Playing the first game of the second half of its season, the Heat on Tuesday delivered something more impressive than anything it accomplished in the dreary first 2 ½ months of the post-Dwyane Wade era.
In a matchup of the second-highest scoring and second-lowest scoring teams, the Heat rode a 19-5 run late in the game to surprise Houston, 109-103, providing the home highlight for a Heat team that entered 5-13 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Miami withstood a 40-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist game from Rockets guard James Harden.
The Heat, which entered ahead of only Dallas in points per game at 98.