The Heat gave up a close game at home to the visiting Knicks without much work from Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Tyler Herro maneuvered where he wanted and downed eight 3-pointers. Yet the defense failed in the second half. The team’s record is now 2-2.

Herro’s early rampage carried the crew as he logged 14 points on five of six baskets- breaking into the lane on the dribble and nailing deep shots- plus recorded three helpings. Defensively, the squad allowed nine of 20 buckets, and  Adebayo picked up two fouls- one by boneheadedly biting on Towns’ pump-fake- and Thomas Bryant had to replace him.

On the other side, Karl-Anthony Towns scored on a face-up play against Nikola Jović in the post and made two trays. The rest of the Knicks supplied four of 12 looks in the frame.

Adebayo came back into the game two minutes into the second quarter and went back to guarding Towns until he picked up his third foul. Offensively, he only produced on the receiving end of a transition lob.

Butler joined the party, dribbling into the paint for a seven-foot shot and tallied an inside jumper on the catch. Dru Smith’s defense bothered the ball in transition and the half-court. And Herro swished two extra trifectas.

Miles McBride and Towns kept the Knicks in the match. The former swished two 3-pointers and dunked on the break. And the latter finished on rim rolls and post-ups, outplaying Butler and Adebayo.

The Heat led 58-52 at halftime and outrebounded the Knicks by two. Additionally, the crew had 22 paint points, five on the break, three via second chances, two off turnovers and 20 from the bench. Herro had 20 of the team’s 58 digits 

The Knicks had 18 interior marks, four in the open court, five on extra tries, four off turnovers and 10 from  McBride on the reserve unit. Towns had 24 of the Knicks’ 52 points. 

Then Adebayo came out scoring six points in the first two minutes of the third quarter, making four freebies and blowing by Towns in the left post for a two-handed dunk. He was later guarded in the frame by OG Anunoby. Defensively, he successfully disrupted Towns in the post and covered all spots.

Herro added two 3-pointers and set up Jović in the corner on a drive-and-kick play. The latter also was defended by Jalen Brunson and, on one play, dusted his matchup for a baseline score.

But the rest of the team contributed three of 14 makes and the zone was deployed late in the quarter as the defense began to slip.

For the Knicks, Brunson hit two 3-pointers, made two freebies and finished a reverse layup on a pick-and-roll set with Towns. Mikal Bridges added eight points and denied Jaime Jacquez Jr. at the rim. And Towns added six extra digits to the scoreboard.

The fourth quarter started with the Knicks ahead 87-80.

Towns kept hurting the Heat, dribbling to the paint on fruitful face-ups from the perimeter and post, plus bothered Adebayo’s jumper in the lane. Bridges broke the zone with a corner shot. And Brunson buried a step-back 3-pointer over Terry Rozier on the right wing and pierced the zone for a basket.

Herro connected on his seventh and eighth trays plus handed out two dimes, including a gorgeous lob to Butler on a pick-and-roll set. But #14 didn’t have enough help.

The Heat yielded by giving up a backdoor cut to Josh Hart with under three minutes left to go down eight points.

The Heat lost 107-116 and were outrebounded by two. The team had 38 paint points, five on the break, 11 via second chances, four off turnovers and 21 from the bench.

Herro had 34 points on 12 of 20 attempts, with five rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one turnover.

Rozier put up 16 marks on 36% shooting, with four rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two turnovers.

Butler scored 15 digits on six of nine tries, with four rebounds, four assists, two steals and four turnovers.

And Adebayo tallied 11 points on 43% accuracy, with three rebounds, four assists, one steal and one giveaway.

The Knicks had 42 interior marks, seven in the open court, 13 on extra tries, 11 off turnovers and 12 from the reserves.

Towns notched 44 points on 17 of 25 makes, with 13 rebounds, two assists and two giveaways.

Brunson had 22 points on 33% shooting, with two rebounds, nine assists and one turnover.

And Bridges recorded 17 points on 37.5% accuracy, with three rebounds, six assists, two steals, two blocks and a turnover.

At the postgame presser, Herro said Towns was a handful. “He caught a rhythm early, and he was able to sustain that throughout the whole game. I think we could have done a better job of putting bodies on him, making things tougher.”

Rozier said the team has to “get Bam [Adebayo] the ball, something that I got to be better at.”

The Heat will not practice on Halloween.

—

For more info on the Heat, subscribe to Off The Floor.

The Miami Heat christened Pat Riley Court with a disconcerting loss to the touring Orlando Magic. Shutting down Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, connecting on seven more threes, collecting 16 extra rebounds plus Paolo Banchero busting the Heat’s rear was the difference.  The first half had nine ties and 17 lead changes and the second featured none of each.

Terry Rozier was the Heat’s strongest player in the first quarter. He scored on a corner cut, nailed a turnaround long two-pointer in the right corner, made a layup and delivered a beautiful feed to Nikoa Jović on the break. 

Tyler Herro also played well, setting up Jović in transition and firing accurately from long and short distances. 

The Heat’s offense also forced three fouls against Orlando’s Jalen Suggs, causing him to play just five first-half minutes.

Yet on the other side, Paolo Banchero bullied his way to the cup, swished a pick-and-pop triple and produced in the open court. Wendell Carter Jr. added six digits. And Gary Harris downed three corner trifectas.

Next, the Heat’s defense permitted 28% of attempts. But the hosts were held to six of 24 baskets in the second quarter. Jović’s three 3-point tries were contested promptly, and he missed in the restricted area. Adebayo bricked a well-guarded corner tray and failed on two easy enough looks up close. And Butler’s only field goal of the half was a lob from Herro on a two-on-one break.

At halftime, the Heat were down 54-58. They had 22 paint points, 12 on the break, nine via second chances, five off turnovers and 12 from the bench.

The guests racked up 16 interior marks, six in the open court, 18 on spare tries, five off turnovers and 22 from the reserves.

Then the Magic came out of the break, pushing the Heat around as Butler and Adebayo were invisible. The visitors took a 12-point lead in over two minutes on a slot cut and score by Franz Wagner. This forced a Heat stoppage, but it worsened as the deficit ballooned to 27. 

On one possession, Banchero slipped a behind-the-back pass to F. Wagner, cutting up the baseline for a basket with Butler a step behind. On top of that, Banchero notched a dozen points, spinning into the lane in transition for a shot over Haywood Highsmith, dropping in a layup off the catch after sealing Highsmith, dunking on a rim roll, burying three freebies and making a 3-pointer.

Rozier tried to drag the hosts out of the hole with two trays, but the defense started to key in on him. Additionally, his teammates missed easy attempts at the rim, and the Magic continued to punish the paint with cuts and drive-bys. 

The fourth quarter started with the Heat down 25 points after getting outscored 39-18. Garbage time followed, and the only Heat starters to play the rest of the game were Jović, six minutes and change, and Rozier, nearly six.

The Heat lost 97-116. The team had 40 paint points, nine via second chances, 18 on the break, 19 off turnovers and 37 from the bench.

Rozier tallied 19 points on five of 15 attempts, with six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and three turnovers.

Herro had 14 marks on 50% shooting, with five boards, three dimes, one block and one turnover.

And Butler plus Adebayo combined for 12 points on two of 13 attempts, with one turnover.

The Magic logged 44 interior marks, 17 in the open court, 25 on extra tries, 13 off turnovers and 38 from the reserves.

Banchero put up 33 points on 50% accuracy, with 11 rebounds, three dimes, one steal and one block.

Wagner had 23 points on 10 of 16 attempts, with four rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block.

And Harris scored 18 marks, making six of nine shots, with three rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one turnover.

At the postgame presser, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the Magic overwhelmed his team and Banchero pressured the defense.

He added, “The activity level wasn’t there,” when asked about the defense. “You don’t need stats to see it. You can feel it when we are active…”

Adebayo said, “It’s embarrassing on a night like this…For us, it’s win or misery.”

—

For more info on the Miami Heat, subscribe to Off The Floor.

The New York Liberty won Game 5, celebrating their championship efforts in front of their supporters. Despite Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu laying more bricks than the cartel (five of 34), New York’s Jonquel Jones, Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally carried them to the title. In a physical game, the hosts took 17 more free throw attempts, and Stewart was bailed out by the refs late in the fourth quarter. And Jones claimed the Finals MVP trophy. 

Observations:

• New York played stiff through much of the first half and shot 28.6% from the field.  They converted 12 of 37 attempts in the last two quarters against Minnesota’s stiff defense.

• Jonquel Jones got anything she wanted near the rim.

• Collier was unstoppable on rim rolls, a back door cut and a face-up from the outside. 

• Ionescu and Stewart were missing makeable shots from long and short range throughout the game 

• Minnesota’s poor start offensively in the third quarter allowed New York to gain confidence. 

• Nyara Sabally supplied instant production from the bench. She bothered opposing actions and effectively went to the body like a heavyweight fighter. Two straight buckets from her late in the third quarter took the lead for the Liberty, causing a Lynx stoppage. Then she briefly retook it for the team on a trip to the line. She was tied with Stewart and Leonie Fiebich as New York’s second-leading scorer (13).

• Kayla McBride contributed a few big buckets on the dribble in the fourth quarter for Minnesota as the game was in balance. 

• Fiebich provided a boost in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter with a basket and free throws. She also added two steals and seven rebounds for the night.

• Stewart traveled before getting rewarded with a whistle by the refs with five seconds left in the fourth. It was seen on replay. 

• Spike Lee was on his knees in overtime.

• Minnesota’s Bridget Carleton drew a key charge on Sabally with 93 seconds left in OT as the scoreboard read 65-62 in favor of the Liberty. The Lynx didn’t score the rest of the way, even when Carleton had a good enough look from the wing to tie. 

• Williams had a terrible turnover when checked back into overtime in the last minute. 

• After the game, coach Chery Reeve said it was a “shame that officiating had such a hand in a series like this.” She also advocated for changing the challenge rules and insisted it was not a foul against Stewart that should have been reversed. 

—

For more info on the Miami Heat, subscribe to Off The Floor.

The New York Liberty won Game 2 at home to tie the WNBA Finals. Sabrina Ionescu unfastened Minnesota’s coverages early on. Breanna Stewart registered a record seven steals in a championship bout. And Betnijah Laney-Hamilton connected on four back-breaking trays.

Early, the Lynx’s offense missed four makeable 3-pointers and committed five turnovers, while the hosts’ defense prevented any trips to the line. Additionally, the Liberty converted its first 13 of 18 field goal attempts and held a 10-point lead through 12 minutes. 

Most of the action came from Ionescu, who scored a layup on the break, dribbled into the paint for a floater, curled around a pick, making a jumper in the middle and downed two trays. Stewart and Laney-Hamilton each contributed seven marks.

Subsequently, the Liberty was held to 29.4% shooting in the second quarter. Yet, five offensive rebounds that turned into four second-chance points, multiple trips to the line, and forcing five turnovers made them match the Lynx’s scoring. Despite the inaccuracy, the hosts were the nastier team. At one moment, their advantage rose to 17 points. 

The Liberty led at intermission, 49-39. The squad had 14 paint points, 10 on the break, six via second chances, 14 off turnovers and four from the bench. 

The Lynx put up 20 interior marks, nine in the open court, none on extra tries, six off turnovers and three from the reserves.

Then the guests came out of the break dropping four of six baskets by hand of Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith. But the Liberty’s defense tightened up, holding the guests to two of 10 baskets by contesting jumpers on time and having help rotate promptly. 

Offensively, the Liberty were in the mud in the third quarter, too. Jonquel Jones, Ionescu and Stewart were the only providers, each with four marks.

Next, the fourth quarter started with the hosts ahead 61-53.

When the Lynx were within striking distance, Napheesa Collier hit a fadeaway and a power-step through the lane. And Williams dribbled past Jones from the top to the cup for a scoop. But it wasn’t enough.

Laney-Hamilton responded with a corner 3-pointer, and Leonie Fiebich struck the next blow: the wing 3-pointer on the break that stretched the lead to nine points supplied by Williams dribbling the ball off her foot. 

On top of that, Stewart continued being a defensive menace. Her doubling produced a strip on Williams and she poked a bal loose from the post plus broke up a bad pass from Collier. 

The Liberty won 80-66. The team had 28 paint points, 19 on the break, 10 via second chances, 26 off turnovers and seven from the bench. 

Stewart had 21 digits on seven of 18 attempts, with eight rebounds, five assists, one block, seven steals and five giveaways.

 Laney-Hamilton contributed 20 points on 57.1% accuracy, with two rebounds, two assists, one steal and three turnovers. 

Ionescu put up 15 points on five of nine looks, with four rebounds, five assists, two seals and two giveaways. 

And Jones had 14 points 46.2% shooting, with nine rebounds, one dime, two steals and four turnovers.

The Lynx had 34 interior marks, 13 in the open court, four on spare attempts, 17 off turnovers and five from the reserves. 

Collier put up 16 points on seven of 12 shots, with eight boards, three dimes, four steals and seven giveaways.

Williams had 15 digits on 50% accuracy, with eight assists, six rebounds, one steal and five turnovers.

And Smith had 14 points on six of nine tries, with two rebounds, two assists, one steal and three turnovers. 

After the game, Stewart said she couldn’t wait to play following the upset in Game 1. When asked about her defense, she said, “I wanted to make it difficult for every single one of the players I was going up against…”

At the post-match presser, Ionescu was asked about how defensive pressure impacts her play. She said, “Being able to understand how teams are playing me and being able to kind of make that adjustment in real time. Possession by possession, quarter by quarter, teams have kind of changed the way they’ve guarded. Whether they are switching, hedging, trapping…”

—

For more info on the Miami Heat, subscribe to Off The Floor.

The hosting Liberty took their fingers off the trigger, and the Lynx struck them down. The visitors were behind 15 points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter but rose from the grave on moves from Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, Natisha Hiedeman and Napheesa Collier to force overtime. They then outmarked the Liberty, 11-8.

Early, the Liberty were making pelts out of the Lynx. Jonquel Jones overmatched inside protections. Sabrina Ionescu added a pair of trays and spun into the lane, making a floater. Leonie Fiebich downed two 3-pointers. And they pieced up the glass, coming up with six extra tries that turned into 10 points. 

The Lynx countered with seven of 14 baskets but were still on their heels. 

Subsequently, the deficit expanded to below 18 points nearly four minutes into frame two. But the Lynx started showing fangs- the defensive pressure on Ionescu skyrocketed, bothering her with length and using blitzes that neutralized her passes. Fiebich’s four 3-point attempts were contested cleanly, too.

Offensively, Collier scored back-to-back shots on the break that slashed the deficit to single digits. And McBride blasted a corner triple and tallied a coast-to-coast basket.

The Lynx were down 36-44 at intermission. The team had 18 paint points, six on the break, three via second chances, four off turnovers and five from the bench.

The Liberty put up 20 interior marks, 15 in the open court, 12 on extra tries, eight off turnovers and five from the reserves.

Next, McBride, Collier and Bridget Carleton opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run. Yet the Liberty’s German sniper retaliated with a trifecta from each corner. Jones hit a 12-foot jumper and two free throws. And Stewart supplied seven more points. 

The fourth quarter started with the Lynx down 61-68. With five minutes left, New York’s advantage had climbed back to 15 points. Jones produced at the line. Stewart splashed a 3-pointer. Fiebich added five extra marks. And Ionescu made a transition layup. 

But the Lynx clawed their way back again. McBride and Hiedeman connected on triples. Collier hit a mid-range jumper off the catch, powered by Stewart for a bank shot and denied Jones at close range. And Williams, maneuvered to the left for an 18-footer, cut up the break, making a floater and nailed the four-point play that gave the Lynx the lead with 5.5 seconds left in the fourth.

Then Collier blocked Stewart at three feet from the cup. Stewart got off another attempt but was fouled by Collier with .1 seconds left. As the Liberty were down a point, she only converted one of two, setting up overtime instead of taking the win. 

In overtime, Williams had five points but had a brutal turnover that Ionescu scored on, cutting the Lynx lead to two points. Collier had back-to-back steals and made the dagger fadeaway over Jones. 

The Lynx won 95-93. The team had 42 paint points, 17 on the break, 11 via second chances, 17 off turnovers and 15 from the bench. 

Williams had 23 points on nine of 18 attempts, with five rebounds, five assists and three giveaways. McBride put up 22 marks on 55% accuracy, with two rebounds, four assists, one steal and one turnover. And Collier had 21 points on 10 of 16 looks, with eight rebounds, two assists, three steals, six blocks and one turnover. 

The Liberty totaled 36 interior marks, 19 in the open court, 23 on extra tries, 15 off turnovers and 10 from the reserves.

Jones racked up 24 digits on nine of 14 attempts, with 10 boards, three dimes, one steal and two turnovers. Ionescu registered 19 points on eight of 26 ventures, with five boards, three assists, four steals and three giveaways. Stewart logged 18 points on 29% shooting, with nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two turnovers. And Fiebich had 17 points on 43.8% accuracy, with six rebounds and four assists.

Collier handled the on-court interview. When asked about her defense on Stewart, she said, “She’s one of the best players in the world. I just tried to be aggressive and make the shots as hard as possible.”

At the postgame presser, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said the late comeback defines her team. “You have to be mentally tough… and we were that team. I’m thrilled we could hang in there.”

—

For more info on the Miami Heat, subscribe to Off The Floor.