However, lets not get ahead of ourselves. The Heat have to do a few very important things in order to win this game. Here are some of my keys to success...
Lock up Williams- Both of the Heat losses this season were at the hands of two of the leagues better guards (Rondo and CP3). Deron Williams could do just as much damage. He has to be contained in order for the Heat to pull away with this win. He is a quick guard, with a jump shot, that can get into the lane at will to find open team mates. LeBron and Wade are going to have their hands full with this guy, and it is imperative that he is locked up.
Crash the Boards- I will most likely stress this in every game, but that just goes to show how important I think it is. No second chance scoring opportunities for Utah. There have to be bodies on that glass every time scooping up rebounds so that James and Wade can do their thing on fast breaks. We have seen the energy in Miami, and if James and Wade can get everyone on their feet with some high flying dunks, you will not be able to hear yourself think in South Beach.
Get it started Early- We know that at tip off the fans are going to be out of control. The goal is to keep them that way. Miami has to start out hot and keep the fans on their feet by getting the crowd involved as much as possible. The crowd noise will be more than enough to throw the Jazz out of sync. If Miami gets going early, it is going to be a very long game for Jazz fans.
I am really excited to watch this game tonight. I don't know what it is about great players, but they love devastating the Jazz. I think LeBron and Dwayne will do work tonight, with a strong emphasis on LeBron. Look for him to be flying up and down the court making something happen, as well as finding team mates early and often. I predict around 25 points and at least 8 assists from him, while Wade adds on another 20-25.
I have a few players to watch this game. My first of which is Chris Bosh. He has slowly been working himself into the offense, and he plays much better at home. If he continues working as hard as he has been, he will definitely make a dent in the scoring column. I expect to see around 16 points from him.
I think James Jones and Z will show me something tonight as well. Z has been playing solid basketball, and Jones continues to shoot well. We all know that LeBron likes to get them both involves, and has a very good dynamic with Z. If the 12 to 18 footer is dropping for the big guy, expect him to hit double digits in scoring and grab a few boards.
James Jones has the potential to end this game quickly. Big 3 pointers early and often will demoralize the Jazz, diminishing their hopes before they can ever really get going. The threat of the 3 pointer open up lanes for LeBron and Wade, and if Jones is hitting, those lanes will only get wider.
Last, but certainly not least, the Heat need to remain focused. Boston is heading into town on Thursday, and it is important that James and friends take it one game at a time. This is a veteran team with a lot of leadership, so I do not expect any distractions. If the Heat remain focused (and I fully expect them to), they can use this game get into a groove in preparation for the Celtics.
I predict the Heat will win this game by 16 points, and send a message to Boston that they have come a LONG way in 2 weeks.
Get em' LeBron.
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