Udonis Haslem's Return Makes Up For the Miami Heat's First Preseason Loss
After winning their first four preseason games, the Miami Heat found themselves on the losing end for the first time.
A 127-92 loss to the Atlanta Hawks Thursday at State Farm Arena stopped the perfection but the Heat had little concern because the game marked the return of captain Udonis Haslem.
He was placed in the starting lineup after missing most of training camp after the death of his father.
"I was happy to be back but I've never stepped on a basketball court without my father somewhere and that was a harsh reality for me," Haslem said. "I had moments but I'm going to continue to have moments and I'm going to work through them."
Haslem, who is playing his 19th season with the Heat, finished with one point, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks in 13 minutes. He was 0 for 4 from the field, but his presence is more than just about numbers.
“I love having UD in the locker room, on the floor, all the moments in between with the basketball team,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “You can’t put an analytic on it.”
The Heat were able to get Haslem some quality minutes because of Spoelstra's decision to sit 11 players, including Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo.
The Heat conclude the preseason Friday against the Boston Celtics. They
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