The Miami Heat looked as if they were going to make quick work of the Charlotte Hornets after total domination in Games 1 and 2. Then the series moved to Charlotte and the Heat were carefully dismantled by Kemba Walker and company. Now the series is tied 2-2 as both teams head back to South Florida for a decisive Game 5 matchup. How can the Heat bounce back in the next game and prove to the world that they deserve to move on to the next round? 1. Get out in Transition [xyz-ihs snippet="in-article-fb"] The Heat scored a total of zero fast-break points in Game 4. That is a serious problem. Though Miami is not a run-and-gun style team, it is disturbing that not a single point in fast-break transition was scored in Game 4. This is a sign of a team that is not moving fast enough, producing steals, or forcing turnovers. Miami must get back to being the defensive juggernaut they were early on in the season and force the Hornets to make mistakes that can be capitalized upon. In the playoffs, games are often decided by a play or two and Miami must work harder to take advantage of each and every moment by playing lockdown defense, forcing Charlotte to make mistakes and bringing the heat (no pun intended) to the Hornets. Next: Get Dwyane Wade Going [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="in-article-fb"] 2. Get Dwyane Wade Going Wade has struggled since the series moved to Charlotte. In Games 3 and 4, he scored only 29 points on 11-of-31 shooting. Granted, he is being double-teamed late in games and has been focusing more on getting other guys involved. In fact, his assist numbers went up in Games 3 and 4. However, Wade is the engine that makes this Heat team run. Luol Deng cannot continue to lead the team in points each game, though Miami has benefited from his sharp-shooting in the series. Wade needs to step up and lead by example, and, if Miami continues to struggle to score the basketball, it falls on their star player to pick up the slack. In this series, he's done a solid job of getting to the foul line, but it seems he's looking to get fouled first before assuring the ball goes in the hoop. Wade must use his veteran craftiness and superior mid-range game to lead his team on the offensive end, while still getting other guys involved. Look for him to bounce back for a solid outing in Game 5. Next: Utilize Hassan Whiteside [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="in-article-fb"] 3. Utilize Hassan Whiteside In Game 4, Whiteside spent a large portion of the fourth quarter on the bench. He was in foul trouble and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra seemed to be playing it a little too cautiously with his dominant big man. However, as soon as he checked back in, he made a difference. Kemba Walker began to give second thoughts to those floaters and mid-range jumpers that were working for him earlier in the game. Charlotte's offense grew more stagnant and Miami made a run of their own to get back in the game. No longer can Whiteside sit idly on the bench while his team is getting run over on the floor. Spoelstra needs to realize where his bread and butter lies and give Whiteside as many minutes as possible because it isn't just on the defensive end where he makes a difference. He pulls down offensive rebounds and catches lobs and loose passes in the low post. He's learned to post up with the best of them, as well. If Whiteside is not on the court when the game is on the line, Miami's chances of victory dwindle; it's as simple as that. Next: Stick with the Primary Rotation [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="in-article-fb"] 4. Stick with the Primary Rotation Coach Spoelstra tends to tinker with his lineup a little too excessively at times. Granted, his rotation management is a large part of why this season was so successful for Miami and he does tend to find ways through thorough trial and error to produce the most productive lineups in key games. Having said that, this is the playoffs. There's no time for trial and error and plug-and-play type rotations. Goran Dragic should not be on the bench for the entire fourth quarter as he was in Game 4. When you need a score, keep your most proven shot-makers on the court. At this point, perhaps Spoelstra needs to keep things a bit simpler and trust his core group of guys. When the game is on the line, the guys who have battled all season long to earn starting positions, should be front and center. That's just something Spoelstra and the Heat need to live or die with moving forward. Next: Slow Down Kemba Walker [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="in-article-fb"] 5. Slow Down Kemba Walker It's no secret that Walker has been the best player in this series. He leads all scorers through the first four games with 99 points and made a mockery of Miami's defense in Games 3 and 4. Miami must find a way to, at least, slow down the former University of Connecticut product in order to keep Charlotte off the board. Walker is not just the primary scorer for Charlotte, he's the primary ball-handler and assist man, particularly in this series. He needs to be double-teamed in late-game situations and guys like Dragic and rookie Josh Richardson need to step up and play him far more aggressively than they have been. Miami's guards can't be afraid to push him around and make his life a living hell. If they can do that, they can stop the Hornets. Walker is the head of the snake and to kill the snake, Miami must cut off the head. Of course, it's easier said than done, but if you ask guys like Dragic or Richardson, they will admit they haven't done a strong enough job and must get better at slowing him down in Game 5 and beyond. While Miami must focus on each of these five keys in order to take Game 5, it's equally important that they simply begin to execute their offense. The team is getting good looks in the series, but many of the shots just aren't falling. This may be due to a temporary lack of confidence or it may just be the way the ball is bouncing. Whatever it is, no amount of game-planning, coaching, or inspirational pep talks by Udonis Haslem or coach Juwan Howard will help Miami get over the hump. Game 5 is often the decisive matchup in a seven-game series so we will soon see if the Heat can get back to their high-scoring ways and take this series back from a surging Hornets squad. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="in-article-fb"]
