Heat outlast Hawks in triple overtime thriller

It took a while, but the Miami Heat came out of Atlanta with a big win, defeating the Hawks in triple overtime 116-109. The game was a challenge from the beginning for Miami, who was without LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but big-time efforts from Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers and even Terrel Harris gave the Heat the kind of team win that will be remembered in their dressing room for quite a while.

Without Wade and LeBron in the lineup, it was obvious that Chris Bosh was going to have to step up, and he did. Not only by putting up great numbers, but also hitting some very big shots throughout the 4^th quarter and overtimes. Of course, none was bigger then his 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left in regulation, which tied the game at 93 and gave the Heat second life. Bosh finished the game leading all scorers with 33 points, adding 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Another bright spot for the Heat was rookie Terrel Harris, who got a ton of playing time with Wade and LeBron out and made the most of it. Harris played 44 minutes and finished the game tied with Chris Bosh for most rebounds with 14, 7 of which came on the offensive glass. He also scored 9 points and had 4 assists, and looks very comfortable and confident out there, which is great for a rookie.

The regulation periods of this game seemed like a story of runs. Miami started the first half on a 10-3 run, and they ended the first half on a 10-3 run, taking a 54-49 lead into the break. Miami had just 4 turnovers in the first half, but that changed in the 3^rd quarter, which led to a big Hawks run that gave them the lead. The Heat turned the ball over 9 times in the 3^rd, allowing Atlanta to go on a 16-1 run to end the period and take a 70-68 lead into the 4^th.

GAME NOTES

• Miami is now 7-1 for the first time in franchise history.
• Along with his great stat line, Chris Bosh also was 4-of-4 from the foul line. He now has gone 21-for-22 from the charity stripe in his last 4 games.
• Udonis Haslem picked up his first double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and adding 11 boards. He leads all bench players in the NBA with 10.1 rebounds per game.
• Mario Chalmers had a huge game, which was magnified even more because Norris Cole struggled in this one. Rio scored 29 points, with 22 of them coming after the 3^rd quarter. He also had just 4 turnovers in 49 minutes, which is awesome.
• The Heat D certainly stiffened in the 3^rd OT, holding the Hawks to no points on 0-for-7 shooting with 2 turnovers.
• It was only the 10^th time in NBA history that a team went scoreless in an overtime period.
• Atlanta got to the foul line an impressive 46 times, but missed 15 of those free throws, including 7 in the 4^th quarter. The Heat held them without a foul shot in the 3 overtimes.

Next up for Miami is a game against the New Jersey Nets up in Newark. A day off is just what the doctor ordered for the Heat, as hopefully they will have their two best players back in the lineup.