Heat Fall to Hawks in Game Seven

Unfortunately for the Heat, game seven went in favor of the home team and the Hawks defeated the Heat 91-78. The Heat contained the Hawks in the early stages of the game, but after a while in the second quarter, Atlanta got into a groove and the Heat quickly fell into a hole that they could not come out of. Joe Johnson was hitting from every angle of the floor, and the deprived Heat could not counter. Jermaine O'Neal came into the game for 42 seconds and immediately picked up two personal fouls and that was all he played. Other than Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Michael Beasley, nobody was scoring for the Heat. Beasley played a large portion of the game after Coach Spo realized the starters weren't contributing enough. It was bad enough the Heat had to start Joel Anthony, but Chalmers and James Jones were silent throughout the game. The second half was a tie between both teams, but the second quarter sealed the game for the Hawks. Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 31 points, four assists, and three rebounds. Leading the Hawks was Joe Johnson with 27 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Michael Beasley added 17 for the Heat and Udonis Haslem had 14 points and 13 rebounds.



It was a disappointing loss for the Heat, but considering how they finished last year, Miami made huge strides. Dwyane Wade was happy with the team's performance after the game noting that they never gave up at anytime in the game. Jermaine O'Neal and Jamario Moon proved to be a big piece missing in the Miami Heat's puzzle. Jermaine was a top scorer when he was healthy, and Moon brought rebounding and energy to the team in crucial stages of the game.

Jamario Moon is a free-agent at the end of the season and I would put money on seeing him in a Heat uniform next year. Moon made about $711,000 this season and that is chump change to any team in the league. I could see the Heat giving Moon a two-year deal worth about $2 million. Unfortunately for Moon, his injury came at the wrong time of the year, and that is the most serious injury he has ever had in his career. He's not injury prone and the Heat are aware of that, so that won't play a factor in the bargaining process. He has a very good agent in Joel Bell, who also represents James Jones. I would love to see Moon back in Miami. He connected with Dwyane immediately and that should also play a big factor in resigning him. As long as the Heat give him the playing time he needs to be successful, he is a steal for the money he's been getting. Moon is best when he plays 26-30 minutes per game.

The Heat have a promising future ahead of them. Given they all stay healthy, the second round is definitely in store for the Heat come April of next season. Dwyane Wade's contract ends at the end of the next season, and he wants to prove that he can bring the team deep in the playoffs. He had a remarkable season, leading the league in scoring, and also leading all guards in blocks.

Jermaine O'Neal's health has been a concern for whatever team he's been on. Optimistically, if he stays healthy the Heat can go wherever they want, however if he continues to have knee problems, the Heat will need they play of their big men to be clutch. Jamaal Magloire has a good game every once and a while, and Joel Anthony's play has deteriorated.

And to end the year review in a positive note, the Miami Heat dancers won the NBA Dance Bracket again this year. They won't receive a trophy for it but they certainly make the game more pleasant for the fans.