Friday, March 4, 2011

Signs point to Bibby not being instant fix for Heat

MIAMI -- Mike Bibby's debut with the Heat was supposed to be something to celebrate. Instead, the newest addition to a potential championship contender walked off the court with his head down.

The Heat blew a 24-point third-quarter lead in a 99-96 loss to the Magic on Thursday. Bibby and the crowd at American Airlines Arena were expecting a party. Instead they witnessed one of the Heat's worst losses of the season.

And now the Heat head into their toughest stretch of the year -- including matchups against playoff contenders in San Antonio, Chicago, the Lakers and Oklahoma City -- with plenty of questions. One of them is if Bibby is really a difference-maker on a team full of stars.

"It was tough," Bibby said of the loss. "We had the game won. We had it in the bag."

Bibby thought this was going to be a magical night, especially when he first entered the game. With just over a minute left in the first quarter, Bibby stood up from the bench and took off his warm-up suit. The crowd stood along with Bibby to give him a rousing ovation as he walked on the court.

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