It was a very even matched 1^st half, but the Heat came out after halftime with some amazing shutdown defense and cruised to their 9^th straight victory on Monday night.  After trailing 54-53 at the half, Miami used an 18-2 run that stretched between the 3^rd and 4^th quarters to put away the Hornets.

Dwyane Wade had another big game, cracking the 30-point plateau for the 3^rd game in a row.  He and his Big 3 counterparts combined for exactly 75 points for the 4^th straight game, which is pretty ridiculous.  Wade and LeBron had their highlight moments while Chris Bosh continued to dominate the glass, coming away with 11 rebounds. 

This was Bosh's 10^th game with at least 20 points and his 8^th double double of the season.  He finished with 23 points, the 11 boards and tied a season-high with 3 blocked shots.  He is certainly figuring things out on the glass after struggling early in the season.

GAME NOTES

• Miami held the Hornets to just 9 points on 2-of-13 shooting in the 4^th quarter.
• This is New Orleans first 3-game losing streak of the season.
• As a team, the Heat blocked 9 shots.  Big Z had 3 and Erick Dampier swatted another one as well. 
  
• They also recorded a season-low 6 turnovers.
• It was a quiet night for Chris Paul, as the Heat continue to figure out ways to shut down elite point guards.  Paul finished with 11 points, 8 rebounds and just 5 assists.
• For the first time in 14 games, Paul was held without a steal.

Next up for the Heat is Cleveland.  The Cavs come to Miami for the first time this year, and I'm sure the crowd will be extra rowdy after the way the Heat were received in Cleveland a few weeks ago.