Haslem fiery speech sparks Heat vs Rockets

MIAMI – Udonis Haslem didn’t play a single second for the Miami Heat on Sunday night.

Instead, he dominated halftime.

Haslem’s fiery speech – replete with some profanity from the tri-captain and a couple bottles getting angrily spiked into the red locker room carpeting for emphasis – led to a Miami turnaround, the Heat outscoring Houston by 41 points in the final 23 minutes and rolling past the Houston Rockets 109-89.

“Absolutely awesome,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about the speech. “That’s what leaders do. By the time I got in there, he was already halfway through it and there wasn’t much that was needed to be said after that.”

Miami was down 65-44 early in the second half. The Heat outscored Houston 65-24 the rest of the way.

“At times, I can be kind of harsh,” Haslem said. “But it’s harsh reality ... and it just comes out the way it comes out.”

Said Heat guard Dwyane Wade: “It was all bleep, bleep, bleep.”

Hassan Whiteside had 25 points and 15 rebounds, Wade scored 20 points and Luol Deng scored 14 for Miami – which enjoyed its biggest comeback win since a 27-point rally at Cleveland late in the 2012-13 championship season. Tyler Johnson scored 11, Chris Bosh had all 10 of his in the fourth and Justise Winslow added 10 for the Heat.

In Boston, LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and 14 rebounds, Kawhi Leonard added 19 points and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Boston Celtics, 95-87.

Manu Ginobili scored 13 points and Boris Diaw had 10 for the Spurs.

Avery Bradley led Boston with 18 points and Marcus Smart had 17. Isaiah Thomas scored 15, but shot only 4 of 18 from the floor. Jared Sullinger had 10 points and eight rebounds.

San Antonio opened a double-digit lead early in the game and held off Boston’s charges the rest of the way.

In Oklahoma, Kevin Durant scored 25 points to help the Thunder roll past the Denver Nuggets, 117-93.

Durant made 8 of 11 field goals and all six of his free throws to help new coach Billy Donovan remain unbeaten in the NBA. The Thunder have won their first three games for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

In Friday’s double-overtime win over Orlando, Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 91 points. On Sunday, seven players scored in double figures. Serge Ibaka had 18 points, seven rebounds and five blocks and Westbrook had 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

“It shows how deep we are,” Durant said. “We made it easy for everybody. Making the extra pass, getting steals, kicking the ball ahead. When we play like that, when everybody plays together like that, it makes it easy.”