Talent alone didn't ensure Heat victory over Nuggets

MIAMI - The superstar system collided with the no-star system Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. And considering this was the Big Three-led Miami Heat against the 'Melo-less Denver Nuggets, you can pretty well guess which team played which role.

But talent alone didn't ensure victory. The Heat had to fight hard to stave off the post-Carmelo Anthony Nuggets and get a 103-98 victory.

"This was just a grind," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Even though forward LeBron James (33 points), guard Dwyane Wade (32 points) and forward Chris Bosh (18 points, 11 rebounds) had strong nights, Miami could never relax.

Denver, led by guard JR Smith (27 points off the bench), forward Danilo Gallinari (23 points off the bench) and guard Ty Lawson (16 points, seven assists), was constantly nipping at the Heat's heels.

Apparently the Nuggets don't care that they have no superstars. Their 10-man rotation Saturday had exactly one All-Star appearance - center Kenyon Martin way back in 2004.

Miami? Its All-Star appearances are well into double digits. The Heat had three All-Star appearances this season alone among its Big Three. Forward James Jones won the three-point contest, and he hardly gets off the bench nowadays.

Fortunately for Denver fans, coach George Karl never had much use for labels and such.

"I'm sure it gives a lot of storylines to writers and columnists," he said with a weary smile.

But even with the obvious talent imbalance there was one thing that was confusing, and maybe even misleading about this matchup. In their last dozen games entering Saturday, one team had gone 9-3 and the other had gone 5-7. If you follow the NBA you can know which team had which record. That's what makes this league so mystifying sometimes.

Denver, after shipping its two best players - Anthony and point guard Chauncey Billups - to New York in a high-profile trade, has actually played better basketball than Miami. (Denver is the team that had the 9-3 record entering Saturday.)

"We're playing pretty good," Lawson said, "but we could play a lot better."

A lot better? They've already surprised everybody.

"I am a little surprised by it," James said, "not because of who they lost, but how fast they've been able to piece the guys in. You've seen some teams like Orlando and New York, teams that piece some guys in and it hasn't worked right away. This is a rare exception where guys have come in and it worked right away."

That's because Karl, one of the few old-school coaches left in the NBA, doesn't necessarily believe in predetermined formulas for winning. Karl understands Detroit won in 2004 a title without an inside presence and with no superstars; Miami won a title in 2006 with two superstars; San Antonio and Boston have won titles with three superstars; the Lakers almost have four stars among Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom.

"I think sometimes the league thinks there's only one way to win in the NBA," Karl said. "I've always felt that with the creativity of basketball there's 20 different ways to win a game."

He's right about that. The Heat uses smothering defense and the diverse offensive attack of its Big Three to win. It worked Saturday. Miami, which ranks sixth in scoring defense and second in field goal percentage defense, held its sixth consecutive opponent to fewer than 100 points (it had held its previous five to fewer than 90) and limited the Nuggets to just .436 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, the Big Three combined for 83 points.

Denver does it another way. They come at you in waves. Numerous times Saturday the Heat opened up double-digit leads - at 10-0, 25-9, 45-34 and 72-56, for example - only to see the Nuggets storm back each time. They cut their deficits to 27-21, 47-45, 84-80 and 99-94.

"What you'll see tonight is a fan's dream," Spoelstra said before the game. "You won't too often see as many athletes playing above the rim as you will tonight . . . they can go 10 or 11 deep and not lose a lot of productivity."

Denver is nothing but athletes now. Lawson. Raymond Felton (although he missed Saturday's game with a sprained left ankle). Wilson Chandler. Nene. Smith. Danilo Gallinari. Arron Afflalo. They're all athletic. It's how they win.

"A lot of guys came over in that trade who can score," Bosh said. "They've been playing unselfishly and look like they've been having fun."

And that doesn't just apply to the offensive end off the floor. Denver is now 9-4 since the trade with all the losses coming on the road - at Portland, the L.A. Clippers, Orlando and Miami - and by a total of 15 points. And Denver is playing complete games.

"Our defense is probably as exciting as our offense right now," Karl said.

Although it's only been about a month since Anthony and Billups were jettisoned to New York in exchange for a package that included Gallinari, Felton, Chandler and Kosta Koufos, it's as if the 'Melo era is already in the rearview mirror.

"A lot of guys came over in that trade who can score," Bosh said.

Denver seems headed for its fourth consecutive 50-win season. But it won't be easy. The Nuggets (41-29) have a dozen games remaining, and they need nine victories. Getting 50 wins would be a remarkable accomplishment for a team devoid of big names.

Miami, on the other hand, has to live up to championship expectations. The Heat lost starting point guard Mario Chalmers to a knee injury Saturday (he'll likely have an MRI on Sunday to determine the severity), but no one's going to cut them much slack. The Heat still have to win the title.

That's what happens when you have superstar players.