http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/ sfl-heat25apr25,0,5511108.story?coll=sfla-sports-heat Heat can't match Hornets' intensity in dreary defeat By Ira Winderman Staff Writer Posted April 25 2004 NEW ORLEANS · In motion, the Heat provided a compelling argument about its postseason future in the first two games of this best-of-7 series against the Hornets. At rest, it was a different story Saturday at New Orleans Arena. "I don't know why we come on the road and we suddenly stop," reserve point guard Rafer Alston said after a listless 77-71 loss that reduced the Heat's series edge to 2-1. After practically running the Hornets into the ground in the first two games, with a 36-10 advantage in fast-break points, the Heat could muster only an 8-7 edge Saturday. "If we're at home, we're running -- every chance," Alston said. "On the road, we're too cautious." And too vanilla. And too sluggish. And, ultimately, too desperate. It added up to the third-lowest scoring game in franchise playoff history, as well as its worst-ever shooting performance in the postseason, at 32.9 percent. Forced to do what it doesn't do best, play halfcourt offense, the Heat had only two fast-break points in the first half. That left it with a dreary 41-29 deficit at the intermission, after it had fallen behind by as many as 15. "We had a lot of trouble handling their intensity," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I was not disappointed in our effort, but I thought our mindset to start the game was a major problem." But being resilient, if not necessarily immediately clued in on the intensity needed to win on the road in the postseason, the Heat fought back, even with starting guards Eddie Jones and Wade combining to shoot 3 of 21. Behind the stellar play of small forward Caron Butler, the Heat twice got it down to a two-point game in the final 2 minutes, 18 seconds. That, however, is when the Hornets pounded the glass, came up with critical offensive rebounds and put themselves in position to tie the series when it resumes Tuesday night on their home court in Game 4. What Saturday's game proved was that the Heat's 81-79 Game 1 victory is more indicative of how this series will be decided than its 93-63 Game 2 rout. "I thought our intensity was as good as it has been all year," Hornets coach Tim Floyd said. That certainly wasn't the case for the Heat at the outset, when it tied its postseason record for fewest points in a first half. Forced to accept the physical nature of the game, one that did not play to the slashing and shooting of Wade and Jones, the Heat turned the ball over to Butler in the fourth quarter. He responded with 11 points in the period, bulling his way to 7-of-8 shooting from the foul line over the 12 minutes. "I got the opportunity to get the ball and tried to make it happen and fell a little short," he said, after closing with 24 points, 15 rebounds and four assists. Ultimately, what failed the Heat was its rebounding. Although it finished with an overall 48-42 edge against the taller Hornets, Van Gundy's team too often allowed New Orleans to reset its offense in the decisive minutes. "We got messed up on the rotations," said center Brian Grant, who closed with eight points and 11 rebounds. The Heat's closing kick also was hampered by an inadvertent elbow from Hornets guard Baron Davis that forced power forward Lamar Odom to the locker room with 7:04 to play. Needing six stitches to his left eyelid, Odom was not able to make it back until 1:47 remained. "I found myself catching a rhythm there," said Odom, who had six points in the period before exiting. "Then I got elbowed in the eye. It's part of the game. It wasn't on purpose." Odom did not score again, closing with 18 points and, for the second time in the three games, seven turnovers. Davis had his own concerns, with a bum ankle leaving him hobbling -- except, seemingly, when he needed to score. He closed with 21 points. That had some Heat players believing he was playing possum. "I thought that once today," Wade said after his miserable 1-of-8, two-point afternoon from the field. "I saw him limp, and then he hits a 3. He helped his team win, limping or not." To Davis, though, it was a defense that smothered the Heat's running game that made the difference. "We forced them to make a lot of plays in the halfcourt," he said. Butler said that shouldn't have been the case. "We were walking the ball up the court a lot instead of just running," he said. "At home, we feed off our crowd energy. We've just got to feed off ourselves on the road." Copyright c 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel --

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