Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Mike Budenholzer Dismissed by Bucks

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It’s a shame the basketball gods aren’t real to curse the Milwaukee Bucks with decades of misery.

Thursday, the op canned coach Mike Budenholzer. In his service, the group earned a 39-26 playoff record in five seasons, which included a championship. In that span, his outfit won 271 games in the regular season, third most in franchise history, and lost 120. He was let go while grieving the loss of his brother, who died in a tragic car accident.

Round one against the Heat ended on April 26. It was an unceremonious finale that will haunt the Bucks and its supporters for years. The squad had the top record of 30 teams, led by a man who resembles a demi-god more than a mortal on the court. But he only logged 38% of the minutes in the series. In contrast with Miami’s Jimmy Butler, who recorded 77.5% of the allowed time in round one.

The Bucks are now the sixth first seed in NBA lore to lose to the eighth spot. I suspect future generations won’t be kind to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bud when dusting off the history books and spewing an ill-informed take about something they never saw. Damn them, from now.

There are people today, scribes, TV personalities, fans and ex-leaguers, ripping the Bucks’ racks off—especially Giannis’s answer when asked if the season was a failure.

“Do you get the promotion every year at your job? So every year your work is a failure? Yes or no? No. Every year you work, you work towards a goal…”

It doesn’t seem like Milwaukee’s’ execs took what he said seriously. The Bucks only permitted Budenholzer eight days before telling him to clean his office. Never mind Giannis was hurt. Budenholzer lost family. When people suffer a loss like that, it takes a long time to recover and think clearly.

Firing him now was classless. Budenholzer treated the team like his blood by not taking off to be with his kin. It wasn’t enough for management. Perhaps they, too, are brainwashed by the toxic ring culture in the league, or a sacrifice was needed for the blame of losing in a historic fashion.

Good coaches don’t grow on trees. Budenholzer was adequate enough and achieved the peak of the profession with the team that hadn’t done it in 50 years. It’s revolting that significant accomplishments are easily forgotten in Milwaukee.

Fun fact: Budenholzer is the first NBA coach to get axed when the one seed loses to the eighth. George Karl (1994), Pat Riley (1999), Avery Johnson (2007), Gregg Popovich (2011) and Tom Thibodeau (2012) all kept their jobs.

In his five years as coach, Budenholzer’s team won the most regular season games of 30 groups at 271. Those 39 playoff wins as a coach are the second-most in Bucks history after Don Nelson. Following Budenholzer in regular season wins is Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets with 248 dubs.

I don’t expect Budenzholzer to stay on the market long, unless it’s by his choosing. Apart from coaching, he’s a well-rounded dude who can discuss politics, philosophy and economics with anyone.

Budenholzer deserved better from the Bucks. Hopefully, his next team will be more grateful.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Knicks Defeat Heat in Game 2 Without Jimmy Butler

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Referee ineptitude, late mistakes, and Julius Randle’s return helped even the Knicks-Heat series at 1-1. While Miami was without Jimmy Butler, it still contended with New York until the last minute. As the hosts took a late lead in the fourth quarter, Carmelo Anthony and John Starks celebrated like they had the winning lottery numbers.

Caleb Martin had not started since Feb. 15. But he filled in for Butler as the group’s source of offense until Gabe Vincent almost set MSG ablaze in the second half. For as long as it could, the Heat made the game as muddy as the Delta Blues.

The Heat got started by putting Mitchell Robinson in foul trouble. He picked up two penalties in fewer than three minutes defending Bam Adebayo. Isaiah Hartenstein was summoned for the rest of the first quarter, significantly reducing the protection around the rim.

RJ Barrett and Randle fuelled New York’s barren attack in the first half, combining for 12 of the team’s 16 makes. In the second quarter, Miami flashed its 2-3 zone, and the hosts turned into mainly jump shooters, converting just 20% of deep tries. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau looked repulsed as his unit ignored shattering the coverage by attacking the middle.

Through 24 minutes, Martin had a dozen, Kevin Love and Bam Adebayo logged eight points apiece, and Max Strus and Duncan Robinson each had six.

The Knicks routinely blitzed ball handlers turning past screens. Vincent and Kyle Lowry dissected these doubles by locating the closest snipers on the perimeter.

In the second half, Brunson erupted for 23 points. He darted past defenders for layups, and splashed deep jumpers in front of switches or when left open. His first step also put defenders on his back hip as he gored the lane.

On the other side, Miami’s lead guard, Vincent, countered with 18 points in quarters three and four. He isolated Randle on the wing for a triple and went one-on-one with Barrett for a long baseline jumper. His next two baskets were top of the key trifectas in front of Quentin Grimes and Hartenstein. His last couple of buckets were layups blowing past Barrett and some ballet around Robinson.

In the fourth quarter, the refs blew multiple calls. On one with 5:29 left, Lowry was boxed out by Randle, waiting for a miss to trickle down, but he got flattened like a pancake and was called for the foul. With three minutes left, the Heat was called for a shot clock violation when Vincent recovered Martin’s miss. The ball kissed the rim as the buzzer horned, but Miami never got 14 seconds back. Coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game it was unchallengeable.

The Heat made two significant mistakes in the fourth quarter. Adebayo rammed through Hartenstein’s pindown for Brunson, resulting in a four-point play, and Hart was left open in the corner because of miscommunication.

In the middle of the last frame, New York went on a 14-6 run to take a three-point lead. It climbed to eight, the host’s largest of the night, and Miami had to play the free throw game with seconds left. A quick layup, an inbound turnover by Randle, and a D. Robinson right-side triple cut the deficit to three with 22 seconds remaining.

The Heat failed to get the steal on the following inbound and burned too many seconds before fouling Hart. The Knicks won 111-105.

At the postgame presser, Spo said, “I think we did everything we needed to do to give ourselves a chance to win on the road. But you do have to credit New York. When it becomes those moments of truth, you have to make plays. We did make some plays, but they made more ball in the air, ball on the floor plays that really ended up deciding the game. Those offensive rebounds and extra possessions…”

With the series heading to Miami for Games 3 and 4, the Heat accomplished its objective by splitting the series on the road. Winning Tuesday would have put the Heatles in a commanding position, but the effort the group gave without Butler, the V-12 engine of the squad, is admirable. In his absence, the group still personified his identity.

The next match isn’t until Saturday, giving Butler three days of recovery in between. When he comes back, the Knicks are in danger.

There’s something different about the Heat. They don’t look like a team that had senioritis during the regular season or lost in the first play-in game. Giannis Antetokounmpo hurt his back 11 minutes into round one.  Then the White and Red’s confidence spiked higher than radiation levels in Chernobyl.

Dare I say it? It’s starting to feel like a bubble run.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat Take First Blood in Madison Square Garden

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Through the first 12 minutes, the Heat found itself in an 11-point hole because of snipers misfiring on the perimeter and the Knicks having unrestricted access to the lane.

It appeared as if the Heat’s long-range shooting had reverted to its regular season median of being the fourth worst of 30 teams. Yet, in round one against Milwaukee, Miami was #1 of 16 playoff groups in 3-point efficiency. The guests at Madison Square Garden wouldn’t find its deep touch until the second half, assisting in outscoring the hosts by 12 through the period.

This is why it’s important not to overreact.

On New York’s first possession, Mitchell Robinson flung a weak pass intended for Jalen Brunson on the wing, but Jimmy Butler intercepted it and sped off. Gabe Vincent trailed JB on the right side and hit a catch-and-release trifecta to give the Heat a 5-0 lead.

Vincent was the only visitor to record more than one field goal in the first quarter. Butler didn’t get on the scoreboard until midway through the period. While #22 was in the dunker spot, Kevin Love threw a pass over Josh Hart from the key, and Butler jumped higher, came down, and back up for a left-handed layup.

The Heat’s initial problem was RJ Barrett. He maneuvered to his spots for layups and jumpers, totaling 11 points on five of six shots to start. Aside from Star-J’s scoring, Miami had to contend with his ball distribution on rim attacks. He registered three dimes; one while getting iced after turning past a screen and getting doubled, sending the lob up the middle for Robinson to jam; the second and third were connections to Obi Toppin.

The Knicks didn’t miss its All-Star through the first half. In the hour leading to tip-off, the Knicks ruled out Julius Randle and had Toppin start in his place. New York’s third-year forward contributed 12 opening minutes and logged seven points on three of four shots. He slammed two lobs, one on the break, another in the half-court, plus he canned a triple in the left corner.

In the second quarter, the Heat’s offense began to percolate. Butler was rolling to the basket after screens like a big man, converting three shots in the restricted area. Vincent tallied six more points, but three at the line courtesy of Immanuel Quickley swiping at his head on a 3-point attempt.

On the other side, Brunson hit five shots in a row after breaking down Haywood Highsmith, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin with his dribble.

At halftime, the Heat was down 50-55. New York’s vain hoists from behind the arc didn’t allow it to capitalize on Miami’s powerless artillery strikes. Forty of the Knicks’ points through two quarters were inflicted in the paint, and the Heat’s defensive rating was 117, equal to the 26th worst squad in the category for the regular season.

In the third quarter, Miami’s paint protection and Love’s precise outlet passing swung the pendulum of control to the visitors. It was fitting that on primetime TV, he burned the team that carbonized his old crew. Assuredly, some Cavaliers honcho must have remembered then that every time Love makes the Playoffs, his team goes to the Finals.

Aside from two fastbreak dunks, Butler curled into the paint for a turnaround hook and pulled up on the baseline for two points over Hart in quarter three. Max Strus supplied two long-range bangers when swinging the ball on the wings unfastened New York’s defense.

Entering the last frame, Miami was up six points. Bam Adebayo and Lowry combined for 17 of the Heat’s 27 on the scorecard. #13 demanded the ball when Duncan Robinson beat Quickley and drew the attention of Isaiah Hartenstein for a dunk. Lowry’s deceptive tricks fooled the refs into calling a foul on Quentin Grimes.  It was New York’s third penalty in four minutes.

When “crunch time” started, the Heat’s lead was 95-92. Butler drove to the paint, but upon making contact, Hart flopped into his ankle, rolling it. For a moment, JB lay face down, laboring.

When his vigor was restored, he walked to the line and buried two.

Butler limped up and down the court until there were 23 seconds left. As he performed impaired, the Knicks chose not to attack him and, in the last five minutes, went on a stretch missing seven consecutive tries.

On a three-on-two break, Miami had the numbers as Butler picked up Quickley, the trailing marksman. Barrett barrelled into the lane for a layup, but it was spiked away by Martin to initiate another boat race.

The Heat struck first blood 108-101, but the present concern is Butler’s status. He slogged to the finish line because adrenaline raced through his veins. But he’ll likely need around-the-clock treatment to lower swelling and diminish the pain.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said he has no idea what is the severity of Butler’s ankle injury.

“I don’t know if we’ll even know more by tomorrow,” Spo said. “We’ll just have to see. It will be a waiting game, but he did not want to come out of the game so we left him in there.”

Game 2 is on Tuesday, so Butler won’t have much time to recover. If he misses work, Adebayo must turn into the focal point without lowering his RPMs on defense.

Heat Getting Playoff Production From Unlikely Sources

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Precisely twelve days ago – or 288 hours to be exact – the Miami Heat were fighting for their season. Squaring off against the Chicago Bulls in a play-in game, the winner would be awarded the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. But a win was no gift. It meant having to face the 58-24 Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, a team predicated on size, talent, and shooting. Lots of shooting. In every way, the Bucks are the antithesis of Miami. A win against the Bulls and an invitation to the playoff ultimately wouldn’t mean much. Or at least we thought.

 

Fast forward to the present, and the Heat finds themselves up 3-1 against the top-seeded “juggernaut”, with an opportunity to send them packing on Wednesday.

 

But how?

 

How can a team so inconsistent and beset by problems find themselves in this position?

 

Two words: Playoff Jimmy.

 

Jimmy Butler’s performance in Game 4 on Monday night was otherworldly. It was the greatest individual performance in Heat playoff history. And that’s saying something when you consider which players have dawned a Heat jersey over the years.

 

His final tally was video-game-like: 56 points and nine rebounds on 78% true shooting. In doing so, he became just the 3rd player in NBA playoff history to score at least 55 points on 75% true shooting or better. Elite stuff.

 

While Butler has single-handedly carried Miami through four games, it would be remiss to recognize a few players who have stepped up in this series. And odds are if not for their level of play, it’s likely Miami isn’t in a position to close this out on Wednesday. Here are a few noteworthy performances that have helped the Heat take command of this series.

 

Kyle Lowry Is Taking And Making Shots

 

Lowry has been the proverbial punching bag among Heat fans for much of this season, and rightfully so. The man is earning $28 million this season and has essentially been unplayable for much of the season. While his production still doesn’t quite match his expensive price tag, he’s making shots and doing all of the little stuff that annoys opposing teams.

 

Through 6 playoff games (two play-in games included), Lowry is hitting nearly 64% of his two’s while shooting 45% from three. More importantly, he’s playing aggressively on offense.

 

Per Cleaning The Glass, he’s taken 43% of his field goal attempts from the mid-range. This was a spot Lowry took advantage of earlier in his career. He was an assassin pulling up around a screen, killing defenses playing drop. This was a big frustration during the regular season, as he only took 21% of his shots from the mid-range.

Now utilizing the mid-range more aggressively, his 43% frequency across six games is a career-high by more than 3%.

 

Lowry’s aggressiveness is uber important to Miami’s offensive flow as Milwaukee is among one of the most drop-heavy teams in the league. And with Bam Adebayo still earning his wings as a shooting threat, Lowry’s willingness to take and make the mid-range pull-up has put Milwaukee’s defense on their heels at times.

 

On top of his offensive aggression, Lowry has continued to do all of the little things that make him annoying to play against. His six deflections rank eighth among players with less than 100 minutes this postseason.

 

He still may not be performing as advertised when Miami inked him to a large deal last offseason, but his play has impacted winning this postseason.

 

Caleb Martin Isn’t Afraid Of The Big Stage

 

If not for Martin, Miami is likely going back to Milwaukee with the series tied. The story of Monday’s fourth quarter was obviously Butler, but Martin gave Miami huge minutes. There was a two-minute span with under five minutes left where Martin had a stretch of the following:

 

Rebound – Drawn Foul – Two Free Throws – Offensive Rebound – Two-Point Jumper (with a DeShawn Stevenson palm-in-face celebration directed at Giannis Antetokounmpo) – Three-Point Jumper

 

All of this occurred from the 4:18 mark down to 2:43 left.

 

Simply put, Miami doesn’t close this game out if it weren’t for Martin. The man literally looked at Giannis in the witching hour of a playoff game and hit him with the DeShawn Stevenson celebration. Do you know how much confidence you have to have to pull that off?

 

This stretch summed up who Martin is as a player. We’re talking about a guy who was on a two-way contract last season contributing to winning basketball in the playoffs. If that’s not the quintessential Miami Heat player, then I don’t know what is.

 

Through six postseason games, he has an eFG of 72% and is hitting 47% of his attempts from three (8-17). Much to the tune of Butler, he is elevating his game when it matters most. All in all, he is outplaying the 3-year, $20 million contract he signed this offseason.

 

Miami Runs On Duncan

 

Arguably the biggest story through the first four games of this series has been the play of Duncan Robinson. Labeled as one of the league’s worst contracts, Robinson has been unplayable for most of the season, with memories of his blazing-hot 2020 breakout season seeming far away.

 

When Tyler Herro broke his hand in the first half of Game 1, Erik Spoelstra was left with no choice. Robinson had to play.

 

Since the moment he checked into Game 1, he’s shot 76% from three. Seventy-six percent. 13-17 from downtown.

 

Not only has this given Miami a jolt in the points department, but the Bucks now need to fear him when he’s on the court. His presence on the floor is a weapon again, just as it was in 2020.

 

Robinson didn’t attempt a single shot in the second half of Game 4. Why? Because a Bucks defender was glued to his hip. As a result, Miami had more driving lanes and opportunities to attack the basket.

 

This is the Robinson that Miami signed to a $90M contract a couple of seasons ago. If he can continue to shoot with this much confidence, Miami’s lackluster offense could quickly turn into a daunting task for teams to slow down.

 

Honorable Mention: Haywood Highsmith Gaining Confidence

 

With injuries to Victor Oladipo and the aforementioned Tyler Herro, Spoelstra has had no choice but to dig deep into his bag of rotations. This included giving Highsmith meaningful minutes in Game 4, along with a big-time task: Slow down Giannis.

 

I mean, the guy was literally playing basketball at a Division II school two years ago and is now guarding a former MVP in the playoffs.

 

So, how did he do?

 

According to NBA.com’s matchup tracker, Highsmith defended Giannis for 13 possessions, held him to 2-6 shooting (33%), and forced one turnover.

 

While it is a small sample size, Highsmith’s length allows him to bother opposing players. That, along with his high motor, should give Spoelstra more trust in deploying him on Giannis for small stretches going forward.

 

You’re never going to shut down a player of Giannis’ caliber, but you can never have enough capable and rested bodies to throw at him. Highsmith is proving to be capable.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Jimmy Butler Carves Name in NBA History

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Monday morning, it was reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo would return to the Bucks’ lineup for Game 4 in Miami. He hurt his back in the first match and was pulled out 11 minutes in, following multiple check-ups in the locker room.

Antetokounmpo picked up where he left off, piercing the lane with zero regard for obstacles. In quarter one, he logged nine points and four assists. During the first timeout, he walked around his team’s space so his back wouldn’t tighten up.

Six minutes into the game, the Heat was down 20-10. Two quick fouls on Bam Adebayo earned him an early spot on the bench. But then Jimmy Butler went nuclear, scoring 22 points in the frame.

Butler was unguardable while defended in single coverage. He entered the paint at will, taking guys off the dribble for a shot past or over them. On his second attempt of the night, JB isolated Khris Middleton for a runway to the cup. Antetokounmpo tracked the drive and met him at the summit, but Butler slammed it with two hands over his head. On the next try, he buried a 25-foot jumper while draped by Middleton on the right wing.

Through the first half, Butler recorded 24 of Miami’s 50 points. The Heat was down 50-57, and aside from #22, no one had broken past single digits on their scorecard. The team’s next-best offensive option was prolific benchwarmer Duncan Robinson and his nine points. Miami’s disregarded sniper canned two triples against drop coverage and splacked another 3-pointer in transition on the left wing.

Twenty seconds into the third quarter, Middleton intercepted Max Strus’ pass to Adebayo in the paint and raced down the court for a step-back left-wing triple over Gabe Vincent. Miami was again on its back foot. Butler stayed in every play of the period to stop the bleeding inflicted by Milwaukee’s front court, plus Jrue Holiday.

The Greek Freak hammered a putback dunk, finished a fastbreak layup, and maneuvered around Cody Zeller in the drop for a layup in quarter three. In this stretch, the visitors converted 32 points on 52.2% field goal efficiency.

JB responded with a step-back jumper over Grayson Allen in the mid-post, a pivot past Holiday and Brook Lopez at the cup, and a pull-up in front of Antetokounmpo in drop coverage for scores in the third. His evening output reached 35 points, and then Coach Erik Spoelstra gave him a breather for nearly four minutes of the fourth quarter.

Milwaukee started the last period ahead by 11 points. The Bucks converted four out of 11 attempts before Butler checked back in for the last time. He finished the game scoring an additional 21 points in the last frame, the most by any Heat player ever in the fourth quarter or overtime in the Playoffs, per Stathead, ending the night with 56.

The Heat was down 12 points in crunch time. Inspired by Butler, Miami went on a 13-0 run to reclaim the lead. Milwaukee took the advantage back twice as the time ticked away, but Butler logged 12 points in the last two minutes, seven of which were free throws. Miami won the game 119-114.

At his post-game sideline interview with TNT, Butler shot down the inquiry of what it felt like to hear MVP chants. He said that honor should go to Joel Embiid. Before stepping away, he answered on going back to Milwaukee for Game 5. “To play basketball in Milwaukee, in front of their crowd, and to be together on the road, that’s where championships are won, and we got a shot.”

JB’s 56 points tied Wilt Chamberlain, Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan for the fourth-highest individual scoring output by a player in the postseason. MJ, Elgin Baylor and Donovan Mitchell have the highest playoff game point totals in league history at 63, 61 and 57. Their marks were safe because of Spo’s habitual habit of resting Butler between four and six minutes in closing intervals.

Butler’s Homeric eruption pushed the Heat to a 3-1 lead over the one-seed in round one. Miami still has to win another, but these types of deficits are almost insurmountable. Only 13 outfits have come out alive.

As Bob Seger sang, “Some men go just where they want… some men never go.”

Butler is the former because fortune favors the bold. I’m lucky enough to have seen some of the best that wore White Hot, and in the Playoffs, there’s no right or wrong answer as to who is best fit to lead a squad.

Like Dwyane Wade at this time of year or Batman when Gotham is in danger, Butler raises his game when it matters most. He’s the beast of the east, and he comes out of hibernation in April.

 

*******

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat Lose Victor Oladipo in Game 3 Win over Bucks

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The Heat was up 24 points with fewer than four minutes left when Victor Oladipo’s leg gave out. He drove into the lane from the top of the key, but when he had Bobby Portis on his back hip, he elevated off his left leg, yet he didn’t take off completely, landing on his backside.

Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson walked over to their hurt teammate first. Before they helped Oladipo stand up, he looked past Martin and shook his head. It confirmed to everyone watching on TV and in attendance that his season was likely over after all his diligent work to recover.

In the blink of an eye, his body betrayed him again, but this setback was the hardest to watch Oladipo face. The past four seasons were littered with injuries that defrauded Vic of his talents, but in some spurts of the Heat’s campaign, he was logging his most productive minutes in a White-Hot jersey.

During Game 3 against the Bucks, Oladipo played 19 minutes, converting four out of six field goals. In the second half, Vic dropped three in a row by dribbling past Portis in the paint for a fadeaway jumper, and he zipped down the court for a pair of fastbreak layups.

Oladipo limped to the locker room with the help of the trainers. The Heat finished garbage time and took a 2-1 lead in the series, but the atmosphere in the Kaseya Center was thick with anxiety and sorrow.

At the postgame presser, the win seemed meaningless to coach Erik Spoelstra. He said an evaluation of Oladipo’s injury would happen Sunday and that it was difficult to watch.

“It’s a great win, but when you see a player go down like that, and particularly a player like Vic who’s gone through so much in the last three years…It’s not a good feeling to see Vic on the floor like that.”

Spo also added that when Oladipo saw a stretcher come out for him, he refused it.

The Heat can worry about how losing Oladipo affects the group in the series. What concerns me is the frustration likely clouding his mind. By all accounts, Vic worked tirelessly after each mishap since Jan. 23, 2019, to get back on the floor and contribute.

He was never going to get back into All-Star form, but like a good soldier, he performed well in his role as a reserve. He was still capable of putting pressure on the rim and defending quick perimeter players. But after his knee buckled in Game 3, I’m not sure if Oladipo wants to keep this going after his contract is up. He has a player option for 2023/2024 that I expect he’ll opt in to, but following that, who knows?

If the end of his pro career is near, the version of Oladipo in White Hot won’t be what I remember him for. I’ll reminisce about the Black Panther in Indiana.

In 118 combined games between 2018 and 2019, regular season and Playoffs included, Vic was one of the league’s ascending two-way stars. He had an explosive burst off the dribble and was unafraid to catch a body in the paint. On defense, he had excellent timing when invading the passing lanes for a steal and was effective in stopping the ball outside.

During seven games of round 1 in the 2018 Playoffs, Oladipo went toe-to-toe with LeBron James, then a Cavalier. In Game 6, to hold off elimination, Oladipo snapped and logged a 28-point triple-double to send the series back to Cleveland. He got in the paint whenever he wanted and could detonate for a two-handed jam standing under the rim.

In Game 7 in Cleveland, Oladipo went out, dropping 30 points with 12 rebounds in a four-point loss.

Before the injuries mounted on, Oladipo spent every minute as a Pacer validating his status as the second pick of the 2013 Draft. He was honored with two All-Star selections, an All-NBA + All-Defensive Team spot and the league’s Most Improved Player award in 2018.

What I admired most about his game was the rage that he attacked the basket with. Like Brandon Roy, Derrick Rose and Yao Ming, when I think about Oladipo, I’ll wonder what he was really capable of.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Jimmy Butler, The Deer Hunter

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The Heat’s first wrinkle for the Bucks was to get down the court faster than usual. Miami ended the regular season as the second-slowest team in the NBA, but in Game 1 of the quarterfinal at Milwaukee, the visitors were operating six percentage points higher than their normal pace.

The hit-ahead pass plus instant takeoffs after defensive rebounds generated the Heat eight fastbreak points in the first quarter. Bam Adebayo hurled a full-court pass to Jimmy Butler that was laid in softly a foot away from the rim. Kyle Lowry found the first man on the break twice, outrunning the deer. And Gabe Vincent stumbled to the nail and pulled up for two in transition.

To start, Butler dropped 14 points on six of eight shots to power Miami to a 33-24 lead. He was guarded by Jrue Holiday and Wesley Matthews in single coverage, but it wasn’t enough as JB got into the paint whenever he pleased.

Defensively, Miami was on time contesting 3-point shots, allowing just 2 out of nine makes for Milwaukee through quarter one.

Eight minutes in, Giannis Antetokounmpo hurt his lower back on an unsuccessful drive to the rim. He collided with Kevin Love, picking up the charge foul, but tumbled on his posterior. Toward the end of the period, he plunged into Love again and went to the locker room after getting subbed out for Jae Crowder.

The Freak came back but had to return a second time to Milwaukee’s private chambers, and here, he was ruled out for the rest of the game. In total, he contributed six points and three rebounds.

Antentokounmpo’s absence eliminated the presence of a weak side shot blocker. Brook Lopez didn’t have backup getting attacked in drop coverage, plus Miami’s executed off-ball cuts trailing the handler without the Bucks’ security blanket to disrupt.

In the second frame, Miami mixed man protection with the 2-3 zone. To close off the paint, the Heatles sagged away from the corners and recovered on kick outs to force the Bucks into misfiring on 83.3% of deep tries.

With a minute left in the first half, Tyler Herro poked the ball free from Grayson Allen, but he hurt himself as he missed reaching for it on a dive to the hardwood. He broke his middle and ring fingers on his shooting hand, likely keeping him out between four-to-six weeks per TNT’s Chris Haynes.

When Miami got the ball back, Herro retreated to the corner and crouched, holding his hand in pain. The ball swung to him anyway, yet he air-balled it and swiftly grabbed at his wound again. On Miami’s next possession, he roamed to the corner and put his hands by his knees, the signal he needed medical attention, but the second quarter ended first.

In the first half, Butler had 20 of Miami’s 32 paint points. Additionally, he seized the passing lanes twice and stripped Khrid Middleton to initiate the break.

At halftime, the visitors were up 68-55 while uncommonly blazing from the field at 59.6% and 57.1% outside the 3-point line.

Duncan Robinson started in Herro’s place in the third quarter. Even with #55 having a down season, the Bucks wouldn’t concede much space off-ball. With Robinson on the floor, Milwaukee couldn’t cheat, flashing a corner defender at Adebayo when he got to work at the nail and in. As a result, Adebayo drained three midrange jumpers.

Coming out of halftime, Butler tallied six dimes. He repaid Adebayo with a full-court hit-ahead pass that turned into a two-handed jam and found open teammates when Milwaukee doubled on rim runs or post-ups.

When Antetokounmpo came out in the second quarter, the Bucks’ primary offensive focus shifted to Middleton. Even in front of solid contests, Middleton’s jump shot was on target from midrange and deep. Through three quarters, he had 20 points and had kept the Bucks within striking distance after falling behind by 14.

In the fourth quarter, Vincent was the Heat’s leading scorer with nine points. He made one jumper curling around Adebayo’s dribble handoff on the left wing, another in the corner when the Bucks failed to closeout, and his last shaking Allen away with #13’s screen. He was also the lone Heatle to play the entire period.

Butler added six points and an assist in the final frame to bring his total to 35 on 55.7% field goal efficiency with 11 dimes.

At the postgame presser, Adebayo and Butler answered questions together. I’m unsure if he was puffing smoke, but Butler said the Heat “can be better in a lot of areas.”

Adebayo said the turbulence the team went through to earn a playoff spot prepared them for the challenge present.

It’s unknown when Antetokounmpo will return, but as long as he is out, this encounter has become an even affair. Milwaukee still has weapons and disruptors to win a pair of matches, but home-court advantage will merge to Miami after Game 2.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat Survive Play-In Tournament

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Jimmy Butler said at the postgame presser that Max Strus “made himself a lot of money [Friday].” He wasn’t exaggerating. Mad Max hit Miami’s opening four baskets because the Bulls were quick to overhelp on Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. #31 would finish the game with 31 on his scorecard to help push Miami to round one of the Playoffs.

Butler beat Chicago on rolls to the basket, transition attacks, and baseline cuts for nine points through the first quarter.

The Heat had an opposite start on Friday to Tuesday’s Play-in loss at home against Atlanta. Versus the Hawks, the hosts allowed its rivals to convert 56% of its tries in the first quarter. Matched up with Chicago, the Heat’s man-to-man coverage was disruptive and held the visitors to 38.9% through 12 minutes.

Herro logged every second of quarter two and contributed six points, three dimes and three rebounds. He got into the lane in front of the drop coverage to hit a pair of floaters.

At intermission, Miami was up 49-45, beating Chicago on the boards by nine and doubling the Bulls’ free throw attempts. Tuesday versus the Hawks, the Heat gave up 26 second-chance points. Through the first half Friday, the hosts had only allowed two of those to Nikola Vucevic.

Defensively, it shut down Zach LaVine by closing out to his jumper on time, switching length on him at the perimeter and clogging the paint. In this period, he was held to three out of 10 makes, and the Heat even forced seven consecutive misses.

In the third quarter, Miami only made six field goals out of 26 and would miss its last seven of the period. Adebayo bricked all four of his attempts here, but three can be excused because they came after Patrick Beverly kicked him in the back of the head.

Adebayo momentarily lost his dribble in the paint, but at this point Beverly was airborne, and his patella came crashing into #13’s snook. It was contact above the shoulders. It should have been called a flagrant-1, at least, because of where the hit occurred and how it knocked Adebayo to the fetal position.

The referees, Josh Tiven, Tony Brothers and Karl Lane, took a moment to check it out, but they were too brainless to crack down on Beverly. Instead, they called a common foul. Next time it might take a player losing consciousness from a blow to the head before these blind mice make the right call.

Adebayo could have been concussed, and TNT’s Brian Anderson rambled on, “That was ruled as a common foul, by the way. Nothing excessive here from Beverly. I think he’s going for a block…”

In quarter four, Miami switched up coverages using the 2-3 zone plus man-to-man. Chicago attacked mainly from the outside, taking six of 20 paint shots in this frame.

In the final period, the Heat’s offense burned the Bulls, making 62.5% of its shots, plus 13 free throws. Strus added eight more points in the fourth. When Butler attacked from the right side, Strus curled into the paint from the left for a lay-in after the catch. Again, when four black jerseys surrounded JB in the mid-post, Strus was hit with the pass and canned a right-wing trifecta.

With under a minute to go, Caruso fouled Strus on a 3-point corner shot while Miami was up five points. Strus buried each freebie to extend the game to at least three possessions. The Heat defeated the Bulls 102-91.

The win over Chicago now puts Miami in eighth place for a rematch of the 2021 quarter-final with the Bucks. The group will not practice Saturday ahead of Game 1 Sunday.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Hawks Neuter Heat in Play-In Matchup

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The Heat held a lead fewer than two minutes. The offense snapped, the guys couldn’t guard by themselves, and Atlanta continued to score on second attempts. At one point in the first half, the deficit Miami found itself in was so degrading that team captain Udonis Haslem was compelled to give a fiery speech to inspire the team during a stoppage. He’d later bowed in disgust as the point differential ballooned in the guests’ favor.

The Hosts were overhelping on the Hawk’s intrusions into the lane, exposing the perimeter. Trae Young tallied five dimes and sullied the Heat’s drops coverage with a pair of floaters to start.

Off Atlanta’s bench, Onyeka Okongwu infiltrated the paint three times for six of its 15 reserve points to Miami’s nine in the first quarter.

The harbinger of gloom was Jimmy Butler’s four missed shots at point-blank range. He managed to log 10 points but on 33% of his tries early.

Bam Adebayo had a donut on the stat sheet until the second quarter. He missed both first-period attempts, but more problematic was that playmakers weren’t looking for him. In one instance, after setting a screen that got Tyler Herro into the paint for a finish, Adebayo stood open on the baseline but with his hands at his side. He was uncovered but not calling for the ball. That might explain a lot.

Butler’s inefficiency trickled down to all but one of his teammates; the 37-year-old with over 38,000 minutes recorded, Kyle Lowry.

Lowry dashed into the lane twice, scoring with a pivot past De’Andre Hunter, plus a reverse layup over Okongwu. Without the quick burst of production provided by #7, Miami likely wouldn’t have broke 20 points to start the match. By halftime, he was the team’s leading scorer with 19 points on six of eight shots.

Running downhill in transition, vintage Lowry spun past Saddiq Bey for a layup. With the 6 ’11 Clint Capela switched on him up top, Kyle canned a step-back jumper from 28 feet out.

At the intermission, the Heat was down 50-65 and only making 37.5% of its attempts. Fortunately for Miami, Butler, and Herro kept the squad on life support in the third quarter. JB was freed on a Gabe Vincent backscreen that opened the baseline for a slam; then he hit a fadeaway jumper over Dejounte Murray and finally a close-range shot when he rolled to the rim after the pick.

Herro dropped a handful of buckets in the third on eight attempts for 11 points. On multiple tries, Atlanta could not stop #14 when driving left after the screen. He used a human shield for space on three scores; the others were a step-back jumper over Young in the post and a lay-in off a cut contested by John Collins.

When the Heat made runs to cut the deficit to single digits, the Hawks countered with body blows of its own. Early in the third period, the hosts erased 10 points off Atlanta’s lead. But the visitors next went on a 20-12 run to extend the advantage back to 13 to start the fourth quarter.

With 12 minutes left in a pre-elimination game that gave direct playoff entry to the winner, Miami had already allowed Atlanta to recover 15 offensive rebounds creating 13 second-chance points.

Lowry and Caleb Martin were the only reserves coach Erik Spoelstra used in the final stretch. With the season on the line, #7 converted four out of five triples and blew past Young on the wing for a three-foot shot. Martin contributed just a rebound and an assist in 11 fourth-quarter minutes.

The Heat’s 2-3 zone and man-to-man coverage left the glass unattended. The Hawks added seven offensive rebounds to its output, pushing the total to 22 for 26 second-chance points.

Atlanta invited Miami back into the game with 10 missed free throws through 36 minutes, but the Heat said thanks but no thanks by losing nearly all of the 50-50 balls.

At the postgame presser, Spo said his team crawled back into the match, but the story was the second chance points given up.

“I thought we defended fairly well, particularly in the last five minutes of the second quarter on through the second half,” Spo said. “We just were not able to come up with those finishing rebounds. It was like a highlight film gone bad of either missed block outs, bobbled balls, tipped balls, or [Atlanta] there, and they were able to come up with the rebound.”

Miami is a solid defensive rebounding team, but after Spo’s group put on one of its most embarrassing performances of the season, he wouldn’t identify what caused the slippage. Like a good soldier, he said they’d watch the film on it.

And just like that, the Heat arrived at DEFCON 4. Its next rival will be determined with the winner of Chicago’s visit to Toronto Wednesday. Each of those squads presents issues for the Heat. The Bulls have two point-of-attack incinerators, and the Raptors have the length to make a duel uglier than what Miami suffered at home Tuesday by clogging the lane.

The level of concern for the Heat shouldn’t change based on the outcome Wednesday. It’s difficult to trust any unit that needs to get humbled before getting its act together, and Miami has looked like a team ready to punch its time card for weeks.

Over a decade of watching the NBA has taught me that when a group gets shamed, it usually responds with a stronger showing. But what is there left to play for? Pride or eighth place? That’s a tough sell. The Heat lost the game it needed as it would have secured a preferred matchup with the Boston Celtics in round one instead of seeing the Milwaukee Bucks, who Miami has few counters for if they win Friday.

This Just In: An APB has been issued to locate Adebayo’s heart. A search party is also being assembled to find Max Strus’ jump shot after shock therapy was opposed.

 

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Udonis Haslem, the Pillar of the Culture

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In the Heat’s regular-season finale and official christening of the Kaseya Center, all I hoped for at this point, aside from a throwback night from Udonis Haslem, was one more “clutch game.” This outing didn’t end in a five-point difference, but luckily for everyone watching, the best of the lost season came in game 82.

Haslem, team captain, and 20-year veteran, checked in a few minutes into the first quarter. Instantly, it felt like 2009, watching #40 roll to the cup, hit post jumpers, and even splash three trays in his last 24 minutes of regular season ball ever.

It didn’t matter that it was only his seventh game of the season, and his first action since Miami’s loss on Feb. 2 to the Knicks. Haslem wouldn’t leave the only outfit and fanbase he’s known without a suitable bon voyage.

He logged 13 points in 12 first-half minutes. Somewhere in Brazil, international basketball folk hero Oscar Schmidt must have smirked and bowed his head in approval. Haslem scored more than Mão Santa’s mythical point-a-minute pace, leading the way for the Heatles at the half by two.

On a steal by Caleb Martin that sparked a fastbreak, UD ran a two-on-one with Duncan Robinson against Chuma Okeke. A give-and-return between the streaking Heatles resulted in Haslem finishing a two-handed lob. It was his first alley-oop since late 2014.

As Haslem was interviewed on the court by Bally Sports’ Will Manso, he said, “It’s a little personal. I get a lot of flak for not playing and sitting on the bench, so I think a lot of people just think I drink coffee around here…This was for them. This is their day as much as it is mine. This love affair I’ve had with this organization and city for 20 years is going to continue to grow and continue to grow. I’m looking forward to the next evolution.”

Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were some of UD’s former pals in attendance. I’m disappointed to learn from my spiders there weren’t more. Alonzo Mourning sitting knee-to-knee with Pat Riley doesn’t count; he works as the vice president of player programs.

It leaves a sour taste in my mouth that others couldn’t sacrifice their time after all UD did in return as a teammate. If anyone ever needed protection, mentorship, or a shoulder to lean on in his 20 years of service, they got it.

It would have been splendid to see Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers, Shaquille O’Neal, or just more sometime teammates, but that’s asking too much.

Haslem went undrafted in 2002 following four years of college hoops at the University of Florida. He spent one year in France playing for Élan Chalon and then arrived in Miami as a rookie alongside Wade for the 2004 season. Haslem and Marquis Daniels were the only undrafted players that year on the All-Rookie team.

In the summer before 2004/2005, the Heat traded for O’Neal, rapidly turning into a contender. In that campaign, Miami would challenge the Detroit Pistons to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals but wouldn’t defeat the Dallas Mavericks for the title until June 2006. Haslem started 80 and 81 games, plus he recorded 6,359 minutes through both regular seasons and playoffs combined.

By 2010, Haslem’s role had shifted to a reserve as the Heat’s development of Michael Beasley continued.

Losing a starting spot and nearly seven minutes a game can be difficult for many guys in the league; the ones that separate themselves are the dudes who find a way to star with an alternative duty. Haslem evolved into that player for the Heat as it geared up for the next stage of its history.

Bosh and LeBron James were the prominent figureheads brought in during the summer of 2010 to assist Wade in at least a few more tries at glory. Haslem stayed in town, and he chose the Heat over a more lucrative offer from the Mavericks. Dallas put over $10 million more on the table than Miami, but it wasn’t his style to leave just for an extra “fistful of dollars.” Additionally, Wade, James and Bosh each took less cash so UD could return.

In year two of the Heat’s big three era, Bosh went down with an abdominal strain after 15 minutes in Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Semifinals. Haslem started the first and second matches of the series, but for the encounter, Spo started Shane Battier at the four from Games 3 through 6.

In this series, UD only averaged 16.9 minutes a night, but those numbers don’t accurately portray his impact. With the Heat minus an All-Star, the Pacers smelled blood and even took a 2-1 lead in Indiana. Miami tied up the series, and in Game 5, Tyler Hansbrough cracked Wade over the head on a drive to the rim.

Haslem saw the mugging up close and didn’t think much of the bullies standing on the opposite side. A couple of minutes later, in the second quarter, he reciprocated with two hands spiking Hansbrough in the face as he attempted a shot at the cup. The Heat would then go on an 86-58 run to finish the night with a dub and take the lead back to Indiana.

Getting even earned UD a suspension in Game 6, but he said he would do it again two days later at the Heat’s practice.

In those four years, #40 was a top locker room lieutenant and a fundamental cog in helping Miami win back-to-back titles.

When James departed for Cleveland, a new chapter of Heat basketball started with Wade, Bosh, and Haslem in command. By 2015/2016, UD’s role developed into mostly a mentor as the squad had two new rookies and was reloading for a shot at the Cavaliers.

Wade would then leave over a contract dispute with the front office that summer, but as the Heat were beginning a rebuild, a single player remained from the Big Three days: Haslem.

Two difficult years produced the draft picks that landed Miami Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Also in 2019, the Heat landed Butler in a four-team sign-and-trade while unloading the dispirited Hassan Whiteside and his hefty deal. Suddenly, the White and Red had a respectable squad again, with Haslem, as always, providing counsel.

In the 2020 season, after Miami’s Game 3 loss to Boston in the East Finals, the captain offered advice. Butler told me after the match, UD was telling the group to be the “nastier” team as far back as halftime. The group followed his recommendations, then defeated Boston in six and extended the series to six against Lebron’s Lakers in the Finals.

While Miami was down double-digits in the third quarter of Game 2 versus Los Angeles, Haslem delivered a raging speech as players and coaches listened around him. He called for a gut check. Not every guy who has logged 44 games in the last four seasons (at that point) could hold the attention of so many peers.

The morning of Game 7 of the East Finals of 2022, Max Strus told me that because of all UD’s experience, the Heat relied on him as its motivator. “Another guy on our team that’s been here, has done these, has been in Game 7s, has won championships…”

He may not have recorded a minute of postseason action then, or any year since 2016, but the Heat wouldn’t have made it that far without him. While he wore white hot, Miami competed in six NBA Finals, winning three.

Richie Havens, the first person to perform at Woodstock in 1969, would later sing in 2003, “can’t turn back the hands of time.”

If only I could for Haslem. I blinked, and now I can only talk about him with a minority of people who have seen him and know what he is about. Not every team is lucky enough to have a guy like Udonis, much less two decades. Aside from the lost tapes, I don’t know the Heat without him.