After coming off of a solid win Thursday night against the Detroit Pistons, the Miami Heat traveled to Kansas City to play the Charlotte Bobcats in the Sprint Center. For the past four years, Miami has played a preseason game in the Sprint Center.
According to the associated press, LeBron James said, “It’s a great crowd, and it’s obvious they love us and we’re very thankful that they welcome us with open arms every time we come here to play. It’s fun to play in front of a crowd like that.”
The crowd seemed to boost the Bobcats energy too as they surprisingly stayed in the game the whole time. Unlike the first two preseason games for the Miami Heat, Bosh didn’t lead the team. LeBron James took over the show and gave the fans something exciting to watch. James had 20 points shooting 8 for 14, grabbed four rebounds, and two assists with 25 minutes of playing time. Dwyane Wade was in the starting lineup but decided to sit the game out and rest up. Wade has been getting over a knee injury so I’m glad he is making these good decisions early about playing because the Heat will need him a lot come April. Kansas Jayhawk alum, Mario Chalmers, was a crowd favorite due to him being in Jayhawk territory. Chalmers had 10 points, four assists, and one rebound.
“It’s custom out here, it’s supposed to be like that,” Chalmers said, referring to the exciting crowd, according to the associated press.
Chris Bosh didn’t have a game like I thought he would, but he scored seven points and had two rebounds. Udonis Haslem had a good game by grabbing 11 rebounds. He also had two points. Norris Cole played well as he added 15 points, two assists, and four rebounds. Cole sank two back to back three point shots in the fourth quarter to respond to the Bobcats trying to come within a few points of the Heat. Michael Beasley had a solid showing again with his 13 points and five rebounds. Beasley once again brought energy to the game with his six straight points that gave the Heat their first breathing room.
The Heat controlled the whole game as they lead from beginning to end. The score was 24-21 after the first quarter, 48-35 at halftime, and 86-75 for the final score. The Heat’s biggest lead was 15 points so the Bobcats stayed in the game for the most part. The bench showed up big for the Miami Heat. Beasley and Cole had good showings and kept the Heat in a good position to win with their instant impacts when they entered the game. The Heat will be back in action next Tuesday when they faceoff against the Washington Wizards. The game will be aired on NBATV at 7:00 p.m.