Young had the hot hand early for Atlanta, scoring 15 points in the first quarter before Antonio Snow tightened up his defense and held him to only 5 points for the rest of the night.
Not only did Miami struggle to stop Atlanta’s post game, they also couldn’t buy a basket in the fourth quarter. They had several opportunities to pull ahead, but missed shots led to a few short runs for the Hawks, allowing them to take the win.
Key Stats for MIA: 36/77 (44%) - FG|5/20 (25%) –3PT| 22 – Fastbreak Points|48 – Points in Paint|25 – Assists|36 – Rebounds| 8 - Steals
Key Stats for ATL: 40/76 (53%) - FG|9/19 (47%) – 3PT|13 – Fastbreak Points|54 – Points in Paint|31 – Assists|49 – Rebounds|1 - Steals
Dwyane Wade on Carmelo Anthony signing: I’m glad we were able to get him in. It’s always a great opportunity to share the court with a close friend. But not only that, I think he’s a great addition to the team. He’s going to provide some great veteran mentorship to these young guys.
Trae Young on Antonio Snow: This was my first time playing against him since the combine this summer. He put forth a good effort. He definitely challenged me tonight. I wish him all the best this season.
Carmelo Anthony on his new role with the Heat: I understand my role and I appreciate the team seeing my value. I’m happy for a chance to compete, really. Although this first outing was a little rough, I think we’ll be on track sooner rather than later. We got a good young group here.
Top Performers
Miami Heat
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – 16 PTS, 4 REB
Carmelo Anthony – 12 PTS, 2 REB, 2 BLK
Antonio Snow – 11 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST
Atlanta Hawks
Trae Young – 20 PTS, 5 AST
Taurean Prince – 18 PTS, 11 REB, 5 AST
Dewayne Dedmon – 15 PTS, 6 REB, 3 BLK