LeBron James scores 36 as Heat take down Suns without D-Wade

This one didn't start out very good for the Heat.  They seemed to be struggling without Dwyane Wade out there, missing a lot of offensive opportunities while allowing the Suns to score fairly easily.  Phoenix enjoyed their largest lead at 21-10 with 4 minutes left in the 1^st quarter.  Erik Spoelstra called a timeout, but the only change he made was bringing in Mike Miller for James Jones.

Miami began turning things around at that time, finishing the quarter on a 9-1 run.  It helped that the Suns missed the last 6 shots they took in the quarter.  Miami would take their first lead about 2 minutes into the 2^nd quarter and never look back.  Mario Chalmers did a good job of pitching in off the bench, but it was LeBron James who finished the 1^st half with a ridiculous dunk as the clock neared zero.

Chris Bosh and Carlos Arroyo carried the load thorough most of the 3^rd quarter, keeping the Heat ahead and taking advantage of the Suns less-then-average defense.  That was really the case for the entire 2^nd half.  Phoenix never really got close as Miami kept scoring every time the Suns tried making a run, getting those important buckets from all over the roster.

LeBron James had a pretty good night with D-Wade out of the lineup, finishing with 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting.  He came up with 6 rebounds, 4 assists 3 steals and hit 2-of-5 from downtown though he battled foul trouble a bit throughout the game.  He had 5 fouls when the game finished but thankfully they never really limited his minutes.

GAME NOTES

• A great night off the bench for Mario Chalmers.  He scored 11 points and had 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, a blocked shot and hit one triple. 
• As a team, another poor night from beyond the arc for Miami, hitting 5-of-18 (27.8%).
• Erick Dampier was great off the bench.  2 points and 9 rebounds in just 13 minutes while providing his usual solid defense.
• After recording just 2 assists the last time these teams played, Steve Nash dished out 18 last night. 
• Chris Bosh recorded a double double, finishing with 23 points and 11 boards. 
• James Jones drew 3 charges tonight, bringing his season total up to 17.  He needs to get some more appreciation for the job he does in the paint. 

 That's it....this is the last game before the most anticipated matchup of the season.  Heat-Lakers.  Saturday.  Christmas.  Ho Ho Ho...