The Heat’s skeleton crew visited the Hawks in Hotlanta, neutralized Trae Young and snatched the Southeast division lead, capping off four dubs in a row. Without Jimmy Butler (personal reasons), Tyler Herro (ankle sprain), Caleb Martin (knee tendinosis) and R.J. Hampton (knee injury), the Heat punished the Birds from the inside and out, logging its highest-scoring opening period of the season (41).
Bam Adebayo swished his initial four jump shots from midrange over Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter. Duncan Robinson was the receiver on two fastbreak baskets. And Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored, rebounded and assisted twice while pestering his matchups.
The visitors contested jumpers on time, allowing the Hawks two field goals in half the quarter while keeping length on Young. Even with the defense slipping in the last few minutes, allowing three trifectas to fall, the Heat still held a 30.7 percentage lead in field goal efficiency.
In the second quarter, Miami flashed its 2-3 zone with man-to-man coverage but conceded baskets on half of Atlanta’s attempts. What bailed them out was playing at breakneck speed, forcing nine turnovers, Adebayo’s unblemished stroke, Jaquez producing 10 more points plus a steal, and Dru Smith wreaking havoc as a help defender with a block and a takeaway under the basket.
At halftime, the Heat was ahead 63-52, with 10 points scored off turnovers, seven off second opportunities and eight on the break. Its primary concern was stopping Dejounte Murray, who, despite a hand in his eye or a man on his hip at close range, finished four of six tries.
In the third frame, Josh Richardson rediscovered his jumper and got to the cup for a layup. Kyle Lowry converted two 3-pointers against Atlanta’s zone and ripped Murray’s defensive rebound. And Jaquez scored twice, posting up Young and Murray.
Miami had 30 points in the interval, but Atlanta matched it, capitalizing on seven possession changes that turned into nine points. Murray continued dazzling, blowing past Jaquez from the top to the hoop, shooting over Robinson, beating everyone on the break and splashing two extra triples.
In the fourth quarter, the Heat’s offense manufactured 24 points on 29.4% shooting. It also committed five more turnovers off sloppy passes and a traveling violation on JJJ. But Adebayo kept it under control, earning three trips to the charity line, not missing and recovering eight rebounds.
For Atlanta, Young finally cracked Miami’s code, adding 14 to the scoreboard. Miami held the rest of his team to 33% efficiency in the fourth.
With three minutes left and the Heat up 13, the Hawks intentionally hacked Haywood Highsmith, a career 45.9% shooter at the line, twice. He made three of four and wasn’t disrespected again.
The Heat won its second game on the road 117-109. Adebayo clocked out with 26 points on nine of 12 shots, 17 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Jaquez added 20 points with four dimes. And Lowry contributed 17 to his scorecard.
When questioned on the court postgame, Jaquez said everyone stepped up. “We had some guys missing…Every guy that gets an opportunity came up big for us tonight, and we’re just happy to get a win on the road.”
At the formal presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said at the pre-shootaround meeting, various Heatles were indicating through their body language that they wanted to be the ones to show out in Butler’s absence. “It was about collectively coming together and trying to get a tough win on the road… Throughout the roster, we had a lot of contributions. [Richardson] bounced back and had a really good game. He and Dru Smith, defensively, were fantastic whether we were in man [coverage] or zone.”
As the Heat’s offense diced the Grizzlies through the first quarter, Tyler Herro turned into the lane against the drop but landed on Jaren Jackson Jr.’s foot, twisting his ankle like a wet towel. He hopped to the locker room on one leg as soon as he could stand and was ruled out for the rest of the night.
Bam Adebayo and the crew registered its next 25 of 59 attempts for Miami, closing out the evening in a six-point win. He followed up Monday’s monstrous triple-double versus the Lakers with 30 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in Memphis. As the game approached its conclusion, he and Jackson dueled for supremacy of the paint.
Adebayo threw his body around like a cannonball ripping through a naval vessel and converted 10 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter alone. Through four periods, his midrange jumper battered Memphis, and the remaining mob filled in for Herro.
Haywood Highsmith swished open 3-pointers, ran the break successfully, dropped a couple of floaters and pestered his matchups. Kyle Lowry was a mobile artillery unit, recording four of seven trifectas, and finished an assist shy of a triple-double. And Jaime Jaquez’s double on Jackson, stripping him in the lane and outrunning two Grizzlies for a layup, put the Heat ahead by 10 with fewer than four minutes left.
Miami secured its first road win of the season via 13 second-chance points, 13 more on the break, another 13 off turnovers and making 39.3% of hoisted trays. Its primary issue, aside from losing Herro, was committing 19 turnovers that allowed the Grizzlies to stay within striking distance.
As for what follows, getting through Herro’s absence won’t be easy. He drove to the cup 12.4 times per game, up from 10.7 tries last season and splashed 42.1% of above-the-break triples (8.1 attempts). In multiple matches through the early campaign, he was the offense and made an early case for the Most Improved Player award. After the win, he speculated that the injury is “probably a couple of weeks” from healing, but based on how his limb bent, it’s probably wishful thinking.
While he’s out, the Heat are missing a creator, who assisted on 22% of his teammates’ shots. The club will depend on Lowry setting up Adebayo with additional frequency.
The Heat will likely have to keep burning with Duncan Robinson starting. He can’t create off the dribble like Herro, but he’s not a one-dimensional player anymore. This season, 31.6% of his shots are two-pointers on cuts or jumpers, when the last two years, it was 16.5%. Additionally, he’s picking up 9.7 more paint touches per contest.
Spamming two-man actions with Adebayo will still give opponents trouble because Robinson is more mobile with the ball, making it harder to trap him after the screen. In eight games, he’s averaging 11.3 points and his confidence is back.
Jaquez was second in minutes off the bench behind Robinson (21) in the win at Memphis. With Caleb Martin still recovering and Josh Richardson looking like a dud, it shouldn’t shock anyone if coach Erik Spoelstra starts depending on the rook further. His defensive instincts are solid, he’s an under-regarded athlete with exceptional footwork and 21.2% of his points scored so far have been on the break.
After the win, Adebayo was asked on the court about drawing fouls. He said, “Looking at the defense, realizing what I got, I could always get to that jumper, but [Spoelstra] wants me to get fouled more…”
Guaranteed, it’s not just Spoelstra but his teammates, too. His midrange attack was flowing, but when Adebayo is attacking the paint and forcing contact like on Wednesday, he puts the ultimate pressure on the defense because he attracts another defender. If that guy keeps showing up, and Jimmy Butler eventually does too, the squad might be able to go better than .500 while it waits for Herro.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3783.jpg12181737Mateo Mayorgahttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgMateo Mayorga2023-11-09 06:17:332023-11-09 06:17:33Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat win in Memphis but lose Tyler Herro to an ankle injury
At shootaround Monday morning, LeBron James spoke glowingly about his old club as a “top tier franchise” and one he has affection for. It didn’t stop the NBA’s senior citizen from punching in 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and serving the hosts another close match as his partner Anthony Davis watched from the sideline.
Early, AD and James broke past perimeter defenses for six close-range baskets on post-ups and drive-bys against man-to-man coverage. Miami countered with 33 points, equaling LA’s output, behind Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, logging eight of 15 shots from the starters in the first quarter. Off the bench, Duncan Robinson hit a pair of 3-pointers against lax coverage and cut inside for a layup off a bounce pass by #13.
In the second frame, the Heat didn’t miss any of its seven shots in the paint. LA’s Cam Reddish was lost defending Butler off-ball. Even Robinson beat Taurean Prince from the wing to the cup for two points and dusted Austin Reaves to supply Thomas Bryant with a layup.
For the Lakers, Reaves produced in pick and roll, transition and on a putback. James tallied two more field goals before intermission by bulldozing into the lane. Davis managed five minutes of action in quarter two, not looking right as he dealt with pain in his groin after a collision with Adebayo.
At halftime, the Heat was ahead 62-59, scoring 13 points off the Lakers’ turnovers but just four on second tries. Its guests had capitalized on 55.8% of its attempts and recorded 34 points in the paint.
In the third quarter, D’Angelo Russell got past Kyle Lowry, Haywood Highsmith and Josh Richardson for layups and a jumper. James scored two more buckets on the break. And Prince got loose into the lane using a dribble handoff and running behind a pindown. For the Heat, Adebayo and Butler combined for 20 of its 28 points.
Through 3 intervals, Miami had taken care of the ball, turning it over eight times. Then the fourth started with Adebayo and Butler getting a breather on the bench as the Heat made half its shots until both were back on the floor. The downside was that until that happened, the Heat coughed up four possessions in almost five minutes and would lose the ball four more times by game’s end.
In between, LA’s Russell was ejected for clapping in front of the refs and then using “vulgarity” toward one during a stoppage.
Jamie Jaquez Jr. logged consecutive field goals, pivoting through lane and racing on the break to give Miami a 10-point lead before he was subbed out for Butler. Comically, when JB tracked Reddish’s drive inside the box and cleanly contested it by going straight up, the refs blew a whistle.
Reddish was getting in position to take his free throws, but coach Erik Spoelstra angrily walked into the lane, demanding a review. Upon inspection, the officials decided that Butler did not foul but that Adebayo had as a helper when his hand quickly swiped at the ball. Reddish made one of two.
For the rest of the match, the Heat supplied just two of its last 10 tries as James and Christian Wood sizzled on rim rolls plus catch-and-shoot jumpers. The Lakers shrunk the deficit to one as James powered through Richardson, posting him for a bucket with a freebie.
En route to the finish line, Miami misfired its final five shots, and Adebayo committed a traveling violation with nine seconds left to give the Lakers one closing opportunity. Butler guarded James’ drive from the top of the key to the depths of the paint, forcing a pass to Reddish in the left corner that bounced off the iron. The Heat won 108-107, led by Adebayo’s triple-double with 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, the first in organization history with so many boards.
At the Lakers’ postgame presser, coach Darvin Ham praised his group’s effort despite the loss. He also was pleased with the look Reddish had on the final play. “We encourage him. He works on that shot every single day…it’s not that close of a game without [Reddish’s] contributions on the defensive end and some of the things he did offensively.”
In the Heat’s press conference room, Spoelstra said there were more positives than negatives in his club’s one-point win. “I’m not going to be a downer about this one. It’s a good win. Obviously, we have to clean up some things. More [of] the decision making…”
The Heat’s overall record improved to 3-4, and it will not practice on Tuesday.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3744.jpg9581703Mateo Mayorgahttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgMateo Mayorga2023-11-07 02:29:292023-11-07 02:29:29Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat narrowly held off LeBron James and the Lakers’ comeback
Nobody delivers a letdown quite like the Miami Dolphins.
Even by their standards they outdid themselves Sunday with a resounding final fizzle in Frankfurt.
With a dramatic comeback attempt from a 21-0 deficit within reach at the Kansas City 31-yard line but down to its last gasp, the fourth down snap clanked off Tua Tagovailoa’s hands. Hope ended with a resounding Pfftttt!
Game over. Chiefs 21, Dolphins 14.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was well aware how the outcome would be viewed: “We lose, we can’t beat good teams. We win, we’re going to win the Super Bowl,” he said last week.
His team had a chance to change the view of being pretenders who build impressive stats against underwhelming opponents and for the third time were found wanting against a playoff-caliber team.
The Dolphins go into their bye week at 6-3. All is not lost, but nothing notable has been gained.
Defense a positive sign for Dolphins
They still haven’t beaten a team with a winning record, the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs joining the Bills and Eagles as providing reality checks to Miami’s visions of grandeur.
Following the game, McDaniel said, “We shouldn’t feel entitled to high opinions from the masses. We have to earn that confidence … if you want the narrative to change, change the narrative.”
They still will have ample opportunities to flip the narrative and achieve their lofty ambitions. The final month gauntlet of Jets, Cowboys, Ravens and Bills (only Baltimore on the road) will determine the final verdict.
It’s understandable that right now there are plenty of empty seats on the bandwagon of believers.
The best sign to cling to was the performance of the defense in holding Patrick Mahomes and the potent Chiefs’ offense to 14 points. For the second half, the Chiefs had three punts and lost a fumble prior to the final kneel-down.
The 267 yards and 174 passing yards for Kansas City were both the Chiefs’ fewest in a regular-season game since Nov. 7, 2021 vs. Green Bay (237 and 160, respectively).
Linebacker Bradley Chubb forced a fumble by Mahomes that set up the Dolphins’ second touchdown — he deflected a pass a couple of players earlier.
Chubb also applied pressure that prompted Mahomes to misfire on third down and give the Dolphins a final chance for a tying touchdown drive.
The Miami secondary, with cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey playing together for the first time did a commendable job of containing Kansas City receivers. All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce was a non-factor with three catches for 14 yards.
Rough day for Tyreek Hill
What was disturbing from a Dolphins perspective was how unprepared and inept the offense performed for more than a half.
The league’s top-rated offense managed a mere 110 yards in the first half while going 0-for-5 on third down. Miami didn’t convert on third down until six and a half minutes remained in the third quarter.
The problem was repeatedly facing third-and-long due to an inability get the running game going (only 28 yards rushing in the half), penalties and an assortment of unforced errors.
Most significant, the Chiefs got physical with Tyreek Hill and kept the star receiver bottled up much of the day. Check that, they embarrassed the Cheetah, stripping him of the ball and returning it for a touchdown late in the half.
It was the pivotal play as the Dolphins were driving in a bid to cut into the Chiefs’ 14-0 lead before halftime. Instead it made it 21-0 and stamped the opening 30 minutes as an absolute debacle for the Dolphins’ hopes of shedding the label of frauds.
Hill finished with 62 yards on eight catches. He had two other passes slip through his hands that should have been significant gains. It certainly wasn’t the result the MVP candidate had in mind in his first game against his former team.
Nonetheless, the Dolphins gave the international audience its money’s worth in an impressive comeback. They even received a gift first down from an unnecessary roughness penalty on Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones and scored on the next play to cut the deficit to 21-14.
The Dolphins’ final possession, beginning with 4:22 remaining, started promising with Raheem Mostert runs of 25 and 19 yards behind solid blocking up front.
Just as there seemed reason to think the Fins might actually pull off something special, it blew up quickly with three incomplete passes and the final bungled shotgun snap.
Tua had Cedrick Wilson Jr. wide open for the game-tying score here but severely underthrew him pic.twitter.com/2xZxcs4JBF
On third down, Tagovailoa, facing a blitz, and Cedrick Wilson Jr. were in disagreement on the route and the pass fell short. Tua took responsibility for that and the fumbled snap from Connor Williams, which he absolutely should have handled. It appeared he began to pull away early.
Discussing what went wrong, Tua actually said, “Sometimes that’s how the cookie crumbles and that’s how the games go.”
As it has so often in these types of situations for the Dolphins. It’s been the recipe for their undoing too many times over the years.
Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_6477.jpg1255941Craig Davishttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgCraig Davis2023-11-05 15:38:452023-11-06 09:00:14Pressure Point: Dolphins can’t quell doubts as comeback fizzles in Frankfurt
The WNBA is in its infancy at age 27 but on the rise. Twenty-seven years after the merger of the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League in 1949, the NBA was not the billion-dollar empire it is today. In fact, in 1978, its TV deal with CBS was worth four years, $74 million. The current deal the W has with ESPN is valued at $33 million, expiring in 2025. The arrangement with Scripps to air Friday games on ION is for $39 million, also ending in 2025.
This year, the WNBA had 25 national broadcasts, the same number as the last campaign, but its viewership increased by 18% in those games, and its regular season was the most-watched since 2006. The Playoffs’ average audience was 470,000 people, making it the most-viewed in 16 years, and the Finals hit its highest spectator marks since 2003. The championship round featured two super teams- the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty, featuring three different MVP award winners, a Women’s Eurocup Finals MVP and seven current All-Stars.
Potentially, with growing fan support, expansion and the evolution of women’s basketball, the W will rival its counterpart someday. But, the league and its partners have hindered its growth despite the success of 2023.
I was assured by those in charge of WNBA coverage at ESPN that scheduling is coordinated with the league. During the championship round, Games 1 & 3 were set on the same afternoon as Sunday Kickoff for the National Football League. On a fixed conference call with reporters before the Finals began, director of communications Ron Howard intervened when Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch asked about competing with the NFL.
Howard blamed ESPN for the decision while its reps were on the call, too. I texted him, as was his request, that his explanation was not good and contradicted what ESPN said. I followed up and was ignored.
Could the WNBA have done something about sharing the spotlight with the most popular sports league in the country? Well, Major League Baseball quit trying to compete with the NFL on Sundays for the 2022 World Series. It makes one wonder, what could the W have done without engaging in self-sabotage? As many as 1.3 million peeps tuned in for Game 4 when it wasn’t competing with pro football.
On July 14, the league held its 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge. Sabrina Ionescu won the shooting crown in a historical display of accuracy. Despite the afternoon’s events having a 46% higher audience than 2022, many people missed it while at work or leaving. Howard ignored questions about the festivities starting at 4 p.m. ET.
The All-Star game was played the next night, at a suitable time of 8:30 p.m. ET, and had an average audience of 850,000.
Basketball lovers are interested in the WNBA. It’s up to the league and its partners to care as much as they do.
The inaugural In-Season Tournament commenced for East Group B with the Miami Heat earning its second win of the year. Debuting its City Edition jerseys on a loud red court, featuring a large trophy at the center, in Haywood Highsmith’s first start of the season, the hosts burned the Wizards at the stake.
Group Play was all gas, no brakes in the first quarter as the visiting Wizards cast a spell on the Heat, preventing it from containing a cascade of bombs and inside blows. The defense was sagging off and unable to stop dribble penetration. Yet, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were in command of the offense, retaliating with four of nine 3-point makes and six buckets in the restricted area.
Butler scored 11 early points, posting up, running the break, firing from distance and at the line with two steals. For Washington, Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole shot over openings on the perimeter and raced down the floor for quick scores, totaling 17 points on nine attempts. At the end of the first, the game was tied at 34, yet Miami put opposing center Daniel Gafford in foul trouble with two penalties and tried four additional free throws.
In the second quarter, Washington’s pick-and-roll defense was powerless against Herro driving to the cup or feeding his big man when doubled. In a 90-second span midway through the frame, he was the architect of a 9-0 run, scoring or assisting on four straight baskets. Duncan Robinson recorded nine points, cutting to the hoop and connecting on a corner banger on his second attempt.
Defensively, Miami held Washington to 40.9% shooting and didn’t allow any of their starters multiple field goals in interval two.
In the last 35 seconds of the first half, Highsmith’s knee collided with Washington’s Deni Avdija, covering a dribble drive. Next, coach Erik Spoelstra subbed in Josh Richardson and got Highsmith checked out in the locker room. Fortunately for Miami, he was able to play almost 10 minutes in the following quarter.
At halftime, the Heat was up 60-54 with eight points scored off turnovers and seven on second opportunities. Herro was more than halfway to a triple-double, accumulating 12 on his scorecard, eight rebounds and seven helpings.
In the third period, Miami logged 41 points for the second time this season in a 12-minute span, on this occasion mainly behind Adebayo finishing on jump shots and at close range. Butler made all three of his attempts on cuts and a pick-6. Herro contributed two trays as well.
Entering the final quarter, the Heat was ahead 101-81, but the Wizards deployed full-court press, trapped Herro at midcourt, plus forced seven turnovers to cut Miami’s lead to 10 with four minutes left. It was as if the Wizards heard Miami’s play-by-play broadcaster Eric Reid say during the third quarter, “Some empathy for Wizard’s head coach Wes Unseld Jr. It looks like they have a long year ahead of them in the nation’s capital…”
Washington beat Miami in transition, delivered the entry pass to the middle and burned the perimeter protection, outproducing the hosts 33-20. Yet, Herro put them down, sizing up rookie Bilal Coulibaly and hitting a baseline jumper over him. He finished an assist shy of a triple-double with 24 points.
The Heat won 121-114 and had a seven point advantage in the rebounding department.
At the postgame presser, Spoelstra said he hated changing the starting rotation after losing four in a row because outsiders look at it as an indictment of a member. “This is just a move for now. [Kevin] Love is going to have a role with us. Everything that we wanted last year, I just feel like we are going to need that kind of decorated veteran experience…”
The win was Miami’s second of the year. The regular season record is 1-4 and its mark in Tournament competition is 1-0.
The Heat will not practice on Saturday.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3689.jpg6571237Mateo Mayorgahttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgMateo Mayorga2023-11-04 01:43:322023-11-04 01:44:27Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat start In-Season Tournament Group Play with a dub over Wizards
The Heat hasn’t gotten over its addiction to close games. Wednesday’s affair flipped like a light switch in the last 12 minutes, handing the hosts four consecutive losses. Against the Brooklyn Nets, minus three starters, the offense crashed late, and the defense ignored the 3-point line on coach Erik Spoelstra’s birthday and in front of Dr. Jack Ramsay’s family on the night he was honored with the Heat’s Media Memorial Center.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Heat held an eight-point lead. Cam Thomas, who was averaging 33 points on 61.4% shooting, was neutralized. Miami had doubled Brooklyn’s production on the offensive glass. Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo had combined on 19 of 35 tries. Yet signals of impending doom were visible in the third, as the Nets scored easily and the hosts worked hard for buckets.
It subsequently got worse. Miami reached a new season high for turnovers as Adebayo was stripped at the elbow, resulting in a fastbreak triple. Brooklyn’s Armoni Brooks got loose, hitting two trifectas. And the Heat was burned a few more times by not having everyone rush back quickly.
The group found itself down seven with momentum slipping through its grasp. Next, Butler dove through the middle for a layup. Adebayo recovered a missed jumper for a putback between two defenders. Then Herro’s six-foot bank shot over Dorian Finney-Smith cut the deficit to a possession, but that was as far back as the quick comeback took them.
The Heat wouldn’t score a field goal again for three minutes, but after it did, officials missed a traveling violation on Lonnie Walker. He dribbled up the sideline and came down with the ball after leaving his feet. Josh Richardson fouled Bridges, but he buried two at the line and two more when the free throw game became a formality.
In the fourth quarter, the disparity in field goal percentage was 20.4% higher in favor of the Nets, who won 109-105. Scoring off turnovers (25), fastbreak points (24), and the benched getting clipped by 24 hurt the Heat most.
Spoelstra was so pissed he just waved to coach Jacque Vaughn instead of shaking his hand on the court and retreated to the locker room.
Postgame, Bridges said in the Brooklyn locker room that multiple players stayed ready. “We got a lot of depth, and they shined when the opportunity was called. That’s big for us, and good for them. We are going to need that…”
On the losing side, Spoelstra said there were a few tipping points in the game. “There was a point when we were up 15 [with] about four minutes left in the third quarter, where we had an opportunity to take that to 20, and then they took it to 10 and then under 10. That was the first shift, and then there was another… We have to find a way to sustain [leads] more consistently and better, and that’s what we’ll do.
The Heat’s record is now 1-4.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/fullsizeoutput_5184.jpeg11642238Mateo Mayorgahttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgMateo Mayorga2023-11-02 04:25:182023-11-02 04:25:18Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat’s flame goes out in fourth quarter loss to the Nets
Tyler Herro’s homecoming soured despite his efforts to prove a point after breaking his hand at Fiserv Forum 19 minutes into the Playoffs. This time, the Heat got Bucked, with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the stampede. Bam Adebayo was absent with a hip injury and unable to shield the paint plus switch outside. Haywood Highsmith was still out with a left knee sprain. For three quarters, Orlando Robinson auditioned for a new squad – the Beijing Royal Fighters. And still, the Heat clawed back to within six points during the last 30 seconds.
Even with the missing contributors, Herro was the singular Heatle who came prepared until his colleagues picked it up late. A night earlier, the Atlanta Hawks thumped the Bucks by 17 points and, at one moment, had them down 31. Monday, there was no chance of that, given how Miami pantsed Milwaukee in the Postseason and was hurt going in. Cream City’s unit was sloppy in the first half but still in control.
In the opening quarter, the Heat used the 2-2-1 press to slow the Bucks, not allowing any fastbreak buckets. Herro exploited Milwaukee’s drop coverage, hitting consecutive high-difficulty floaters over Bobby Portis. Thomas Bryant scored eight points by cutting and posting. Jimmy Butler recorded nine early points before taking his foot off the gas.
The Heat was tied at 28 after a quarter, but the Bucks charged to a 7-0 run before coach Erik Spoelstra called timeout. He’d seen enough after Herro was blitzed and ripped on two possessions by Portis, and Butler looked disinterested not playing with Lillard. Rookie Jamie Jaquez Jr. then missed four shots in a row before the close of the half.
O. Robinson was BBQ and picked up two fouls in three minutes. One of his penalties was so obvious that when Spo instinctually cried flop on Cameron Payne, referee Tony Brothers walked past him, rolling his eyes. Josh Richardson left 3-point shooters open, but Herro kept the group on life support with the squad’s three final baskets of the quarter, pushing his output to 18 points.
At intermission, the Heat was down 52-62 following a last-second top of the key trifecta, swished by Jae Crowder when Herro over-helped on the wing. The Bucks scored 28 points in the paint and 11 were off Miami’s turnovers. Antetokounmpo and Portis repeatedly mauled the backline.
Next came the infamous turd quarter as the Bucks went on an 11-4 run before Spo called another break that failed to stop the bleeding. For the period, Herro was the team’s offense, but the Heat conceded 14 of 22 baskets to eight different Bucks, digging a 25-point ditch.
Milwaukee then committed the cardinal sin of not extinguishing the Heat’s embers. In the fourth, Spoelstra benched Butler, and the visitors chopped away with a bevy of 3-pointers and paint attacks. O. Robinson nailed a bomb from the corner, beat Portis off the dribble from the top to the cup, scored at close range off a roll, and had five rebounds and five assists. Duncan Robinson canned three triples.
With under two minutes left, D. Robinson cut the deficit to six as he maneuvered to the square for a transition floater. His leaning 3-pointer in front of two defenders on the right wing was the last retaliatory blow the Heat landed.
Milwaukee won 122-114.
After his third match with the Bucks, Lillard said as the team goes on, it will continue to get better. “We [have] a great starting group, but I think one of our greatest strengths is our bench, our depth. When we [have] guys coming in, moving the ball, playing with energy, getting deflections… we’ll be a hard team to beat.”
At the postgame presser for the losing side, Spoelstra said his group earned its 25-point deficit, but then the young crew battled back. “I’m sure Milwaukee was just trying to play it out, hoping we were going to go away, but our guys did some good things out there…we just need to move the needle this week.”
The Heat’s record is now 1-3.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_3635.jpg10621763Mateo Mayorgahttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgMateo Mayorga2023-10-31 06:27:222023-10-31 06:27:22Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Miami Heat come up short in fourth-quarter comeback in Milwaukee
As the exodus of the Miami Dolphins’ offensive line via the medical tent left few able bodies up front, it was clear what was needed.
The Miami defense needed to make some plays to lend a hand and fend off the New England Patriots on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, in his much-anticipated Dolphins debut, delivered as hoped with a key interception late in the first half that kept Miami on course for a 31-17 win and a season sweep of the Patriots.
The first sweep of an AFC East opponent since Mike McDaniel became the Dolphins coach kept Miami in first place in the division at 6-2 going into next week’s showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs in Germany.
Certainly an ideal time to add a six-time Pro Bowl corner going into that matchup.
Ramsey beats recovery forecast by more than a month
With Xavien Holland and Jevon Holland missing Sunday due to injuries, Ramsey’s presence was a big boost to the Dolphins secondary.
Miami’s major offseason acquisition had to wait nearly half the season to show the difference he can make after injuring his left meniscus on the second day of training camp in July. His return to action was at least a month sooner than the most optimistic forecasts for his recovery from surgery.
Ramsey made it back 94 days after what he said was a full repair of his damaged meniscus.
“They told me late December. I wanted to beat that at least by a month,” Ramsey said. “It got to a certain point where I kind of circled this game. …. When I put my mind on certain things I just go all out.”
The veteran, who won a Super Bowl with the L.A. Rams, made it clear that it was a group effort that got him back on the field, praising Dr. John Uribe who performed the surgery as well as the trainers, weight training staff and everyone involved in his rehab.
Ramsey called his interception
But once back on the field, he wasn’t messing around. In fact, he predicted the interception in his first game back.
Patriots quarterback Mac Jones didn’t target Ramsey until late in the half. When he did he probably regretted it.
The Patriots were driving to a potential tying touchdown when he read a sideline route for Kendrick Bourne. Ramsey hung back, then jumped the pass for the interception at the Miami 10 and returned it 49 yards before stepping out of bounds.
“I should have scored. I’ve got to find a way to do that,” he said.
The Dolphins cashed in the turnover for a field goal and a 17-7 lead at the half.
McDaniel joked, “He totally disappointed me. He told me he was gonna come back and have a pick six, not a pick field goal.”
Ramsey inspires Dolphins teammates
Ramsey also forced a fumble on running play, though the Patriots retained possession.
His impact on the team drew effusive praise from his teammates.
“It was awesome to have Jalen out there,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “It was one of the coolest walk-outs I’ve seen here when he walked out through the smoke. Then he topped it off with an interception. The hype is real when it comes to someone like Jalen Ramsey.”
Ramsey revealed that he suffered the injury while locking up with superstar receiver Tyreek Hill in practice.
Hill called Ramsey “next level. … It’s dope to see him back doing it already, like forcing fumbles and just locking down the whole side. I like that. It’s dope to see it. For him to add that to his story, it’s even better. That makes it even better.”
As usual, the Miami offense did much of the heavy lifting despite more injury setbacks to the O-line, which included right guard Robert Hunt (hamstring) and left tackle Kendall Lamm (abdomen) exiting in the first half.
Lamm, himself filling in for Terron Armstead, returned in the second half. But right tackle Austin Jackson was the only regular in action.
Dolphins offense back on track
Tagovailoa threw touchdown passes to Hill, Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Jaylen Waddle. He finished 30 of 45 for 324 yards, including a 42-yard TD to Hill.
Hill had eight catches for 112 yards, Waddle had seven for 121.
It was a solid bounce-back effort after last week’s 31-17 loss to Philadelphia.
But Ramsey’s interception was one of several keys plays by the defense in one of the most impactful games for Vic Fangio’s unit, which limited New England to 218 total yards and 1-of-9 third-down conversions. They sacked Jones three times.
A fumble by Raheem Mostert on the opening possession of the second half set up New England at the Miami 19. But the defense forced a three-and-out, with Christian Wilkins’ sack on third down making the Patriots settle for a field goal.
Holland, Howard expected back soon for Miami
Safety, DeShon Elliott, subbing for Holland, delivered a jarring hit on DeVante Parker to prevent a pass reception and knocked the former Dolphins receiver out of the game.
Bradley Chubb had a sack on Jones that kept another Patriots possession from gaining traction.
The Dolphins did allow an 81-yard drive that cut their lead to 24-17 midway through the fourth quarter. At that point Tua and the offense put matters to rest with a 75-yard drive that ended with a 31-yard touchdown pass to a totally uncovered Waddle for a 31-yard TD.
Next week in Germany, a duel of explosive offenses is expected with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Hill said he is looking forward to matching up with his former teammates.
But Ramsey’s triumphant return gives hope for slowing down the explosive Kansas City offense. Particularly if Howard and Holland are able to return and finally unite Miami’s vision of a championship caliber secondary.
Here are some key moments throughout the game:
First quarter
Dolphins forced a three-and-out on opening possession.
Dolphins’ first possession, Tua completed fourth-and-1 to Waddle. But drive stalled in Patriots’ territory. Chase Claypool was targeted for the first time but didn’t connect.
After getting sacked on second down, Tua threw a bad interception to Kyle Dugger giving New England the ball at the Miami 30. Mac Jones threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Kendrick Bourne over the middle on third down to take a 7-0 lead. Justin Bethel was badly beaten on the play by Bourne.
Dolphins answered with a 42-yard strike to Tyreek Hill. The Cheetah ran past two defenders on the streak. Fins got the running game going on the drive with Jeff Wilson carrying three times for 19 yards. First notable work of the season for Wilson since returning to action.
It was the seventh time the two have connected on a 40+ yard pass this season. Nobody else in the NFL has more than three.
Second quarter
(tied 7-7)
Tagovailoa scrambled on fourth down as the middle opened up to continue Miami’s next drive. They converted another fourth down on a short pass to Hill to the NE 6.
Right guard Robert Hunt went out with a hamstring injury to his left leg as the beleaguered O-line took another hit. The Dolphins are left with only one starting lineman on offense.
Tua threw 1-yard touchdown pass to Cedrick Wilson Jr. after a pass interference all in the end zone kept the drive alive. Dolphins took a 14-7 lead. 14 plays, 53 yards on a drive lasting 7:25. Two fourth-down conversions and a pass interference kept it going.
Jalen Ramsey, in his first game for the Dolphins, halted a NE bid for a score late in the half with an interception.
eturned 49 yards before stepping out of bounds. He jumped a pass intended for Bourne at the Miami 10.
Left tackle Kendall Lamm went out with a abdomen injury. Kion Smith replaced him as injuries pile up for the patchwork I-line.
Waddle made leaping catch at the NE 16. Sanders made a 30-yard field goal with 29 seconds left in the half.
Dolphins 17-7.
Third quarter
Mostert fumbled on the exchange from Tua, giving NE the ball at the Miami 19.
Christian Wilkins sacked Jones on third down and the Patriots settled for a 38-yard field goal. Both NE scores have come off turnovers.
Dolphins 17-10.
Waddle dropped a pass, than caught the next one for a 23-yard gain.
Claypool made his first catch as a Dolphin, 15 yards for a first down on the NE 14. The big-body wide receiver broke some tackles after the catch. Mostert scored two plays later from the 1 for a 24-10 Miami lead. Nine plays, 77 yards on the drive.
Sack by Chubb pushed the Patriots back to their 10.
Quarter ends with Dolphins up 24-10.
Fourth quarter
Patriots put together a 13 play, 81-yard drive with Jones throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster to cut the Miami lead to 24-17 with 8:30 remaining.
Somehow Waddle found himself uncovered over the middle for a 31-yard clinching touchdown.
Dolphins 31-17 with 2:43 remaining.
Jaelen Phillips added a sack just before the two-minute warning.
Brandon Jones had two near interceptions in the final two minutes. He got leveled on the second one by JuJu Smith-Schuster, prompting a scuffle between the teams. Smith-Schuster was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the play.
Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.
Three games into the season, the Miami Heat are already below .500 after losing its first road back-to-back set to the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves. In both defeats, the Heat let go of the rope late.
Saturday, Jimmy Butler was the only NBA player to rest for a game, per the NBA injury report. Meanwhile, Kevin Love has a shoulder contusion, Haywood Highsmith has a left knee sprain, Caleb Martin has left knee tendinosis and Josh Richardson has right heel inflammation. The Heat is lucky trainer Jay Sabol and Co. worked around the clock to straighten out Jamie Jaquez Jr.’s left groin strain and Duncan Robinson’s left foot sprain.
The Heat were in it for three quarters, but through the game…
The Timberwolves got into the paint at will
Against man-to-man coverage and some 2-3 zone, Minnesota invaded Miami’s interior for 58 points, easily entering via handoffs, pick and roll, dribble breakdowns and crashing the offensive glass. Last season, the Heat had the strictest paint protection in the league, only permitting 46.2 points in the square. Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, Kyle Anderson and Mike Conley were the main culprits. In total, the Timberwolves made 29 of 46 paint tries.
This is where it would have been nice to have Butler. He could have helped stop the ball outside, contest in the paint, or intercept a pass in the lane.
The Heat played faster than usual in the first half
Thirteen of 22 fastbreak points were scored in the first half. Steals and quick outlet passes pushed the pace like Love was on the court. This gave the Heat a boost because, for the game, it was only dropping 76.3 points per 100 half-court plays, per Cleaning the Glass. The second half was much slower, flowing at a pace rating of 95.0. The league average last season was 99.2.
The Heat couldn’t hit from deep or get to the line
The Timberwolves contested well against many of the Heat’s 3-point attempts after the catch and in drop coverage. Robinson found someone attached to his hip most of the night, causing him to miss eight tries. Kyle Lowry bricked over the length of Conley, Anderson and Towns. Jamal Cain couldn’t splash one either when the defense abandoned him, too. The only Heatle to shoot well beyond the arc was Herro.
The Heat was misfiring so badly that even Adebayo hoisted one up when the defense didn’t bother to leave the paint. But worse yet, the Heat couldn’t get to the line often to get the hosts in foul trouble and cut the flow of the game, giving themselves a breather. At the charity line, Miami made eight of 14 freebies.
Results of Adebayo and Herro leading in usage
Adebayo and Herro conducted 59.1% of Miami’s offensive plays and made 15 of 37 field goal attempts. In the first half, they were powering the Heat with a combined 25 points on 50% shooting.
In the second half, Herro was shut down on drives by Gobert and KAT at the rim. Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker forced him into tough jumpers, finishing the second half, making three of 12 field goals.
Adebayo was more of an offensive lineman than a scorer in the last 24 minutes, only taking five shots and making two. Before the game got out of reach, his last two dimes were feeds to Herro at the top of the key.
Collapse in the fourth quarter
The Heat entered the fourth quarter down seven points and proceeded to convert six of 25 field goals. In a six-minute stretch, the visitors missed 11 shots in a row. The offense was predictable, with minimal movement on the perimeter by off-ball players, allowing the Timberwolves to sag off, clogging the lane. Bad shots were taken early in the shot clock that prevented the Heat any chance at an offensive rebound.
Defensively in the last interval, Miami gave up four above-the-break triples and one in the corner because of unnecessary overhelp. Reid and Anthony Edwards took over, totaling 19 points on 88% shooting.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/fullsizeoutput_5156.jpeg10851527Mateo Mayorgahttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgMateo Mayorga2023-10-29 13:30:492023-10-29 13:30:49Takeaways from the Miami Heat’s loss in Minnesota
