Heat Check: Miami dips below .500 with third consecutive defeat

In another troubling loss, the Miami Heat were badly outrebounded and outplayed on both ends by the Milwaukee Bucks in a 109-85 loss on Friday night.

Miami's offense was crisp with 30 first-quarter points, but Milwaukee made adjustments in the second to cut what was an 11-point deficit into a four-point advantage by halftime. The Heat's ball movement slowed down to a crawl with too many isolated jumpers, and they were outscored 29-20 in the quarter.

Dwayne Wade did what he could to help keep his team in the game with 21 points in the first half, including 10 of Miami's last 14 points in the second quarter. Mario Chalmers recorded six steals in the first half, which tied a franchise record with three other Heat players for most steals in any half. But the Heat's carelessness with the ball hurt their chances of making a run of their own, with seven turnovers in the second quarter and 11 in the first half.

With three straight defeats and six losses in their last ten games, the Heat's record has now dipped below .500. Their defense continues to be their biggest issue, with Milwaukee outscoring the Heat in the paint and on fast-break points by a wide margin. To make matters worse the team struggled to score consistently through the final three quarters, which led to their biggest loss of the season.

Once again the offense was too dependent on Wade (28 points, eight assists) and Chris Bosh (21 points, six rebounds), with no other player scoring more than nine points. On the other end, the Bucks ended their three-game losing streak with 56 percent shooting overall and six players reaching double-figures.

The Turning Point

The Bucks went on a decisive 13-2 run to close the third quarter to keep the lead for the duration of the game.

The Difference Maker

Reserve guard Kendall Marshall had a season-high 20 points on 7-of-8 field-goal shooting with 10 fourth-quarter points. Milwaukee's bench outscored the Heat's reserves 60-to-18.

Stat of the Game

The Heat's 20 rebounds set a franchise record for fewest rebounds in a regular-season game. Milwaukee grabbed a total of 44 rebounds, including 12 offensive board compared to just three for Miami.

What's Next

Miami continues its trip on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies at 6 p.m.

You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.