Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside had 24 rebounds in Friday's 93-72 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, making him the first Heat player since Kevin Willis in December 1994 to record 24 or more boards in a single game, per ESPN Stats & Info.
The 25-year-old center didn't waste any time getting started, as he grabbed 10 rebounds within the game's first four minutes and then finished the first quarter with 14 through eight minutes.
Foul trouble kept Whiteside on the bench until midway through the second quarter, but he added two more rebounds before halftime, making him the first player to record 16 in the first half of a game this season, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Miami took a surprising 45-33 advantage into the locker room, but things got downright ugly in the second half.
Still up 60-51 late in the third quarter, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra took Whiteside out to rest with just three minutes, 12 seconds remaining in the frame.
Dallas scored the final nine points of the quarter to pull even at 60-60, and by the time Whiteside re-entered the game with seven minutes, 54 seconds remaining in the final quarter, the Mavericks held a 72-60 lead.
Miami never recovered from the 21-0 run in Whiteside's absence, as Dallas eventually made it a ridiculous 37-2 run to take an 88-62 lead, before eventually winning 93-72.
Between the 37-2 run and Whiteside's 24 rebounds, it was one of the more memorable ugly games in recent memory.
Of course, Miami was playing without guard Dwyane Wade and forward Luol Deng, both of whom are dealing with leg injuries.
Even with a breakout star like Whiteside on board, the Heat are stretched thin in the talent department without Wade and Deng around to carry the offense.
For all his impressive work grabbing rebounds, blocking shots and sinking putbacks, Whiteside isn't exactly the type of player you can build an offense around.
No matter, the Heat are thrilled to have found him on the NBA's scrap heap, as the team now appears to have its center of the future.
With Chris Bosh increasingly a perimeter-oriented big man, Whiteside looks like a perfect fit for Miami in the post-LeBron James era.
If the team can get healthy and improve its depth, the Heat might prove to be a rather difficult out in the playoffs.
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1yWL1cz
via IFTTT January 30, 2015 at 09:30PM
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