LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh all had at least 30 points and 10 rebounds each as the Miami Heat beat Houston 125-119 in Miami.
A rare feat LeBron James had 33 points and 10 rebounds, Chris Bosh added 12 boards to his 31 point haul, while Dwayne Wade had 30 points and 11 rebounds. Collectively this was the first time three teammates recorded 30-10s in regulation in 50 years. The last time three players on one team had 30-or-more-points and 10-or-more-rebounds in the same game was in 1997, when Portland’s Isaiah Rider, Brian Grant and Arvydas Sabonis all did it against the Suns but it took quadruple-overtime for them to achieve that mark. Jeff Mullins, Joe Ellis and Nate Thurmond pulled off a similar feat for the San Francisco Warriors in 1969 against the Baltimore Bullets, also in overtime. We have to go all the way back to February 3, 1961 for the last time a team matched the Heat’s feat in regulation. Oscar Robertson, Wayne Embry, and Jack Twyman recorded 30-10s for the Cincinnati Royals against the Philadelphia Warriors.
Don’t get carried away The fate of those three teams should keep the Heatles’ egos in check. Cincinnati lost that game to Philadelphia and missed the post-season while the San Francisco and Portland teams both lost in the opening round of the playoffs. While Miami should fare better, they still have a lot of work to do in order to stay in contention for a championship. Last night’s win was not a great one for the Heat’s supporting cast. Aside from Mike Bibby’s 5 of 7 performance from the field for 14 points, the Big Three’s teammates failed to deliver. A championship contender needs a strong bench to stay relevant over the course of a playoff series, never mind a full post-season.
More to come? While it’s important not to read too much into one performance, the one big upside for NBA betting fans is that Miami’s superstars have shown they are at least capable of taking over a game collectively. With the playoffs just weeks away, Miami need to finish on a high note and carry that momentum into the post-season. Even the way the Heat went about ensuring Bosh reached the 30 point mark proved crucial. Late in the game LeBron James looked up at the scoreboard, saw Bosh was on 29 points and ensured the big man got the ball in his hands. It was a small gesture but it shows a greater awareness on the part of LBJ. After years of failing to win a title on his own in Cleveland, King James knows he needs his princes to be confident ahead of the playoffs.
