NBA Miami Heat

Miami Heat Need More Big Games From Chris Andersen

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By @outofboundsjay

February 10, 2015; Steve Mitchell; Chris Andersen

Steve Mitchell- USA Today Sports

Fans of the Miami Heat were assuredly up in arms as to why Hassan Whiteside didn’t play a single minute in the fourth quarter of the Heat’s blowout 109-95 win over the lowly New York Knicks on Monday night. The Heat were only up three going into the fourth quarter, and bringing Whiteside back in, even with four fouls, would have definitely been a game changer. So why didn’t he get any playing time? The answer: Chris Andersen.

Birdman was the game changer going into the fourth quarter for the Heat. In a game that shouldn’t have been that close to begin with, Andersen provided the finishing touches in a quarter that was the deciding point for the final score. Andersen scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth while also tallying two timely blocks. The Birdman also drilled the only three-pointer he took all game, plus he had a ridiculous behind-the-back pass to Chris Bosh during the middle of the fourth quarter. When Andersen plays like this, the combination of him and Whiteside give the Heat a frontcourt they can be proud of.

The Heat absolutely need more games like this from Andersen going forward. Even with the rapid emergence of Whiteside, the Heat need a reliable backup option at center for times when the still very young Whiteside gets in foul trouble, which was the case against the Knicks. Andersen helped turn a very close game into a blowout, and going forward, his energy and size off the bench will be vital in the Heat succeeding against teams with mammoth-sized frontcourts.

Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @outofboundsjay, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

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