A shining opportunity presented itself for the Heat- momentarily claiming the sixth seed in Indiana- but the crew arrived unprepared, and its protections were as soft as cotton candy half of the match, permitting easy access into the lane and giving up the top of the key. And then its efforts were insufficient in the end. Barring some metamorphosis or black magic ritual, the Play-In Tournament is inevitable for the Heat.

For the millionth time, TJ McConnell channeled John Stockton, castigating the Heatles in transition, pick and roll plus isolating Tyler Herro for a fadeaway jumper and baseline drive.

Myles Turner outplayed Bam Adebayo.

Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier did a lot of running.

At halftime, the Heat was down 46-63. The squad had 20 paint points, two on the break, two via second chances, four after turnovers and 17 from the bench.

On the other side, the Pacers supplied 32 interior points, four on the break, nine on extra tries, four after turnovers and 25 from the reserves.

And of course, the Heat didn’t get its act together until a spurt midway through the third quarter, pulling the group within nine points as Butler swished a corner tray in Pascal Siakam’s face, canned three freebies and hunted down Andrew Nembhard in the post, nailing a turnaround jumper.

And there was a late chance.

The visitors entered the fourth quarter down 13 points. Next, Nikola Jović drew a 3-point foul on Siakam, slicing the deficit to seven and cutting it to six a minute later with a banger in the corner off Butler’s drive and kick. On the succeeding play, Butler pedaled to the rim in transition, making a left-handed scoop.

An Indiana turnover followed, giving the Heat the possession back, and the unit called timeout. Then Caleb Martin hit a jumper inside the nail against Siakam in drop coverage. Yet, Haliburton countered, striking the rim on a right-side drive set up by a horns action.

With 2:40 left, Jović missed up close, initiating a fastbreak that Butler fouled Aaron Nesmith on, sending him to the line. Coach Erik Spoelstra challenged that call unsuccessfully.

But Herro gave the unit an adrenaline shot in the veins, getting fouled by Siakam on a right-wing 3-point attempt. The hosts unsuccessfully challenged, but his three free throws put the Heat down two.

The Pacers called its last timeout, but Adebayo fouled Turner after the catch. Turner made both freebies.

In response, Herro cashed a triple in transition off a handoff from Butler against Siakam up top.

Subsequently, Nesmith was intentionally fouled by Herro, and he put the Pacers ahead by three.

The Pacers wouldn’t let the Heat have a chance to tie, so they purposely fouled Herro with 6.6 seconds left. He made the first, intentionally missed the last, but stepped inside the line too quickly before the ball hit the rim.

Curtains.

The Heat finished with 42 paint points, six on the break, four via second chances, six after turnovers and 46 from the bench.

Butler produced 27 points on seven of 16 ventures, with seven rebounds, eight assists and one steal. Adebayo had 20 points on 44.4% accuracy, with 12 boards and three dimes. Martin tallied 20 marks on 10 shots and recovered three rebounds and two assists. And Jović put up 18 points on six of 10 attempts, with two rebounds.

The Pacers had 58 interior points, six in the open court, 11 on extra tries, nine after turnovers and 39 from the reserves.

Turner had 22 points on six of 12 tries, with 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. McConnell dispensed 22 points, making 78.6% of his shots, with five assists. And Siakam had 18 points and eight rebounds.

Postgame, Spoelstra was asked about the first-half struggles. He said, “[The Pacers] definitely were the assertive ones… it has to be every single possession, obviously, and that’s what’s disappointing because we have great habits of playing consistently and doing it hard.”

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Haywood Highsmith and Terry Rozier saved the crew from shame in the first half, and as they were up eight points in the last six minutes, the Heatles muddied their shorts.

The Heat was absent Tyler Herro (foot). 

Coach Erik Spoelstra called a timeout as the 76ers seized a 10-0 lead in the opening possessions. Tyrese Maxey, the one the Heat passed on in the 2020 Draft for Precious Achiuwa, burned defenses with a swarm of jumpers and drive-bys. And reigning MVP Joel Embiid wiped out coverages, shooting from long and mid-distance, plus broke into the paint for two layups off the catch.

In a delayed response, Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, and Nikola Jović clapped back, gashing the 76ers transition defense for a dozen points. In the half court, Butler maneuvered into the paint off a pick-and-roll set with Bam Adebayo for a floater, and Rozier made a step-back triple over Nicolas Batum in the left corner.

Haywood Highsmith checked in for Duncan Robinson eight minutes in. Before the sequence ended, he came in as a help defender from the top, rejecting Kenyon Martin Jr.’s layup and stealing Philadelphia’s inbound pass under its basket, resulting in Jaime Jaquez Jr. scoring at the rim through contact.

Through 12 minutes, the Heat was down 29-39, shooting 42.9% to the 76ers 57.1%.

Next, Highsmith took charge as the only Heat player recording multiple field goals (5) in the period. He nailed two catch-and-shoot triples, slashed into the paint to make a reverse layup, carved up the baseline for a dunk and dropped one putback. And apart from contesting deep shots, he poked the ball loose from Kelly Oubre Jr. on a left-side drive.

Additionally, Caleb Martin claimed the Heat’s first lead on a transition pull-up banger. But the 76ers finished the half on a 20-9 burst. Maxey got the cup easily in the open court and sped past the zone. Embiid contributed six more points. Cameron Payne swished a 3-pointer. And Paul Reed made a layup driving left after catching in the middle against the zone.

Notably, the Heat’s last basket of the half sprung off Rozier intercepting Embiid’s bad pass and nailing 28-foot fastbreak triple as the horn buzzed through Kaseya Center.

At halftime, the Heat was down 55-63 and above on the glass by two. The Heat had 24 paint points, 15 on the break, two via second chances, 11 after turnovers and 26 from the bench.

Highsmith recorded 12 points on five of seven looks, with three rebounds, one assist, two steals and a block. Rozier had 11 on his scorecard on 33.3% shooting, with one steal and two turnovers. And Butler had nine points on six attempts and picked up two boards and three dimes.

The 76ers had 28 interior points, 11 in the open court, four on extra tries, 15 after turnovers and nine from the reserves.

Maxey, channeling The Answer, Allen Iverson, tallied 24 points on 10 of 15 attempts, with five rebounds and seven assists. Embiid notched 21 marks on 61.5% accuracy, with three rebounds, an assist and a block. And Oubre supplied six points on six tries and recovered five boards.

Past the halfway mark of the third, the Heat was still down 10 points. Subsequently, the home squad finished the interval on a 17-6 run- Adebayo cashed a left-side fadeaway over Reed; Butler scored twice at close range; Jović splashed a tray; JJJ canned a seven-footer in the lane; and Rozier raced from coast to coast for a reverse layup and made a transition three.

The fourth quarter started with the Heat up 88-87. Butler dribbled left past Batum for a layup and converted a lob on the other side. Kevin Love added seven of his 11 points early in the frame. But after Butler made two freebies, putting the Heat ahead by eight with 6:28 left, the unit got sloppy.

The hosts settled for jumpers and registered one of its last 11 ventures. As they were falling apart, the 76ers got stronger, rattling off 13 unanswered points to snatch control- Maxey killed the zone with a step-back jumper on the right side over JJJ and Highsmith then connected on another on the opposite baseline facing Rozier; KJ Martin got inside for a deuce; Oubre dashed into the lane for a basket and made a three on consecutive possessions and later downed a one more trifecta.

At that point, the Heat’s confidence was fractured. The group followed up with two turnovers by Butler and Highsmith and a miss by the former, trying to go for the win with a three while down two.

The Heat lost 105-109. The squad accumulated 44 paint points, 24 on the break, 14 via second chances, 20 after turnovers and 36 from the bench.

Rozier scored 22 points on seven of 20 attempts, with two rebounds, two assists, one steal and three turnovers. Butler produced 20 on his ledger, accurate on 41.2% of his tries and picked up four rebounds and five dimes. And Highsmith had 12 points on five of seven looks, with nine rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block.

The 76ers amassed 38 interior points, 17 in the open court, 10 on extra tries, 23 after turnovers and 17 from the reserves.

Maxey generated 37 points, filing 15 of 26 shots and recovering nine rebounds, 11 assists, one steal and a block. Embiid had 29 on his scorecard on 44% accuracy, with four rebounds, three dimes, one steal and a block. And Oubre distributed 18 points on 14 attempts and had eight rebounds, two steals and a block.

At the postgame presser, Adebayo said, “[The 76ers] got us out of routine offense, and also, I feel like we [were] careless with the ball. [We] weren’t really detailed at the end of the day.”

Butler spoke on what the Heat need to do. He said, “Win, and everything will take care of itself. Win and we don’t need to worry about anyone else.”

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The depleted Knicks nearly dug themselves out of a 16-point hole, but the Heat pulled away in crunch time.

Tyler Herro (foot) was out for the Heat. OG Anunoby (elbow) and Julius Randle (shoulder) were absent for the Knicks. 

Early, the Heat’s defense forced three turnovers, locking up the passing lanes and pressuring the ball handler, plus paid close attention to Jalen Brunson. But Miles McBride and Donte DiVincenzo maneuvered through openings and converted deep looks.

On offense, Terry Rozier sprayed 12 points, reaching the rim through pick and roll, swishing a corner tray off an under-the-basket inbound, and making two catch-and-shoot transition threes plus a freebie. No other Heatle dropped multiple field goals in the first, but Butler drew fouls, posting up Josh Hart and dribbling past DiVincenzo for two trips to the line.

The Heat closed the first quarter on a 15-2 run and led 34-22, shooting 52.9% to the Knicks’ 36.8%.

Next, Brunson was contained to zero of three baskets, but Bojan Bogdanović poured in seven points off New York’s bench, hitting a putback jumper, two freebies and a wing triple behind Precious Achiuwa’s flare screen.

Countering, Rozier connected on two more trifectas, and Butler broke inside the paint for three finishes. The rest of the team made 29% of its ventures in the period.

At halftime, the Heat was up 58-43 and ahead on the glass by seven. The crew had 14 paint points, four on the break, seven via second chances, two after turnovers and 14 from the bench.

Rozier scored 20 on six of eight attempts, with three rebounds and a block. Butler filed 13 points on 44.4% shooting, with three rebounds and five assists. And Love tallied six points on four attempts and picked up two boards.

The Knicks had 14 interior points, nine in the open court, two on extra tries, six after turnovers and nine from the reserves.

McBride and DiVincenzo each had a dozen points on four of nine looks. Bogdanovic added nine points on six tries and recovered three rebounds.

But out of the break, the Knicks came out a sharper squad behind McBride and DiVincenzo. The former got to the cup for two on a left-side give-and-go with Isaiah Hartenstein, dribbled into the paint, logging a finger roll in front of Butler, cut up the baseline for a dunk and downed an open three at the top. The latter buried three triples and finished a mean lob, assisted by Brunson on the break.

Despite the Heat’s defense not having answers, the attack mostly did. Rozier and Adebayo combined for six of eight buckets in the frame, totaling 16 of the club’s 25 points. Yet, the Knicks’ backline pressured four extra turnovers

In the fourth, Brunson broke the zone twice with two floaters in the paint. DiVincenzo made another tray and two cut-and-scores on the baseline and through the middle. And with four minutes left, the Knicks tied the match, courtesy of Achiuwa’s putback.

In crunch time, the Heat responded with Haywood Highsmith’s banger over Brunson, three freebies from Rozier after getting fouled by Achiuwa on a deep shot, two baskets from Adebayo, and Butler’s five-foot floater over McBride.

The Heat won 109-99. The hosts picked up 34 paint points, nine on the break, 11 via second chances, 14 after turnovers and 32 from the bench.

Rozier provided 34 points on 10 of 15 attempts, with five rebounds, three assists, a block and three turnovers. Butler had 17 points on 41.7% shooting, with five rebounds, six assists and four turnovers. And Adebayo recorded 15 points on nine attempts, with nine rebounds, one assist and a steal.

The Knicks had 38 interior points, 14 in the open court, seven on extra tries, 21 after turnovers and 18 from the reserves.

DiVincenzo recorded 31 points on 11 of 21 attempts, with four rebounds, four assists and four steals. McBride scored 24 on 56.3% accuracy and picked up two rebounds plus two assists. And Brunson had 20 points, making five of 18 looks, with two rebounds, 10 assists and five turnovers.

Rozier handled the on-court interview. He said, “The Knicks [are] a great basketball team, and this league is all about runs. They went on a run, we stayed poised, we figured out what we needed to do on offense down the stretch, and we did it. We executed.”

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra was asked about how the team guarded Brunson. He said, “Great players force you to bring a second defender, and sometimes, a third defender… he’s that good right now.”

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Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin sat somewhere, likely with a scowl that can kill roses, witnessing the Heat mow down his G-League Trail Blazers in Miami. The visitors were so inept that they lost by 60 points and made a clumsy transition team look like greyhounds. The NBA’s old slogan reads “where amazing happens,” but the reality is that it’s where degradation occurs and there’s no mercy rule.

The Heat were without Tyler Herro (foot) and Duncan Robinson (back). The Trail Blazers were missing Jerami Grant (hamstring), Toumani Camara (rib contusion) and Malcolm Brogdon (elbow).

After the game, Portland’s coach Chauncy Billups spoke to the press. He said, “It was unfortunate because [in the] first four or five minutes, we started the game off playing really clean, and it didn’t last long.”

Following that decent start by the Blazers, which featured brief two-man actions with Kris Murray and Deandre Ayton, the hosts cracked its code, shattering backline protections and smothering rival attacks on a 25-10 run to close the frame. Jimmy Butler finished a lob on the right side and made two freebies. Bam Adebayo converted a left elbow jumper and three baskets in the lane. And the rest of the squad contributed five 12 shots in the quarter.

After one period, the Heat was ahead 29-19, shooting 52.6% to the Trail Blazers’ 45%.

Then the guests yielded following a flurry by backup big Thomas Bryant, Caleb Martin, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Haywood Highsmith. On top of that, Adebayo supplied four of five more buckets and Terry Rozier provided eight points as the Heat outscored the Trail Blazers by 24 in the quarter.

At halftime, the Heat was up 74-40. The group had 30 paint points, 23 on the break, none via second chances, 15 after turnovers and 29 from the bench.

Adebayo scored 18 points on eight of 10 attempts, with six rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. Rozier had 14 points on 41.7% shooting, with two rebounds and four assists. Bryant logged 10 on his ledger, making five of seven looks, and recovered two rebounds and two blocks. And Highsmith recorded a dozen points on five attempts, with three rebounds.

The Blazers had 30 interior points, five in the open court, five on extra tries, seven after turnovers and seven from the reserves.

Deandre Ayton scored 13 points on eight of 13 ventures, with six boards. Dalano Banton put up seven marks on 37.5% accuracy and picked up four rebounds. And Scoot Henderson produced six points on three of eight shots, with three rebounds and two dimes.

Next, the Heat kept firing in target practice, making seven of 13 trifectas. Furthermore, its lead grew to 45 points near the midway mark of the quarter. The rest of the way was garbage time.

Only one Heat starter played in the fourth quarter: Patty Mills. The team had more than enough with JJJ, Bryant, Highsmith, Delon Wright and Jamal Cain. The advantage peaked at 60 with Cain’s step-back triple with 21 seconds left.

What more proof does the public need that this was a tune-up game that Cain got some action and Adebayo attempted three triples, making two? The latter has attempted at least three 3-pointers once in his career.

The Heat won 142-82; it’s the largest win in franchise history. The unit had 56 paint points, 32 on the break, six via second chances, 36 after turnovers and 69 from the bench.

The Heat’s six double-figure scorers were Bryant (26), Rozier (22), Adebayo (21), Highsmith (20), Mills (17) and Jaquez (12).

The Trail Blazers picked up 52 interior points, seven in the open court, 14 on extra tries, 11 after turnovers and 23 from the reserves.

Portland’s double-digit scorers were Henderson (20), Ayton (18), Banton (12) and Murray (11).

Bryant handled the on-court interview. He said, “I try to come out with the same energy every time out and just try to give us some relief for our guys out there.”

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra was asked how coverages could shift if the three-point shot became a more significant part of Adebayo’s game. He said, “I think it would be a cool thing to explore, for sure. It will take some time before schemes change from other teams… We’re probably going to look back on this, four or five years from now, and not even remember these kinds of discussions.”

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Evan Mobley’s return nor divine intervention could stop the Cavaliers from getting slayed by the Heat at Kaseya Center.

The Heat was missing Tyler Herro (foot), Duncan Robinson (back), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (ankle) and Kevin Love (heel). The Cavaliers were absent Donovan Mitchell (knee), Max Strus (knee) and Dean Wade (knee).

Early, the Heat’s zone and man coverage neutralized three of the Cavaliers’ top available snipers- Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro and Sam Merrill- to one of eight makes. But Jarrett Allen cut for a layup, hooked once in the lane off a pick-and-roll set with Garland and caught a lob from Georges Niang after the Heat blitzed up top. Evan Mobley ran a give-and-go with Allen, swishing a triple; He also spitefully jammed over backline defender Thomas Bryant. Niang canned two trays.

On offense, the Heat saw lite work. Butler scored in transition through contact, pump-faked Mobley out of bounds for a corner three and made four freebies. Adebayo connected on a jumper at the nail and two gorgeous left-handed hooks- the first posting up Niang and the second spinning in the paint with Allen on his hip. And Haywood Highsmith drained a right-wing triple and cut up the baseline for a lob from Terry Rozier.

Through one quarter, the Heat was ahead 32-22, shooting 57.9% to the Cavaliers’ 45%.

Next, the home squad climbed to an 18-point advantage nearly four minutes later. Highsmith kept thriving, nailing two catch-and-release threes and a putback. The rest of the unit registered five of 14 baskets in the period, but it got a boost, creating contact at close range and tallying nine marks at the line. Cleveland’s worst offenders here were DG and Mobley, picking up five fouls between them and at the end of the interval, the former was penalized for his fourth, recklessly trying to take a charge on Butler.

Defensively, the guests were strangled with the zone and the 2-2-1 press leading into it, making one of six 3-pointers and failing on another in transition. The Heat’s protections were so sharp that the Cavs didn’t get one attempt in the restricted area in the second quarter.

At halftime, the Heat was up 60-39. It had 26 paint points, six on the break, two via second chances, 14 after turnovers and 26 from the bench.

Butler had 13 points on two shots and eight recorded freebies, with three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Highsmith had 13 points on five of six attempts, and picked up four rebounds, one assist and one steal. And Adebayo added 11 to his scorecard on 71.4% shooting, with seven boards and three steals.

The Cavaliers racked up 14 interior points, none on the break or on extra tries, two after turnovers and 12 from the reserves.

Allen had nine points on three of six ventures, with four rebounds and two assists. Mobley scored seven on four shots and recovered a rebound in his first game since March 5 (ankle). And Garland plus Niang had six points apiece. The other Cavs supplied four of 16 baskets.

In the third, the lifeless Cavs only had two members score multiple field goals – rookie Craig Porter Jr. and elder statesman Tristan Thompson. The Heat choked Cleveland’s offense, permitting nine points through 10 minutes, causing damage with the zone and man coverage. In that stretch, Nikola Jović canned consecutive triples and finished on the break, fed by a Magic Johnson-esque bounce pass from Adebayo. The Heat’s lead was later stuffed to 40 points as Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff fumed on the sideline.

Cleveland’s instructor conceded a minute-and-change into the fourth quarter. He inserted the infrequently used backup Damian Jones (center) and rookie project Emoni Bates (guard). They played the rest of the game and were the only Cavs to produce multiple field goals late.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra slowly subbed in his background players and with over four minutes left, Jamal Cain buried a right-wing banger, giving the Heat a 45-point edge. At that moment, he was joined by Cole Swider, Delon Wright, Orlando Robinson and Bryant.

The Heat won 121-84 and out-rebounded its rival by 14. On top of that, the squad had 50 paint points, 24 on the break, six via second chances, 35 after turnovers and 59 from the bench.

Highsmith dispensed 18 points on seven of 10 looks, with five rebounds, two assists and one steal. Butler had 15 points on six shots, with three rebounds and six assists. Adebayo put up 15 on the scoreboard, with 16 rebounds, three assists and five steals. And Rozier and Bryant had 14 points apiece.

The Cavaliers had 34 interior points, two in the open court, four on extra tries, 11 after turnovers, and 46 from the reserves.

Mobley was the lone guest to score in double figures- 15 points on four of six attempts, with four rebounds and an assist. Allen had tallied nine marks, four rebounds and three dimes. The other starters made six of 19 baskets in the game.

Highsmith handled the on-court interview. He said, [Udonis Haslem] always says, ‘Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,’ and I take that to heart. I’m always in the gym, working, putting in extra shots. Whether I play or don’t play, [I’ll be] ready, and I’m here for whatever the team needs.”

At the postgame presser, Spoelstra said, “We were able to get some easy [points] off of some turnovers, stops, long rebounds… In order to see the ball go in sometimes, in an easy way, you have to do a bunch of very difficult things defensively, and we were committed to that.”
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