Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat couldn’t overcome turd quarter vs Thunder in Oklahoma City

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Despite controlling the game early on the second night of a road back-to-back, the Heat’s offense fell apart in the third quarter and its embers were extinguished late by Shai Gilgeous Alexander.

Early, Jimmy Butler attacked the basket, scoring the Heat’s first six points. But Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson were cold- the former missed a jumper badly on the baseline and was denied by Luguentz Dort’s help defense, and the latter missed a pair of well-contested triples.

Halfway through the frame, coach Erik Spoelstra subbed out Nikola Jović and put in rookie Jaimie Jaquez Jr.. JJJ saved the Heat from an embarrassing start, creating contact on drives, making four freebies, hooking over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the post, beating everyone on the break and splashing a left-wing triple.

SGA countered for the hosts, registering 10 first-quarter points, primarily striking the lane against man coverage and the zone. Josh Giddey picked up three dimes. And the rest of the group made seven of 17 baskets, as no other Thunder player made more than one field goal.

After 12 minutes, the Heat led 29-27.

Then newcomer Patty Mills- the 15-year veteran who signed with the club on Wednesday- was unleashed. He registered four of five baskets, hitting three triples when the defense overreacted to inside pressure and nailed a midrange floater on the right side after Dort closed out too hard to the wing on the pass.

Butler scored twice in the second frame- a layup, low on the right side in the first minute and another in the last 42 seconds of the half, totaling five points. Additionally, Jaquez was still burning. He spun past Josh Giddey on the baseline for a layup over Chet Holmgren, successfully rolled right after the handoff from Adebayo and scored from the dunker spot when left alone.

Defensively, the Heat slowed down the Thunder and SGA. Help was sent when he beat Terry Rozier to the paint, stopping his layup. Two of his 3-point attempts were triumphantly contested, and Haywood Highsmith forced him into a difficult step-back jumper inside the right wing to end the half. His running mate, Jalen Williams, was the only host to record multiple field goals in the frame, and the Thunder was held to seven of 20 makes.

At halftime, the Heat was up 57-47 and up on the glass by five. The group had 28 paint points, eight on the break, one from an extra try, six after turnovers and 33 from the bench. Jaquez was the high Heatle with 17 points on six of seven attempts. Next were Butler and Mills, each with 11. And Adebayo struggled to score, logging three points, but had four assists and six rebounds.

The Thunder picked up 22 interior points, eight in the open court, 11 via second chances, seven after turnovers and 14 from the reserves. SGA dispensed 14 points on five of 12 attempts. And Williams had eight on 42.9% shooting.

Then, two-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter, the Heat climbed to a 14-point lead following a Robinson right-wing banger. The unit missed its next six field goals over five minutes as the Thunder neutralized Adebayo’s pick-and-pop jumper in the paint and disrupted three of Rozier’s shots from close, medium and long range.

In that span, as the Heat’s offense was useless, the Thunder rattled off 17 straight points courtesy of SGA getting anything he wanted in the middle, Giddey punishing a double team on SGA from distance, plus Williams piercing the zone and burying a 3-pointer. The Thunder out-produced the Heat by 16 points in the sequence to lead 77-73 to start the fourth.

The guests made six of 14 buckets over eight minutes but were down seven on the scoreboard. Following up with five in a row- Rozier’s transition gash, corner triple and pick and pop shot, a three-footer from Butler and fallaway three from Robinson- still had the club behind by four.

SGA’s impact was as loud as a high-voltage thunderstorm, pulling up on his jump shot going right and left for a dozen more marks. And Aaron Wiggins connected on a second-chance triple, beat Caleb Martin to the cup for a layup and dusted Haywood Highsmith on the baseline, dunking as Rozier got out of the way. The lever that brought down the guillotine was Williams dribbling past JJJ and Adebayo’s help for a left-handed finish.

The Heat lost 100-107. The crew had 48 paint points, eight on the break, five on added attempts, 10 after turnovers and 45 from the bench. Jaquez led the group with 25 points on 10 of 13 looks. Butler’s 20 on 50% shooting followed.

The Thunder collected 46 interior points, 12 in the open court, 23 on extra tries, 18 after turnovers and 28 from the reserves. SGA had 37 points on 13 of 25 shots. Williams dropped 15. And Giddey tallied 11.

At the postgame presser, Spoelstra said, “If we could have finished off a couple more possessions, we might’ve had an opportunity to hold them under 100 [points].

In the locker room, Jaquez said, “Unfortunately, we didn’t get it done tonight, but we are going to learn from this and get better.”

The Heat is 9-0 when holding teams under 100 points in 2023-24. The team will not practice on Saturday (3/9).
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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Luka Dončić and the Mavericks put the Heat away late in the fourth quarter

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The Heat hung around with the Mavericks until it was floored by the knockout blows with two minutes left.

Tyler Herro (foot) and Kevin Love (heel) were absent.  As was Josh Richardson (shoulder), who will miss the rest of the season.

Early, the Heat stunned the Mavericks, converting 13 of its first 15 attempts and 36 points on 71.4% shooting in the frame. Terry Rozier channeled Heat legend Tim Hardaway, setting up Nikola Jović on the go for a layup, lobbing to Bam Adebayo, and finding him ahead of everyone upcourt for buckets plus scored eight points. And Duncan Robinson buried three trays and cut on the right side for a layup assisted by Jović.

Defensively, the visitors permitted the Mavericks 28 on the scoreboard. Luka Dončić scored over Rozier in the post, nailed a pair of triples and pierced the paint for a floater. Kyrie Irving added seven points and two dimes. The rest of the Mavericks made five of nine baskets in the period.

But the Heat went cold in the second interval, making 43% of tries in the lane and failing nearly every attempt from the top of the key, wings and right corner. Adebayo was ineffective, and Butler was passive; together, they supplied seven points on two six shots. Yet, Jaime Jaquez Jr. canned a corner triple and finished a layup on the right side.

The Mavericks attack was just as poor against man-to-man coverage and the zone. Dallas’ Dante Exum and Derrick Jones Jr failed on fast break dunks, the half-court sets were predictable and deep shots were contested cleanly. In the frame, the Mavericks tallied 28 points on seven of 21 shots.

At halftime, the Heat was up 58-54 and ahead on the glass by one. Additionally, it picked up 24 paint points, eight on the break, two on second chances, six after turnovers and 20 from the bench. Robinson was the scoring leader with 14 on five of five ventures. JJJ and Caleb Martin had eight apiece.

The Mavericks had 20 interior points, nine in the open court, six on extra tries, 11 after turnovers and 17 from the reserves. Dončić dropped a dozen points with four dimes and three rebounds. And Irving had 11 on his ledger with two assists.

Then Dončić seized the quarter, recording five assists, spinning past Rozier in the post, breaking into the paint on a pick-and-roll set for a jumper over Adebayo and swishing three 3-pointers. Irving added seven points, and the Mavericks took a 10-point lead late in the third.

For the Heat, Jovič registered seven fruitless minutes, and Butler was invisible for nine. In spite of that, Robinson tacked on five more, and Rozier kept the ember burning. The latter isolated his mismatch, PJ Washington, for a layup on the right side, canned a floater over Dereck Lively II, who is a foot taller (7-foot-1) and made two deep shots.

Butler cracked open the fourth quarter, hitting a left elbow jumper over Washington. He also made another over the same cover on the baseline and drove left past him for a midrange pull-up. His last basket was a fall-away jumper guarded by Exum that gave the Heat a 101-100 lead with four minutes left.

Adebayo, Robinson and Rozier missed five shots the rest of the way. But Rozier made the last two baskets- a left-wing triple facing drop coverage and slashing the lane for dos puntos.

The Mavericks recorded 23 points on eight of 19 looks in the fourth quarter. While the hosts led by two with under three minutes left, Dončić raised for a trifecta up top. He tried another with 93 seconds to go and the Mavs up three, but he missed and it was tapped to Irving on the left corner for three points.

After all that, the Heat had a faint pulse in the last 25 seconds, down three and spare time to go for a chance to tie if it could get one last stop. Except, Martin, without looking, swiped at Exum and was flagged for a reach-in foul. Exum made the two freebies, icing the game.

The Heat lost in Dallas 108-114 and was outrebounded by eight. It also had 40 paint points, 12 on the break, five via second chances, 10 after turnovers and 30 from the bench. Rozier put up 27 points on 10 of 17 attempts, plus 11 dimes and six boards. Robinson scored 19 on 70% shooting. Adebayo and Butler each had 14 points.

The Mavericks had 38 interior points, 19 in the open court, 16 on extra tries, 15 after turnovers and 33 from the reserves. Dončić finished with 35 points, making half of his tries with 11 assists and 11 rebounds. Irving provided 23 to the scoreboard on nine of 19 chances.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said, “They were pretty committed to getting the ball out of [Jimmy Butler’s] hands and getting him out of his sweet spots… We have to find different ways then to make sure he gets activated and other ways he can get to his strength zones.”

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Terry Rozier’s big second half propels Heat to win over Pistons

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The Miami Heat withstood the Detroit Pistons – arguably the most pitiful team in the NBA- after seven lead changes and one tie.

Early, Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier were passive, and Bam Adebayo chronically misfired for the Heat. But Duncan Robinson sprayed drop coverage, pierced the zone, burned Ausar Thompson on the baseline with a hesitation dribble plus the layup and made two freebies.

Additionally, understudy Nikola Jović followed Robinson’s lead, setting up two trays and scoring six points. And Caleb Martin canned two baskets in the lane.

On the other side, the Pistons made a meager one of eight 3-pointers in the first quarter against weak protection. Although, Cade Cunningham logged seven points on three of five looks, including a ferocious slam over Jović. Jaden Ivey hit a bucket at the nail, successfully isolated Adebayo from the top to the cup on the left side and dribbled left to the baseline for a jumper over Robinson.

Next, Detroit’s Jalen Duren threw his weight around on offense, registering four shots in the square, none meaner than the lob over Adebayo and dunk after leaving his counterpart stuck in the post. On top of that, forward Simone Fontecchio made two triples, a floater and three free throws.

Yet, Caleb Martin detonated for 11 points, off-setting the win-starved Pistons’s second-quarter production. The only other Heatle in the frame to log multiple field goals was Rozier, swishing two midrange jumpers.

At halftime, the Heat was up 61-60 and behind on the glass by two. It had 24 paint points, eight on the break, seven on second chances, seven after turnovers and 24 from the bench. Martin had 15 points. Robinson had 12 on his scoring ledger.

The Pistons scored 28 interior points, three in the open court, seven on extra tries, five after turnovers and 16 from the reserves. Cunningham supplied a dozen points on four of seven shots. Fontecchio and Ivey each had 11. And Duren had 10 points.

Subsequently, the Heat had a shaky start coming out of intermission. The Pistons converted its first four of six baskets out of the break. But Adebayo triumphantly went at Duren three times, at close and midrange. Rozier splashed a few trays. And the rest of the Heatles made four of 10 shots in the period.

Defensively, the Heat contained visitors to 33.3% shooting in the fourth quarter. Ivey got free on the break for a layup through traffic and scored off a handoff. And Cunningham drove right for a four-foot finish and broke a trap on the left side for an elbow jumper. No other Piston tallied multiple field goals in the quarter as the Heat slowed down dribble penetration and contested outside jumpers on time.

For the Miami team, Butler closed the deal with a rim roll, driving past Evan Fournier and Fontecchio on the left side for a couple of layups, a right-wing pull-up triple and six freebies. The next scoring leader for the club in the fourth was Jaime Jaquez Jr., who put up a second-chance effort and hit a floater over Duren.

The Heat won 118-110 and were tied on the glass at 42. Furthermore, the hosts racked up 48 paint points, 16 on the break, 15 on second chances, 25 after turnovers and 31 from the bench. Butler logged 26 points on seven of 13 attempts, with eight assists and six rebounds. Adebayo and Robinson dropped 18 apiece. And Rozier had 17 points.

The Pistons had 48 interior points, nine on the break, 16 on extra tries, 14 after turnovers and 35 from the bench. Cunningham contributed 23 points on eight of 20 shots with eight dimes and four rebounds. Fontecchio was next on the scorecard with 22 points, making 43.8% of field goals.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said, “I anticipated it would be a physical, competitive game and it was every bit of that.”

In the locker room, Adebayo spoke on Jović’s impact. He said, “He is taking advantage of his opportunities. Obviously, he’s a great, willing passer.” The big man also added that Jović makes the team more dynamic.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat win, outdueling Jazz in the second half

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Early, the Heat’s prosperous long-range marksmanship and Jimmy Butler’s shot creation – nine points and four dimes- carried the unit in the first quarter. The Jazz were slow to contest in transition and gave up threes because of overreacting to the ball handler.

Defensively, the group neutralized Utah’s Lauri Markkanen in the paint, and he missed deep jumpers he usually buries. But Rookie Keyonte George and Collin Sexton did damage- the former incinerated the Heat’s outside protection and beat Bam Adebayo on a switch to the cup for a layup; the latter added six points. The rest of the visitors converted six of 11 baskets in the frame, plus added nine second-chance points.

Through 12 minutes, the Heat was behind 30-34.

Then, after nearly six wasted minutes, the Jazz’s offense came back to life. Big man Taylor Hendricks turned three offensive rebounds into six punishing points. John Collins scored on a pick-and-roll play with Sexton on the left side and swished a transition triple. And Sexton dribbled by Jaime Jaquez Jr, pivoted past Terry Rozier and hit a left-side floater over Duncan Robinson.

For the Heat, Caleb Martin supplied three triples. Adebayo had three paint finishes. And the rest of the squad registered five of 13 attempts.

At halftime, the Heat was down 58-62 and outrebounded by six. The hosts produced 22 paint points, two on the break, three on second chances, zero after turnovers and 16 from the bench. Butler had a dozen on five shots. Adebayo also had 12 on the scoring ledger. And D. Robinson was next with seven on three of seven looks.

The Jazz had 30 interior points, two in the open court, 17 on extra tries, three after turnovers and 15 from the reserves. Sexton dropped 12 points and three assists. Collins had 10 on his scorecard and four rebounds. And George picked up nine points.

Then George came out blasting, canning two 3-pointers, driving left for a layup with Butler on his right hip and making a baseline jumper over Orlando Robinson. Markkanen added five points from the line, and the remaining Jazz poured in five of 11 buckets.

But Butler countered, successfully striking the paint five times and contributing a corner triple. He scored 18 of the club’s 32 points in the third quarter. Additionally, Rozier scored six points and set up his teammates three times. Nikola Jović provided three dimes as well.

After three quarters, the match was tied at 90. Markkanen dispensed 12 points, and George added just as many. Despite their sharpshooting keeping the Jazz afloat, the group committed five turnovers late because of the Heat’s 2-2-1 press and tight man coverage hounding the ball.

For the hosts, Adebayo launched its assault with a turnaround jumper over former Heatle Ömer Yurtseven. As the sequence drew to a close, he made three freebies, hooked over Markkanen from six feet away, spun past Collins in the post for a finger roll finish and put back Rozier’s miss in transition.

Moreover, Butler and Martin combined for 14 fourth-quarter points on eight tries. And regardless of missing five trays (1/5) late, the Heat still tallied 36 more points to close the game. (With two minutes left in the game, Butler’s right arm accidentally caught Martin in the mouth after George’s missed runner. Martin was subbed out for D. Robinson and got six stitches, per the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang.)

The Heat won 126-120 but got outrebounded by eight. The team had 62 paint points, 14 on the break, nine on second chances, 13 after turnovers and 32 from the bench. Butler was the scoring leader with 37 on 12 of 19 attempts, with seven assists. Next was Adebayo with 23 on 67% shooting, plus seven rebounds.

The Jazz racked up 50 interior points, seven in the open court, 26 on extra tries, three after turnovers and 20 from the reserves. George dropped 31 points on 12 of 23 looks. Markkanen had 25 on 33.3% shooting. And Collins and Sexton had 18 apiece.

At the postgame presser, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, “When Bam [Adebayo] and Jimmy [Butler] play with that competitive spirit…our guys feel like we can beat anyone.”

In the locker room, Butler said the game was in the mud and similar to Playoff basketball. On the topic of getting the ball in the post, he said, “If anybody [has] the mismatch, get them the ball. We expect them to score or make the right play out of it.”

The Heat’s record improved to 34-26, sitting at sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The team will not practice Sunday.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Nuggets cool off Heat in Denver

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The Denver Nuggets outlasted the Heat in the first Finals rendezvous of the season on the second night of a back-to-back. The hosts opened the game on a 9-0 run, and minutes later, they forced Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s hand to call a timeout as the advantage reached double-digits.

Denver sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr. buried a wing triple and made a layup in transition. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shattered outside protections with three trifectas. Nikola Jokić directed the offense as a conductor would a symphony, setting up feeds to three snipers, plus spinning past Bam Adebayo at close range. And the rest of the team converted five of 11 shots, racing out to a 36-20 lead in the first quarter.

On the Heat side, understudy Nikola Jović canned a 3-pointer and scored on the dunker spot. Caleb Martin finished two layups. But not much else happened against man-to-man coverage until Jimmy Butler logged two straight baskets at the end of the period.

Yet, six early points to start the second quarter for the guests was enough for Nuggets coach Michael Malone to call a stoppage. Two dribble handoffs for Robinson, resulting in trays followed, as well two inside baskets for Terry Rozier. No other Heat player recorded more than a field goal in the second frame, but Jaime Jaquez Jr, Adebayo, Rozier and Butler combined for 10 of 12 freebies.

Defensively, the crew held the hosts to 23.8% shooting in the sequence by contesting jump shots on time after the catch. On top of that, doubling in the post and deflecting passes in traffic, created five turnovers.

With over three minutes to go in the first half and the Nuggets’ lead cut to six points, Jamal Murray received a handoff from Aaron Gordon that initiated a pick-and-roll set with Jokić at the top. As Murray dribbled down the left side and passed to his center cutting down the middle, his left foot accidentally stepped on AG’s right shoe. KCP didn’t hesitate to foul, getting his hurt teammate out of the game. (Murray then walked to the locker room and didn’t return for the next half.)

At halftime, the Heat was behind on the scoreboard 51-56 and tied on the glass at 22. Additionally, it racked up 22 paint points, eight on the break, nine via second chances, six after turnovers and nine from the bench. Rozier led all scorers inefficiently, with 10 points on two of seven shots. Butler had nine points, followed by Adebayo, Robinson and Martin, each with eight.

The Nuggets scored 18 interior points, seven on the break, nine on second tries, 11 after turnovers and five from the reserves. MPJ was the high Nugget, registering 18 points on seven of 12 attempts. Next was KCP, with 13 on his ledger and AG’s eight.

Yet, the Heat’s offense stalled out in the third interval, thanks to the Nuggets’ length in the backline disrupting anything Adebayo tried in the paint and the outside defense permitting only 33% of hoisted triples. The Denver outfit contained last year’s first losers to 19 points in the quarter.

Inversely, Porter sprayed the Heat with five baskets- driving on the baseline for a layup after pump-faking Jović, canning two threes, attacking the middle for a five-footer and fading over Martin on the right side. Moreover, Jokić contributed four points, four dimes and four rebounds as the home squad established a 13-point lead entering the final frame.

Jokić carried the champs in fourth, connecting on a turnaround jumper between two defenders, hooking over Adebayo and making four free throws.

But, after making eight of 18 shots through nine minutes, the Heat was down by seven. Next, four consecutive baskets were logged- Adebayo shooting over Jokić twice and Rozier swishing a pair of jumpers.

With 40 seconds left and the Heat four points below, Jokić, at the nail, illegally extended his right arm, clipping Adebayo, and was called for a foul and possession changed. On the next play, Rozier and Adebayo ran a pick-and-pop set that got the former open on the right wing facing Jokić in drop coverage. Rozier airballed.

On the other end, KCP missed a corner 3-pointer, and Butler got downhill quickly for a layup the Nuggets gave him because they didn’t want any trays inflicted on them. Subsequently, the free throw formality followed.

The Heat lost 97-103. It had 48 paint points, 12 on the break, 11 via second chances, 12 after turnovers and 16 from the bench. Adebayo scored 22 points on eight of 18 looks with seven boards. Next, Butler supplied 21 on 41.2% shooting and seven rebounds. Rozier had 19 points on six of 15 attempts.

The Nuggets gathered 40 interior points, nine in the open court, 13 on extra chances, 15 after turnovers and 15 from the reserves. Porter had 30 points, making 52.2% of tries, plus 11 rebounds. Jokić had 18 points and 11 rebounds. And KCP produced 18 on his scorecard.

In the locker room, Adebayo said, “We missed a lot of shots we usually make.”

When asked about assessing the overall performance, Butler said, “They’re where we want to be in the sense of finding a way to win. [Jamal Murray] went down, and they kept at it… We’re not quite there just yet, but we have a little bit more time to get there.”

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat win in Portland, overpowering Trail Blazers in second half

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It used to be a rose garden, but now it’s just a heap of dead flowers at the Moda Center- the remains of lost hope and dreams. One can only wonder what emotions stirred in Joe Cronin’s mind when Jaime Jaquez and Nikola Jovic- two NBA younglings- boosted the Heat during its second-half comeback.

Tyler Herro was absent (knee), and so was Josh Richardson (shoulder) for the Heat. The Blazers were missing Malcolm Brogdon (elbow), Shaedon Sharpe (abdomen) and Robert Williams III (knee).

But early, even with Terry Rozier’s return from a knee injury, nothing worked for the Heat on the second night of a back-to-back as it fell to a 15-point deficit. Portland’s Deandre Ayton hit a pair of jumpers and slammed a lob. Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant combined for five opening trays. And the Heat misfired on 15 of 21 attempts against man coverage and the 2-3 zone. At the end of the first quarter, the Trail Blazers led 28-15.

In the next frame, Ayton kept getting loose on two rim rolls, plus faced up Bam Adebayo and hooked over him in the lane. Portland’s second-round pick Toumani Camara even splashed two triples and a layup against the Heat’s zone.

But Butler retaliated, spinning past Grant and Duop Reath for consecutive finishes with contact. On the next play, he initiated the fastbreak and hit newcomer Delon Wright cutting on the baseline for a layup. And he set up Adebayo for two pick-and-pop jumpers in the paint.

Additionally, Rozier got to the cup in the open court, made a 3-pointer over drop coverage, and Wright set up two scores.

At halftime, the Heat was behind on the scoreboard 46-56 and outrebounded by six. The crew accumulated 26 paint points, six on the break, four via second chances and six after turnovers. Butler had 10 points, six assists and two steals. Adebayo and Rozier each had eight points.

The Blazers supplied 18 interior points, none on the break, nine from extra tries and 15 after turnovers. Ayton, Camara and Grant were its big three in the first half, uniting for 39 points on 14 of 23 shots.

(Ayton didn’t play the second half after hurting his hand on a collision with Kevin Love in the first. Duop Reath started in his place.)

Then the Heat kicked off the third quarter with an 8-0 run, courtesy of Robinson’s back-to-back trifectas and Butler’s dunk on the break. The guest’s avalanche followed with Butler canning a 3-pointer when left alone at the wing, Adebayo scoring in transition and Jović making two deep shots and a lob on the break. In the period, the Heat recorded 34 points on 11 of 16 ventures.

Defensively, the visitors locked up the Trail Blazers to 30.4% shooting in the third quarter with sharp man coverage and some zone. On top of that, the Heat permitted zero field goals (0 for eight) in the last four minutes of the interval, taking its first lead of the evening and going up by four heading into the fourth.

Despite the Blazers making five of 10 baskets to begin the quarter, the Heat was stronger. Martin seized the baseline for two points, Love made a top-of-the-key three, Butler connected on a baseline jumper over a double team, Rozier hit consecutive buckets, and the hosts didn’t hold on to the rope much longer.

Moreover, the Heat conceded 64% of attempts in the paint, late, but the Blazers failed on six 3-point attempts and three were open enough.

The Heat won 106-98, improving to an 18-12 road record (15-13 at Kaseya Center). The group had 40 paint points, 10 on the break, five on second chances and 11 after turnovers. Butler was the high Heatle, producing 22 on the scorecard, with four steals, two blocks, nine dimes and four boards. Rozier had 19 points, Robinson scored 17 and Adebayo contributed 13.

The Trail Blazers finished with 40 points in the square, two in the open court, 20 on additional opportunities and 23 after turnovers. Simons led the unit, scoring 26, followed by Grant’s 24 and Camara’s 17.

Rozier handled the on-court interview. He said he was anxious to suit up during the All-Star break and that he’s pleased to be healthy, providing and earning the recent win. When asked about the biggest challenge of playing with the team, he said, “Going from losing to winning.”

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said, “It was a challenging start to the game, but I thought this was a very good response, particularly in the second half. You could clearly see, [the Heat] were a little bit in the mud… We were playing a lot out of [Butler] and [Adebayo] in the post, and they were able to produce.”

The Heat will not practice on Wednesday.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Bam Adebayo leads Heat to win in fourth quarter

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Coming out of the All-Star break in New Orleans, the Miami Heat got away with a dub at Smoothie King Center after tensions flared in the fourth, and the refs threw two players from each side. (Nikola Jovic started for Terry Rozier (right knee sprain). Josh Richardson was also out (dislocated shoulder).

As the Heat’s lead climbed to 19 points in the first half, the shooting display was like watching Sonny Corleone ride up to the toll booth. Herro made four consecutive shots. Jimmy Butler attacked from all sides, supplying 17 points. And Duncan Robinson connected on four of nine triples.

Defensively, the Heat deployed man coverage plus used the 2-2-1 press to slow down the Pelicans dribbling upcourt and the 2-3 zone in the halfcourt. NOLA’s Zion Williamson blasted through switches, scoring a reverse layup on the baseline, and logged four more close-range finishes. Additionally, CJ McCollum was held to one of seven makes, but he played through pain after twisting his left ankle.

Nearly five minutes into the second quarter, the Heat’s advantage bloated to 49-30. Then Herb Jones splashed a corner triple when Williamson was doubled and spun past Butler in transition for a six-foot floater. Williamson rolled to the rim for a layup and the Pelicans recorded eight of its last 14 attempts to close out the half on a 28-9 run.

At halftime, the game was tied at 58, but the hosts were ahead on the glass by eight. The Heat had 20 paint points, 11 on the break, two via second chances and five after turnovers. Butler tallied 17 on his scorecard with six rebounds and four assists. And Robinson and Herro each had a dozen points.

The Pelicans racked up 34 points in the square, nine in the open court, 13 on extra tries and 11 after turnovers. Williamson and Jones had 14 points apiece, but the latter was perfect on six attempts.

Next, the home team started the third quarter with Jose Alvarado in McCollum’s place. The Puerto Rican point guard contributed a donut, missing three tries. On top of that, Williamson missed in the paint guarded by Jovic, blanked over the backline and failed on a putback. The Heat capped the Pelicans to 40% shooting in the third quarter.

On offense, Adebayo cut on the baseline for a dunk, intercepted Williamson’s pass, got loose on the break and canned a midrange jumper over Jonas Valančiūnas. Butler registered a putback and an alley-oop dunk that a Tyler Herro back screen freed Herb Jones off of. And Caleb Martin had three assists, setting up Adebayo and Herro.

The Heatles entered the fourth quarter ahead 84-80, but tensions blazed 41 seconds into the period. The cause: Williamson stole the ball from Butler in Heat territory and quickly burst into the air for a layup, but was grabbed by Kevin Love to avoid the easy bucket. Yet, Williamson flopped after the contact, throwing himself to the ground. Subsequently, NOLA’s Naji Marshall shoved Love. Butler took exception, confronting Marshall and getting his throat grabbed, which set him off. He tried to get at the Pelicans forwards, but was stopped.

Close by, at the scorer’s table, as heads were cooling, Miami’s Thomas Bryant and Alvarado were exchanging words, then hands. When that scuffle broke, Butler, Bryant, Alvarado and Marshall were ejected. Game on.

Minus the Heat’s best player and fourth-string center, Adebayo carried the unit. He swished a nine-foot jumper, nailed a turnaround hook with Valančiūnas on his back, euro-stepped to the cup on the left side for a layup, and made two fadeaways and a hook over Larry Nance Jr.. The other Heatles poured in just three of 12 buckets.

(With under two minutes left, Herro hurt his left knee, stopping on a dime next to the sideline and left the game.)

On defense, Adebayo locked Williamson up at close range and the backline swarmed his drive. Rookie Jordan Hawkins was held to one of seven makes. And the remaining Pelicans scored on 33% of tries.

The Heat won 106-95 but were outrebounded by eight. Furthermore, the Heat produced 46 paint points, 18 on the break, 11 on second chances and 18 after turnovers. Adebayo supplied 24 points on 11 of 18 shots, with seven rebounds and three blocks. Butler had 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. And Robinson had 17 points.

The Pelicans had 60 interior points, 15 in the open court, 25 on added opportunities and 15 after turnovers. Williamson scored 23 points on nine of 22 attempts. And Herbert Jones had 19 on 80% shooting.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said he thought Williamson “slipped” after Love fouled him. “It looked a lot worse than what it was… I don’t think on K. Love’s best day, he could throw [Williamson] down.”

In the locker room, Herro said his knee was sore and would see how it felt in the morning.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Bam Adebayo should add the 3-point shot to his game

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Did you see that?

The one possession that mattered in the All-Star Game for Heat supporters: Bam Adebayo dribbled upcourt, pulled up and swished a trifecta over Nikola Jokić. Instantly, the masses wondered how much his game could leap forward. If only TNT’s broadcast crew had the chops to quote Heat play-by-play caller Eric Reid with a well-deserved “Ka-Bam.”

Hopefully, it’s not something #13 abandons going forward. If so, it would further indict the unseriousness of the event and be a lost opportunity, too. When he came into the league, he couldn’t throw a brick into the ocean. Seven years later, his range has expanded to middle and he’s one of the top bigs in that zone. But he could do more.

In the modern NBA, barely any team knows how to cover the 3-point line. Even reputable defenders sag off the best shooters and sometimes a weak outside option is left alone behind the arc. And worse- defenders commit the cardinal sin of fouling 3-point shooters, trying to block the attempt as if many are even rejected on the perimeter.

Adebayo should punish defenses when they treat him like Draymond Green from distance. Yes, running the dribble handoff for a teammate in that spot ensures plenty of space and time if the screen is solid. But a teammate curling from the corner or baseline can take an extra second or two. He should start taking at least one triple nightly when the perimeter opens up for him. If he starts burying them, his matchup can’t play safety to trap his teammates. Eventually, an opposing player will send him to the stripe for three.

At Media Day for the 2021-22 campaign, Adebayo brazenly said he would start firing threes and wanted to be a shooter. That season, he missed all six of his deep tries, followed by one of 12 triples in 2022-23. This year, he’s logged one of 11 3-pointers through 45 outings.

Adebayo has frequently worked on outside marksmanship at the end of warmups for about three seasons. Still, he’s hardly found the nerve to attempt them in meaningful game moments, and that’s too bad. There always comes a time- no matter how badly he wants to set up his teammate- that the right move will be to take one himself.

To be clear, he should have the shot in his bag because it moves him closer to being a complete player. Yet, turning into a trigger-happy soft-big is the last thing the Heat needs. The latter would likely prevent him from setting career highs, like this year, in free throw attempts (6.3), and where he will always inflict the most pressure is in the paint.

To my knowledge, there is no incentive in Adebayo’s contract for making threes. But the Heat should consider adding it in his next extension, or coach Erik Spoelstra or anyone of rank could open up their wallets and fork out $1,600 per made triple. Club president Pay Riley used to pay his Knicks that much when taking charges. Despite NBAers being millionaires, monetary gains will still spike their interest.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: NBA’s All-Star Game is a waste of time

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The All-Star Game was once an anticipated, star-studded spectacle that attracted casual observers, hard-core fans, and those who covered the game because of its dazzling plays, fierce competition and passionate participants. Now, it’s a sham. – an unserious, nearly three-hour lollygag fest that sedates viewers at home and players can’t wait for it to end.

Believe it or not, defense was once expected and highlight plays on that side captivated the crowd and audience at home.

For example, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rejected six shots in the 1980 ASG. In 1987, Hakeem Olajuwon was so active on D that he fouled out. In 1990, coach Hubie Brown, working as a broadcaster, said during the first half of the game, “Guys are making shots, but the defense is right up there, challenging it, and you can feel the intensity level. People are in this game and appreciate defense.”

What changed? Players don’t have interest, and many insult the intelligence of observers with drivel: We don’t want to get hurt.

It’s gotten so bad that at last year’s postgame presser, Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone (2023 West ASG coach) said it was the worst game ever played and that he didn’t know if it was fixable.

Then Utah forward Lauri Markkanen tried to be diplomatic, saying games with high and low RPMs are worthwhile. “It’s fun to get out there and do some dunks and stuff like that. But we’re all competitors. I think everyone would enjoy [it] if we play against each other and it gets competitive.”

And Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was asked at press if more defense is preferred. He said, “Safety first right? You don’t want anyone to get injured.” He added that the exhibition in Chicago in 2020 was the best one he’s been a part of. (Seventy 3-pointers were attempted in the 2020 ASG.)

Word. And the fans don’t want to get ripped off. Imagine forking out between $400-27,000 for some seats and/or meet and greet passes, then most of the players treat the event like a walkthrough. It wasn’t cute when Warriors guard Stephen Curry laid down as if artillery fire was blasting to the side as Giannis Antetokounmpo advanced on the break for a dunk in 2017. And LeBron James hammering the rim on uncontested lobs is boring, too.

And worst of all, the broadcasters, who in fairness are league partners, gaslighting the audience into thinking what they are watching is quality is some underhanded trash.

The reality is injuries can happen at any moment a player steps on the court- for training or competition- and that’s something reps in the NBA office will tell you themselves. The attitude adopted by current All-Stars disrespects the past entrants that busted their rears in this exhibition when the league wasn’t a billionaire-dollar empire. The OGs going hard in the ASG helped grow the game and, in turn, the league, making everyone richer and happier today.

These players don’t have a clue or are too shallow to care. In 1964, way before guaranteed contracts, undervalued NBAers, such as Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas, Wayne Embry, and the remaining All-Stars threatened to sit out of the game before the league’s first national TV exhibition as union leader Tommy Heinsohn and unofficial member and attorney Larry Fleisher pushed for a boycott. These ballers had something to lose.

According to Sam Smith’s Hard Labor: The Battle That Birthed the Billion-Dollar NBA, owners tried to bully the players to suit up, informing them the league would dissolve if it got humiliated on TV. But pensions and workplace rights mattered to the athletes more. Eventually, owners caved, in writing, to discussing pensions at a later time. Subsequently, the show went on, and Robertson won Most Valuable Player at Boston Garden that evening in front of 13,464 fans.

Perhaps current hoopers wouldn’t give fans the proverbial bird if more knew what it was like for the torchbearers previously. And sadly, the way things are going today, players have inadvertently diminished the significance of the ASG MVP crown to nothing. The award used to carry weight for a Hall of Fame ballot, but no mas.

The NBA’s All-Star product is so second-rate that no real basketball lover can watch it and ask for more. For reference, in 2003, the ASG generated 10.8 million viewers in the United States. In 2023, it accumulated 4.6 million observers. The NBA was lucky even that many tuned in.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat defeated by the Celtics and possibly lose Josh Richardson and Terry Rozier for some time

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The Celtics rolled into Kaseya Center and pulled away from the Heat after tensions flared on Super Bowl Sunday. And of course, the setting was filled with a Playoff atmosphere on prime time TV between two rivals who have faced off in three of the last four Eastern Conference Finals.

(Jimmy Butler didn’t play because of the leave of absence following the death of a family member.)

Kristaps Porziņģis exterminated the Heat’s switches and late contests, scoring 11 in the opening frame. Jayson Tatum and Derrick White got into the lane, scoring multiple times. And Jaylen Brown schooled Jaime Jaquez Jr, losing him with his dribble for a fadeaway, pump-faking him out of the picture for a triple, then logging a putback between two defenders.

For the Heat, Caleb Martin and Jaquez were the only working options. Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier were misfiring, connecting on just one of seven looks. And Bam Adebayo went stretches without demanding the ball.

Through 12 minutes, the Celtics led 26-22.

In the second quarter, Tatum sliced the Heat’s zone through the center for a layup, recorded two pull-up left-wing trifectas and made a jumper over Herro on the baseline. Jrue Holiday contributed two trays. And the rest of Gang Green recorded 45% of attempts.

The Heatles were rolling to start the interval, making three of four baskets, but Josh Richardson hurt his right shoulder trying to strip Tatum in transition. He was done for the day.

Then Martin failed three shots and Adebayo went cold, recording one of five buckets, but he made five freebies. Rozier countered the Celtics, eluding a mismatch (Al Horford) for a midrange shot, and successfully dribbling into the paint, plus scoring on four occasions.

At halftime, the Heat was behind 50-59 and tied on the glass at 25. The hosts also had 22 paint points, two on the break, eight via second chances and three after turnovers. Rozier had 11 points on five 12 attempts. Adebayo scored 11 on 33% of looks. And the rest of the club produced 11 of 31 buckets.

The Celtics recorded 24 in the square, none on the break, seven on extra tries and five after turnovers. Porziņģis dropped 16 points on six of nine makes with eight boards and three dimes. Brown had a dozen on half of his ventures. And Tatum added 14 to the scoring ledger on 60% shooting.

Tatum followed up, splashing two fadeaways, driving left past Martin from the top to the rim for a left-handed layup and bumping Rozier, hitting a floater on the baseline. Holiday swished three left-corner trays. And the rest of the Celtics recorded 43% of attempts.

Herro discharged 10 points -catching and firing on the left wing, pulling up for a head-of-the-key triple, finishing up close against drop coverage and beating Sam Hauser from the top to the cup for a layup. And Adebayo shot over the 2-3 zone in the middle and scored a putback.

Yet, seven minutes into the sequence, Rozier dusted Horford outside, busted into the paint, but was fouled by Tatum, the help defender, and came down awkwardly on his right leg. He was then helped to the locker room and didn’t return. The team’s X (formerly Twitter) account said it was his knee, but coach Erik Spoelstra said during a stoppage in play before the fourth that it was his ankle. The Heat has not cleared this up.

The Heat began the fourth quarter down 79-86. Four minutes in, Brown and Robinson got tangled up, battling for position. While Robinson’s arm was behind Brown, he was forcefully yanked forward. The reckless act for a simple foul could have popped Robinson’s shoulder out of place, ending his season like Kevin Love’s courtesy of Kelly Olynyk in 2015. Perhaps frontier justice would have been discharged if Udonis Haslem was still captain.

The refs checked it out, penalizing Brown with a flagrant one, but it should have got him tossed. Robinson was still upset and exchanged unpleasantries with Brown. From that moment forward, the intensity of the game increased 100 degrees.

Subsequently, Adebayo powered through the baseline for a layup and hit a nine-foot jump shot over Porziņģis. Herro drove left for a deuce, made a 3-pointer in front of Horford in drop coverage and another on the right wing, facing Brown.

But the Celtics got responses from Porziņģis, Tatum and Brown.

With a minute left and the Heat down two points, Haywood Highsmith missed a triple, and Martin foolishly fouled Porziņģis instantly, sending him to the charity line for a pair. Adebayo then missed the next shot at the nail, and the club was now 99% buried. With 15 seconds left and down six points, the Heat inbounded to Herro, and instead of popping a triple to keep the team on life support, went inside for a layup.

The Heat lost 106-110. It racked up 50 paint points, eight on the break, 23 via second chances and 15 after turnovers. Herro had 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. Adebayo logged 22 points with 13 rebounds. The bench had 26 points.

The Celtics had 38 paint points, zero on the break, 19 on extra tries and 10 after turnovers. Tatum had 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Porziņģis had 25 on the scoring ledger with nine boards. Brown registered 20 points and nine rebounds. And the bench produced 18 points.

At the postgame presser, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said it was great that his group got into a confrontation. “We don’t go looking for stuff. But you have to man up… I told our guys at halftime, ‘Expect it to be hard.’”

On the Heat side, coach Erik Spoelstra said Richardson and Terry will get MRIs on Monday.

In the locker room, when speaking about the altercation with Brown, Robinson said, “I thought it was a dirty play. That’s how people miss whole seasons.”

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