When the Miami Heat signed Mike Miller to a five-year, $30 million contract last summer, they expected him to provide supplementary scoring and three-point shooting to help take some of the load off LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. That hasn't happened all season, thanks to a broken thumb and Miller's own ineffective play, but in a game where they needed him most, Miller delivered.
Heat Vs. Bulls, Game 4: Mike Miller Comes Up Big For Miami In Fourth Quarter
Miller scored 12 points in the game on 5-8 shooting and provided nine of those points in the fourth quarter to help Miami win in overtime. Miller started the fourth quarter by hitting a three-pointer, then hit a couple jumpers and threw in a floater for good measure. He also added nine rebounds, providing the sort of all-around contributions that he would ideally like to provide. His production was one of the major reasons Miami’s bench was able to outscore the vaunted Chicago bench 23-18.
Miller has seen his game take a strange turn in recent years, as he’s stopped shooting threes (his strength) and tried to become a point forward. His lack of offensive aggression was kind of stunning. That trend had continued this year, though it was in part because his thumb hasn’t healed. But in Game 4, Miller was finally who the Heat wanted him to be, and it paid off in a huge victory.
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