Despite being without LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the Miami Heat found a way to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 116-109 in triple-overtime.
Atlanta was outscored 7-0 in the final overtime period but was really lucky to have made it that far with a lackluster effort that saw them fall behind by as many as 13 points in the third quarter. Ivan Johnson came off the bench and provided a spark but the Hawks were their own worst enemy at times tonight.
Chris Bosh finished with a game-high 33 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Heat. Mario Chalmers did most of his damage in the fourth quarter and overtime finishing with 29 points and eight assists. Udonis Haslem chipped in a double-double off the bench with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 20 points going 7-20 from the field and 1-7 from three-point range. Josh Smith finished with 17 points and 13 boards but also endured a tough shooting night going 6-17. Willie Green hit his first five shots off the bench for 14 points but was never heard from in the second half. Tracy McGrady played 29 minutes and also finished with 14 points. Ivan Johnson came off the end of the bench to score 13 points and grab four rebounds before fouling out. His physical play and energy gave the Hawks a spark in the third quarter helping them to dig out of a big hole.
For more on this game, Hawks fans should check out Peachtree Hoops. Heat fans should take a look at Peninsula is Mightier. For more news and analysis on the NBA, check out SB Nation's NBA page.