Hawks at Heat
Dwyane Wade no longer is a perennial all-star selection, but he has shown the ability to positively impact a game coming off the bench for the Miami Heat. The Heat host the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, two days after the 36-year-old Wade scored 35 points in 34 minutes off the bench in his third game back following the birth of his child, but Miami needs more contributions as it has dropped seven of their past nine contests.
“It’s a shame that kind of game is wasted on a loss,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told the media after Sunday’s 125-115 defeat at Toronto, in which Wade shot 13-of-22 from the field and 4-of-7 from 3-point range - setting a franchise record for most points in a game by a Miami reserve. Sunday also was notable for the Hawks, who snapped a 10-game losing streak with just their fourth victory of the season - a 124-123 home triumph over Charlotte. John Collins blocked a potential game-winning shot just before the buzzer to secure Atlanta’s first victory since a 123-118 home win over the Heat on Nov. 3. “We’d been through 19 games, and it just wasn’t working,” Atlanta guard Kent Bazemore told reporters after scoring 20 points - including the game-winning basket - in a reserve role as rookie Kevin Huerter got the start. “Sacrifice yourself sometimes, and look, the basketball gods took care of me.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), FS Sun (Miami)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (4-16): Atlanta has struggled at both ends of the court during the first quarter of the season, allowing a league-worst 118.6 points per contest while scoring 107.7 per game (21st) entering Monday. Rookie point guard Trae Young is tied for sixth in the NBA in assists at 7.7 per contest and leads the Hawks in scoring at 15.7 points per game, despite shooting 38.3 percent from the field. The Hawks got 16 points each from Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry Sunday while Collins led the way with 23.
ABOUT THE HEAT (7-12): Forward Bam Adebayo finished with a career-best 21 rebounds to go along with 16 points Sunday, and the second-year pro has 30 points and 34 boards in his past two games. Center Hassan Whiteside leads the NBA in blocked shots (54) and ranks second in rebounds per game (14.1) through Sunday. The Heat began Monday 20th in the league in points per game (108.4), and their 115 points Sunday represents their highest total since scoring 120 in a victory at Brooklyn on Nov. 14.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Atlanta is 1-9 on the road this season and are scoring just 105.6 points per game away from home.
2. Wade is six games shy of 1,000 for his career.
3. Miami G Josh Richardson leads the Heat in scoring at 20.4 points per game, and is 8-of-17 from 3-point range in his past two games.