Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Kings seize Kaseya Center after halftime ceremony honoring Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jović and Erik Spoelstra

Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and the crew failed to stop the Kings from their second-half flurry.

Tyler Herro initiated the offense with 13 first-quarter points. Adebayo finished a lob through the lane and made a putback over Domantas Sabonis. Yet, the squad made the remaining two of 12 shots in the frame and led by three points going into the second quarter.

For the Kings, Sabonis was the only one who made multiple first-quarter field goals.

Subsequently, DeMar DeRozan ascended for the visitors, nailing mid-range baskets and slashing through the paint to score, making five of eight shots. And Trey Lyles added five points on four looks. 

The Heat countered with Larson hitting three trays and dribbling into the lane for a layup off the catch; Duncan Robinson splashed two 3-pointers;  and Adebayo hit a 15-footer over Sabonis, made a hook via pick and pop in the paint and downed a step-back jumper on the left side over Alex Len. 

At halftime, the Heatles led 61-48. Additionally, they had 16 paint points, one on the break, five via second chances, six off turnovers and 25 from the bench.  

In the first half, the Kings put up 22 interior marks, three in the open court, nine on extra tries, six off turnovers and 10 from the reserves

During intermission, Adebayo was honored with a second Olympic banner as he stood watching next to Spoelstra and his mother, Marilyn Blount. And Jović got a video tribute for his bronze medal. 

Then the Heat came out of the break, getting massacred in the turd quarter, 37-17. Butler and Herro were the only Heatles to make multiple shots. For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox butchered the defense with his speed, and the rest of his team logged eight of 12 shots in the period. 

The fourth quarter started with the hosts down 78-85. DeRozan inflicted extra baskets on the Heat from mid and long-range. And Sabonis tallied seven points, including the putback floater off Fox’s miss to win the game.

And a strong final stretch from Butler and Herro could not save the unit. 

The Heat lost 110-111. The team had 38 paint points, five on the break, 13 on extra tries, 16 off turnovers and 26 from the bench. 

The Kings had 54 interior marks, five in the open court, 15 via second chances, 12 off turnovers and 20 from the reserves.

At the postgame presser, Herro said, “We’ve been winning every quarter but the third.”

 Spoelstra said, “At some point you have to take a stand in these third quarters. Enough is enough.”

Observations:

• Fox got anything he wanted, attacking the lane and shooting from mid and long distance in the third quarter for 16 of his 28 digits. His best play of the game was when he accelerated into close range, bumped Rozier out of the picture, hesitated to throw off the help defense and made a four-foot jumper.

• Rozier was powerless to stop Fox’s dribble and from scoring on other possessions, too. Rozier was a dud on defense overall. Plus he failed to supply enough on offense (three of six makes).

• DeRozan’s three-pointer in crunch time came with a bonus point from the line because Herro had his hand on the shooting arm—as soon as the King of the Fourth recognized it, he pulled up. DeRozan’s previous shot a minute earlier was more impressive—isolating Adebayo on the right side and canning a step-back two-pointer in his face. 

• Sabonis was boxed out by Adebayo in the last seconds of the game, but Miami’s center jumped too early for the miss. To most people’s horror in the building, Sabonis recovered the ball in a loaded lane and shot back the dagger. 

• Jović didn’t look fluid. He started the game unable to take advantage of Keon Ellis, who is six inches shorter and 30 pounds less, in the post. He also bricked an open shot at the rim on the break,  was forcefully denied by Keegan Murray under the basket, and he missed a makeable tray over DeRozan. He was benched after 12 minutes. 

• Coach Erik Spoelstra can’t ignore Pelle Larson in the rotation. He gave the Heat impactful defense and connected on four of six attempts. His best possession was guarding Fox and forcing him to pass out to the perimeter on a drive in the first half.  

• The Kings were merciless in the paint, registering 27 of 41 attempts. The Heat were ordinary in that space, tallying 19 of 40 tries.

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