The Miami Heat returned to Philips Arena on Monday afternoon with a slightly different look and slightly shorthanded.
Starting point guard Mario Chalmers, who struggled in Sunday's 90-64 Game 1loss to the Atlanta Hawks in this best-of-seven first-round NBA playoff series, sat out practice with what the team described as a slightly twisted left ankle. He is scheduled to return to practice Tuesday, with Game 2 not until Wednesday night at Philips Arena.
Power forward Udonis Haslem, meanwhile, said that the six stitches needed to mend a laceration in his right thumb were removed after Sunday loss. Haslem continues to work with a protective splint and tape on his shooting hand.
Then there was rookie forward Michael Beasley, who showed up for the first time with his hair braided into tight cornrows held together by rubber bands. Beasley, who had been teased by teammates about his unkempt afro, had the work done by a friend after Sunday's loss.
"I didn't know he'd try to be like me,"
quipped Haslem, who has sported the look for years, without the rubber bands.
Monday was mostly dedicated to a lengthy video session focusing on the team's breakdowns in the lowest-scoring playoff performance in the franchise's 21 seasons.
"Hopefully we got an understanding,"
coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We've usually responded."
Spoelstra acknowledged that his rotations got "out of whack"
because of his team's early deficit. He said he planned to utilize backup center Jamaal Magloire, who did not play, in Sunday's second quarter and would go into Game 2 with those same plans.
While it would appear that James Jones again will start at small forward, after making only his second start of the season on Sunday night, Spoelstra said, "This is the playoffs and you might have to make adjustments."
Spoelstra also said increased effort would be made to establish post play from center Jermaine O'Neal, who scored only five points on 2-of-5 shooting in his 22 Game 1 minutes.
"Obviously,"
O'Neal said, "I'd like to be more involved."
Included in Monday's video session was a focus on the Heat's uncharacteristic 19 Game 1 turnovers, including the inability the successful inbound beneath the Hawks basket.
"We took a shot in the chin,"
Spoelstra said, "and we weren't able to deliver one back."
