Daequan Cook comes alive; Heat win by 18 in Atlanta

by David Dwork on Feb 10, 2010 10:37 PM EST

The first quarter went by really quickly as both teams got plenty of chances. The Heat had no problem chucking up three early treys, missing each one, which is starting to feel like wasted possessions. Seriously, can we please stop forcing up all these triples? The Hawks took a 7-point lead after the 1^st quarter, with no Heat player stepping up offensively. Wade shot just 1-for-5 in the opening quarter.

It was all Heat when the 2^nd quarter started, and they were led by the great Udonis Haslem. Miami scored the first 11 points of the quarter, with Haslem scoring 8 straight in that stretch. As the quarter winded down, I got quite pissed off when Mike Beasley was T-ed up after reacting to getting slapped in the face by Josh Smith while going after a rebound.

It was pretty freaking clear what happened, and while the young Beasley probably shouldn't have acted out the way he did, I'm sure the Heat have taken notice to the crap that the Hawks have gotten away with over the past couple years when these teams play each other. Phantom calls are ‘part of the game', I get that, and maybe its just my hatred towards the Hawks coming out, but I certainly notice there are many more calls going the way of the home team whenever the Heat visit Phillips Arena.

When the 2^nd half started, the Heat was trying to keep their slim lead going when they did something that really pissed me off. In like a 2 minute span the Heat missed three (3) wide open triples. Wasted offensive possessions for a team that quite frankly sucks at three-point shooting. Just because they have one game every week or two where they hit like 9-of-15, that doesn't mean they should be chucking them up 15-20 times on a gamely basis.

Daequan Cook drilled a jumper to put the Heat up by 5 late in the 3^rd, then on the Heat's next possession Dae Dae chucked up a forced, ugly trey that airballed right past the rim. Luckily, Udonis Haslem was standing right there and put back Cook's brick. Miami closed the 3^rd on a little 7-2 run and took a 3-point lead into the final quarter.

After the Hawks caught up and tied the game at 71, Daequan Cook did something that he hadn't done in a very long time. He hit a big trey to put the Heat up 3, then came right back on the next possession and drilled another 3-pointer! THAT is the kind of quick scoring threat that the Heat have been missing. Oh, and then Cook came back and hit another J, and so did Arroyo, and just like that Miami scored 10 straight points.

Miami turned up the defensive intensity, giving Atlanta absolutely zero easy looks. That turned into the Hawks missing 10 of 11 shots and the Heat outscoring them 16-3 late in the game. The dagger came from Daequan, hitting his third triple of the quarter to put the Heat up 14 with under 2 minutes left. That would be the cue for the fat lady, with Miami dropping the Hawks to 21-6 at home; still the best home record in the East, but its damn nice for Miami to get a big win in a very tough building to travel to.

The story of the night is pretty obvious. Daequan Cook came alive in the 4^th quarter, doing more for his team in those 12 minutes then he has probably all season. He shot 5-of-6 in the quarter, making all three of his 3-point attempts. He played well against the Rockets after having what some said was his best practice of the season on Monday, then he comes to Atlanta and had Heat fans jaws dropping all over South Florida. Will it stick? It's certainly going to be a very hot topic for us to discuss during the All-Star break...and just imagine if he has a good showing in the 3-point shootout.

GAME NOTES

Another dominating night for the Heat bench, outscoring the Atlanta reserves 45-8.
Jermaine O'Neal led the Heat in scoring with 19 points, and he hit several big buckets late in the game. He also got the double double, finishing with 10 boards.
D-Wade had a ‘quiet' 18 points but was still very productive, finishing with 11 assists, 4 boards, 2 steals and a block.
Back-to-back double doubles for Udonis Haslem, who is starting to heat back up. He had 14 and 12, and took just 9 shots, making 7.
Michael Beasley had a rough night, shooting just 3-of-11 for 7 points. He grabbed 8 rebounds but played just 23 minutes and didn't touch the floor in the 4^th quarter.
Dorell Wright continues to provide solid minutes for the Heat. He is hitting his shots (4-of-5 against Atlanta) and playing the hard nosed D that he's been known for.

Overall, considering how things had been going for the Heat over the past couple weeks, they couldn't have gone into the All-Star break in a better way. These were back-to-back wins against quality opponents, nothing to turn your nose up at. We'll keep an eye on any trade rumors or talks that go on over the next week, but in the mean time let's just enjoy what the Heat have done for us in the past 24 hours.

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I hope they don't trade Dorrell or Michael Beasley for Stoudamire but...

Great win and hope they keep momentum for after the All-Star break

by dolphins306 on Feb 10, 2010 10:45 PM EST reply actions

I find it funny...

that early in the post I was bitching about calls going the Hawks way, and in the 4th quarter it seemed that every call went for the Heat. Karma works in mysterious ways…

Peninsula Is Mightier:Your SB Nation Miami Heat Blog Community Juggernaut

"My parents would always say, `It doesn't matter if it`s a guy picking up the garbage or the President of the United States, treat everybody as you would want to be treated.'"- Dan Marino

by David Dwork on Feb 10, 2010 10:59 PM EST reply actions

Way to go Heat

Cook has been practicing for the 3 point shoot out.
Looks like he is back to me.
Now will the 2k sports ppl please put him back in the rotation on nba 2k10.
Thank you!

by thedeeofdees on Feb 11, 2010 7:59 AM EST reply actions

Its nice to see some offensive progression from the bench

But 2 games is a small sample size. I still dont believe they will sustain this unless i see a good showing the week after the All-Star break.

by Keebler on Feb 11, 2010 12:17 PM EST reply actions

agreed

but for now, I’ll take it. Given the recent b-s we as Heat fans have had to endure, these two games were a blessing. Whether they keep it up…god only knows.

Peninsula Is Mightier:Your SB Nation Miami Heat Blog Community Juggernaut

"My parents would always say, `It doesn't matter if it`s a guy picking up the garbage or the President of the United States, treat everybody as you would want to be treated.'"- Dan Marino

by David Dwork on Feb 11, 2010 2:51 PM EST up reply actions

Sorry to post this long old thing. Its the beasley amare rumor and this trade is horrible for us.

The NBA trade deadline is one week away, and we’re in the proverbial calm before the storm. While trade discussions continue around the league, most GMs are frustrated. Deal parameters remain vague, with teams still overvaluing their assets and undervaluing the assets of others.

As we’ve seen in past seasons, one big trade can have a domino effect on others. It tends to narrow the options, focus the discussion and turn up the pressure on teams to make moves.

Given the gridlock, perhaps some fresh ideas will help. In that spirit, here are five hypothetical trades that I think could and should happen. While none of these trades have been specifically discussed, to my knowledge, all of them include teams looking to deal and players on the market.

TRADE MACHINE

ESPN.com’s Trade Machine breaks down the proposed deal here.

1. Heat-Suns-Bobcats

Miami gets: Amare Stoudemire (from Phoenix), Acie Law (from Charlotte), Stephen Graham (from Charlotte), Ronald Murray (from Charlotte)

Phoenix gets: Michael Beasley (from Miami), D.J. Augustin (from Charlotte), James Jones (from Miami), Dorell Wright (from Miami)

Charlotte gets: Udonis Haslem (from Miami), Daequan Cook (from Miami)

Would Miami do it?
The word out of Miami is that the Heat have been pushing to make a deal. While Miami is considered a potential destination for LeBron James and Chris Bosh this summer if the two become free agents, the danger with doing nothing now is that Dwyane Wade might walk if the team fails to get James, Bosh or another top player or two.

This trade would set up the Heat to go in a couple of directions:

(1) It could be a pre-emptive strike on the free-agent market and still provide the salary-cap space to sign another free agent or two in addition to Stoudemire. If Stoudemire were to opt out of his contract and re-sign with the Heat for a contract starting at $13 million to $15 million, the Heat would still be able to sign one max-level player, such as LeBron James, or a couple of players with a starting salary of $8 million to $10 million.

(2) If Stoudemire were to opt out and leave, the Heat, thanks to this trade, would have enough cap room to sign two max-level free agents, such as James and Bosh.

One dangerous scenario is that Stoudemire could decide not to opt out of his contract, leaving the Heat with more limited resources in the 2010 free-agency market. And of course, they’d be giving up on Beasley, a potent scorer who just turned 21.

Would Phoenix do it?
The Suns have been shopping Stoudemire but want more than just cap relief — they want assets. This deal would provide a little of both.

Beasley is an athletic 4 who should be able to put up similar numbers to Amare in the Suns’ run-and-gun system, or perhaps even better numbers, given the rebounding prowess he showed in college. The Suns would also get Augustin, a young point guard they could groom to eventually take over for Nash. Jones should be able to step right back into the system he left in 2007, and if he doesn’t work out, his 2010-11 contract is only partially guaranteed. Wright has upside, and his contract is expiring, giving the Suns options with him, as well.

While I believe the Suns would prefer to add Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert, this might be a better, more affordable deal for them in the long run.

Would Charlotte do it? Augustin has had a disappointing season and fallen out of favor with Charlotte coach Larry Brown. And the Bobcats have been active on the trade market, looking for a power forward who can rebound and defend; Haslem would fit the bill and he’s in the last year of his contract. While Cook hasn’t become the player the Heat hoped he would, he could see some minutes at the 2 for the Bobcats.

by kazam92 on Feb 11, 2010 2:40 PM EST reply actions

dude I love that you wrote all this

in the future you should just create your own FanPost. That way people can comment on it, and who knows I might slap it on the front page. Good writeup, Kaz.

Peninsula Is Mightier:Your SB Nation Miami Heat Blog Community Juggernaut

"My parents would always say, `It doesn't matter if it`s a guy picking up the garbage or the President of the United States, treat everybody as you would want to be treated.'"- Dan Marino

by David Dwork on Feb 11, 2010 2:50 PM EST up reply actions