Tag Archive for: Miami Heat

Miami May Need a KO Punch to Close Out the Series

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It has been clear that Kelly Olynyk hasn’t had the greatest series against the Boston Celtics, with a team worst minus-22.

This meant that he didn’t see the court at all in game four and played three minutes in game five. But will that be the right decision to try and close out this series?

The Miami Heat have struggled shooting the ball from beyond the arc over the past few games, which is very unlike them. This was due to the regression of Jae Crowder, and even guys like Goran Dragic weren’t shooting it well. This caused Miami’s offense to grow stagnant. Even though the shots weren’t falling, they continued to shoot them, instead of trying to attack.

But if the offense needed a spark to get the team on track, why not let Kelly Olynyk get some run.

He definitely hasn’t been great on defense this series, but ultimately you have to pick your poison. Do you take a chance on getting dominated by Daniel Theis to get your offense going? Yes. That’s a chance you must take.

Kelly scored 5 points in only three minutes on Friday night, hitting a deep three and throwing down a dunk off of a nice roll to the basket.

This is not to say that KO is going to need to play big minutes and carry them to a win. It just means that he will need to be utilized off the bench on Sunday night for longer stretches if these shooting woes continue. But if they get back to their elite shooting, it may mean that Spo goes with Soloman Hill or Derrick Jones Jr for defensive purposes.

It is now time for Miami to close this out in six. Kelly Olynyk will be given an opportunity to send his old team home. The question is if he will capitalize on the things mentioned, and I think he does exactly that.

KO will need to give the KO punch against Boston to send Miami to the NBA finals.

 

Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) contributes to the Five on the Floor platforms on Five Reasons Sports.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Game Five Loss to Boston

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The Miami Heat allowed the Boston Celtics to battle back in the second half and get the win, 121-108. This game was clearly a tale of two halves, with Miami dominating the first and Boston dominating the second. Here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Duncan Robinson comes out scoring early, not just from three, but in the paint.

Duncan Robinson hasn’t had the best series scoring the ball, but that changed early in game five. While many would expect he made most of his scoring impact from beyond the arc, it actually came from attacking the rim. I’ve continually said that since Duncan is being watched so closely, he will need to put the ball on the floor once in a while to open up his shooting. Well, that’s exactly what he did tonight. After scoring around the rim to start, that led to him hitting three first half triples. Duncan has been a bit of a decoy throughout this series, but now he proved once again that he’s much more than that. He will need to show up again in game 6 to give Miami’s offense a boost.

#2: Jimmy Butler fills up stat sheet in first half, but his biggest impact didn’t involve numbers.

Jimmy Butler’s energy on both sides of the floor in the first half was clearly impressive. He finally was searching to score at times in the first half, which led to some fouls on Boston’s top players. But his biggest impact wasn’t on the offensive end, and it wasn’t shown in a stat sheet. It was on display through his active hands on the defensive end through help defense. Miami’s first quarter lead began with Jimmy making guys uncomfortable when attacking the rim, and ultimately led to buckets on the opposite end. But Miami’s second half issues allowed Jimmy Butler’s offense to grow stagnant, which consequently made his intensity take a dip. Now only up 3-2, Jimmy will need to be ready to close this out on Sunday.

#3: Miami’s three point shooting struggles become problematic.

Miami shot 19% from three in game five, only Duncan Robinson seemed to be able to connect from deep. This is very unlike this team, since they’ve been a top three point shooting team all season. For starters, Jae Crowder struggled shooting the ball again from three, which showed a huge decrease in his confidence with his jumper going forward. Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro weren’t even able to get in a groove shooting the ball in the first half. Boston struggled early in the game as well, shooting 5 for 20 in the first quarter, but their second half run overcame this. Although it’s tough to think positively about this poor shooting, this team’s shooting confidence is like no other, which is why it’s not much of a worry.

#4: Third quarter issues cause 20-3 run by Celtics.

It was clear that Miami was the energetic and locked in team throughout the first half, but it was the complete opposite in the second half. Not only were the Heat flat in the third, they just weren’t getting into their offense. It also seemed as if they got complacent with their halftime lead. No fire in their play, until Goran Dragic took the reigns of the team while trailing once again. It ultimately was too late though, since Boston went on a 20-3 run to start the quarter. It’s been a constant thing with this team that they must play for a full 48 minutes. Tough stretches, like the one in the third, will need to be cleaned up going forward, since they can’t do that against a team like Boston, especially in the Conference Finals.

#5: Goran Dragic continually finds ways to try and get them out of the mud.

Goran Dragic seems to get to another level whenever they go through tough stretches, and well, it was on full display tonight again. Even on a night that he’s not shooting particularly well, he finds ways to attack the rim and draw fouls to try and get the team back on track. This is something he has done all season. Maybe it’s that he’s able to do whatever he wants with the ball in his hands during those times, which means he can put his head down and play his game. Either way, Goran can’t be the only guy trying to get them out of the mud. They will need another type of offensive game to take some of the load off of him, like Jimmy’s attacking or Tyler’s shot-creating.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Huge Game Four Win Over Celtics

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The Miami Heat came away with a huge game four win over the Boston Celtics, 112-109. This gave Miami a 3-1 lead in the series, behind big time performances by Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Here are five takeaways…

#1: Tyler Herro unconscious early once again.

Tyler Herro once again put on an absolute scoring display in the first half, scoring 15 points. The scoring though is not what stood out from Tyler, it was his feel for the game. He took control of the pace of the offense, when Goran and Jimmy weren’t. This was finally the dribble penetration Miami was looking for, which led to some nice dishes down low to Bam and others. It seems as if it’s the same story-line every game from Tyler, but ultimately it is. He’s a 20 year old rookie who may be the most consistent Heat player right now. Not only is he the future, but he’s the present.

#2: Bam Adebayo brings needed intensity on both sides of the floor.

Many speculated Jimmy would need to be the aggressor early in game four, which he was, but it ultimately falls on Bam Adebayo. It’s clear that he controls the dynamic of how their offense will flow. And tonight, he brought the energy on both offense and defense that they needed. For starters, the defensive plays Bam was making you won’t see in a stat sheet. He’s a guy that forced so many Boston Celtic misses both around the rim and perimeter. He truly impacts the game in a special way. On the offensive side, he was assertive early with his pick and rolls with Goran Dragic. He also made himself useful on the boards, especially since Miami went with smaller lineups. Once again, Bam’s the motor to this team’s success.

#3: Jayson Tatum scoreless first half was a game changer.

Jayson Tatum went scoreless in the first half of tonight’s game, which was far from expected. He’s arguably Boston’s most deadly and needed scorer, but when he’s off it’ll hurt you. His struggles had a lot to do with the constant adjusting defensive schemes. This led to him settling for more jump shots from beyond the arc, instead of just attacking the rim. But well, it was inevitable for this to be the case all night, since he exploded for 16 third quarter points. There’s not many games where you’ll hold a star to 0 first half points, which is why you must take advantage of those moments.

#4: Both teams struggle shooting the ball from deep.

After Miami didn’t shoot the ball particularly well in game three, it seemed as if they’d clean that up easily for game four. And well, the three ball wasn’t there best friend throughout the night, especially for Duncan Robinson and Jae Crowder. Somehow, they still controlled the pace for most of the game, mostly since Boston didn’t shoot well either. As mentioned before, that was mostly because of the early Jayson Tatum struggles. Brad Stevens made sure to tell the team to step into their shots and control the mid-range. Miami, on the other hand, stuck with their shooting and attacked the rim when needed.

#5: Miami takes 3-1 lead, one win away from the NBA finals.

The Miami Heat have officially taken a 3-1 lead over the Boston Celtics, which means they’re one game away from an NBA finals appearance. This game was a full representation of this team’s grit. Not shooting the ball well, two of your starters non-offensive factors, but they still find a way to get the win. This was behind the outstanding performance by Tyler Herro, as mentioned before. Although I expanded on Tyler previously, he’s the reason they have this 3-1 lead. He once again showed up when others did not, due to his outstanding feel for the game. Bam Adebayo also controlled the paint on both sides of the floor, which was a major contribution to this win. And now, as mentioned before, they’re one win away from reaching the NBA finals.

Tyler Herro on Five on the Floor: “The Game Slowed Down”

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Tyler Herro joined Ethan Skolnick and Alex Toledo on the latest episode of Five on the Floor. He talked about his rookie season, the NBA bubble, and more. Here’s what was said…

#1: “I was telling people back home before the series started, we’re gonna win in 4 or 5.”

When referring to the second round series with the Milwaukee Bucks, he mentioned that he told people back home that it’ll be a 4 or 5 game series. Well, that was pretty spot on after Miami beat the Bucks in five. He also mentioned that it was his “little way of getting back at the Milwaukee people,” when referring to some incidents in his previous basketball years, choosing Kentucky over Wisconsin. His town didn’t respond well too that decision, which made for some very entertaining high school basketball games during his senior year. That might’ve been the beginning of that Tyler Herro swagger, when he had to overcome the haters, which clearly he did.

#2: “There were people saying I wouldn’t play in the NBA, and I’m playing in the NBA.”

Tyler also talked about a pinned tweet on his twitter profile that says “Shoutout to everyone doubting me.” He mentioned that there were people saying that he wouldn’t play at Kentucky, which he did. And then there were people saying he wouldn’t play in the NBA, which he is. He finishes saying that “I’m sure there’s still people doubting me, but I’m gonna try and keep it up for as long as I can.” And now that he’s a Miami Heat player, he must embrace hate. That’s what has seemed to drive this team all season. And with the immense amount of confidence that Tyler has in himself, no amount of hate could slow him down.

#3: “I told him (Dwyane Wade) if there’s anything that he sees to just let me know.”

Tyler Herro mentioned that the last time he talked to Dwyane Wade was after game one when he had a near triple double. He said that he made sure to let Dwyane know that if he ever notices anything in his game to let him know. This got brought up when discussing how similar his stats are to Dwyane’s in his rookie playoff run, which Tyler mentioned that he wasn’t aware of those similarities. This is just another clear indication of how many helpful veterans he has around him. Tyler mentioned how lucky he is to have guys like Jimmy, Goran, and UD to give him advice, saying that other rookies he’s talked to have said that not everyone has that.

#4: “I felt like the three would be a better shot, and it was.”

Tyler also got to discussing some of his most memorable shots during the regular season, starting with the one against the Philadelphia 76ers. He mentioned that he didn’t attack the rim since it was a three on one, so he felt the three would be a better shot, “which it was.” He also brought up the game against the Chicago Bulls, when he hit two big time threes off of Jimmy Butler dishes. But now there’s no need to look back at these, since he’s hitting huge shots down the stretch of big time playoff games. He seems to be taking one leap after the next every single night. And now he has an opportunity to make the NBA finals in his rookie year, being a huge contributor to the success.

#5: “I think the game really slowed down for me on that side of the floor.”

Tyler said that he thinks the game slowed down for him on the defensive side of the floor, which has led to his major improvements. Most of the time with these kinds of issues, guys just need more reps and playing time. And since Tyler has played the most fourth quarter minutes on the team, he has had plenty of time to understand that side of the floor. He also mentioned that a huge reason for his improvements was the time off with his injury. He said this gave him a chance to actually watch the game from the sideline, and gain a new perspective. He also took this time to watch a bunch of film on guys like Devin Booker, which has improved some on-ball spacing and things of that nature. All of these improvements have happened in one season, which says that he has much more time to grow even more.

The Miami Heat’s 5 free agent decisions

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The Miami Heat will have little time to celebrate a successful playoff run this offseason before making some roster decisions about the upcoming season. The Heat are positioning themselves to be major players in the 2021 free agency market, with names like Giannis Antentokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James and Anthony Davis potentially being available for the taking.

 

Although Miami is set to have enough cap room to sign a max player, there are some tough choices this summer that could impact the Heat’s “whale hunting” in the future. Here are a few of Miami’s impending free agents and where they potentially fit in Miami’s plans moving forward.  

 

  • Goran Dragic

Dragic has been one of the biggest stories of the team’s run in the bubble. He is leading the team in scoring in the playoffs and has displayed some of his best basketball in a Heat jersey this year. Goran is in the last year of his deal, which pays $17 million this season. Considering his production, that number is relatively inexpensive. However, at 34, his best days are probably behind him and he will likely return to the bench next season. Miami will want to reward Goran because of how important he has been to this team’s success but avoid messing with any of its potential spending for 2021. Is the Dragon willing to take a one-year balloon payment or will he take a multi-year deal elsewhere? 

 

Prediction: Dragic will take the one-year balloon payment this summer and negotiates a team-friendly deal with the Heat next offseason. Dragic has now spent half of his career in Miami and this run should help both he and the franchise realize that he should finish here. 

 

  • Meyers Leonard

Leonard has been a joy to have in Miami this season with not only his play, but his professionalism and commitment to the organization and the community. Meyers has been a model citizen this season and would have been welcomed back with open arms under any other circumstances. He will command more than his current $10 million salary this summer from another team. The Heat will not be able to match that. 

 

Prediction: Leonard will give the Heat an opportunity to retain his services. Unfortunately, the team won’t have much to offer him in terms of money, long-term security or playing time. Meyers will be a one-and-done in a Heat jersey, but he will be remembered fondly by fans.

 

  • Jae Crowder

Crowder was the steal of the Winslow trade. His impact on defense became a secondary thought when compared to the revelation that has been his three-point shooting. The Boss Man converted at a nearly 45 percent clip during the regular season for Miami after arriving from Memphis. He is shooting 38 percent on nine attempts in the playoffs. The team got more than what they bargained for in Crowder and will scramble to make room for him on this roster moving forward. The challenge will be convincing Crowder to forgo a multi-year deal and accept a one-year deal to remain in Miami. By all accounts, Crowder enjoys Miami and wants to be here. With his shooting numbers going up, so has his value to other suitors, many of which more willing to spend than Miami. He may have played his way to much more than his current $7 million number. The question for Jae is will he choose culture of currency.

 

Prediction: The likelihood of Crowder duplicating this year’s success next season are slim to none. He has been a sniper for Miami, but there is no evidence to suggest that he can sustain that level of play long term. Miami will do everything within reason to keep him, but ultimately, another team comes in with a deal too good for Jae to pass up.

 

  • Derrick Jones Jr.

DJJ deserves to be paid and he will be paid, but will it be by Miami? If the Heat were able to keep him at his current $1.5 million price tag, the deal would have been done months ago. Jones’ defensive length and athleticism are hot commodities in today’s league where long, versatile wings are all the rage. Miami might have an avenue to success. Unless they are completely outbid in the market, Miami may be able to use the scraps of the potential Leonard and Crowder departures to cobble up a suitable deal for the slam dunk champ. 

 

Prediction: Miami should be able to keep DJJ for a price between $5-7. The only two things that could derail that are unexpected offers from outside teams and Jae Crowder choosing to stay in Miami.

 

  • Kelly Olynyk

This one is pretty straight forward. Olynyk declining his $12 million player option for next year is as about as likely as Pat Riley calling Danny Ainge up to go for beers. Expect to see Kelly in a Heat jersey next season, unless he can be flipped for something better by the trade deadline. While KO has been inconsistent at times, at his best, he is the perfect complement to Bam Adebayo. His ability to shoot from range, above-average playmaking and basketball IQ have become invaluable off of Miami’s bench.

 

Prediction: Olynyk was nearly traded to Dallas last year along with DJJ to help facilitate the Jimmy Butler trade. While Kelly may start the season with Miami, expect the Heat to try and trade his expiring contract before the end of the season.  

 

Honorable Mentions: Solomon Hill, Gabe Vincent, Kyle Alexander, Udonis Haslem

 

Royal Shepherd (@RoyalAShepherd) has written for several major newspapers, including the Tallahassee Democrat and the Augusta Chronicle, and now contributes to Five Reasons Sports.

5 Comments from Media Session with Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic

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The Miami Heat held their final practice today before game four on Wednesday night. Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic spoke with media afterward about their current mentality heading into tomorrow. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Jimmy Butler expanded on the idea of not getting behind early again in game four. He said, “I think we just gotta start off better.” He followed that talking about how much that falls on the starting unit. They must be ready to absolutely bring it out the gate, just as Tyler Herro does when he enters off the bench. Jimmy will be a huge proponent of not getting behind early, since he will need to attack a little more early on to control the pace. Goran Dragic is also coming off of a down game, which he will look to turn that around early as well. The more you hear these players talk after game three, the more it shows they’re ready.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Jimmy Butler gave a pretty Jimmy Butler like answer when asked about playoff physicality. He said, “There’s no friends in between those lines. Save that for after the game.” And that right there is a clear representation of why Jimmy is a Miami heat type player. He’s as focused as ever right now, since they’re six wins away from a NBA championship. He even decided not to have his family come to the bubble, since he mentioned that this is a business trip. He seems as locked in as ever, and since that loss has synced in over the last couple of days, this team will be prepared.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Jimmy Butler also talked about the preparation for game four after that loss on Saturday night. He said, “We’re not gonna look back. We not gonna look forward. We gonna lock in on today.” That sounds like something Spo may have said, since he’s been saying just one game and one practice at a time. And with this team, locking in on today is very important, since Spo has been cooking up a bunch of adjustments over the last few practices. Although he’s locked in today, I can guarantee he’ll be even more locked in tomorrow, with a chance to go up 3-1 on the Boston Celtics.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Goran Dragic also got to discuss the feeling in their locker room right now. He said, “It’s great. We feel good. We did our job, we prepare well, and we’re gonna see tomorrow how we do.” A main takeaway from both this statement and Jimmy’s comments is that this team is extremely confident heading into tomorrow. At the end of the day, this team is 10-2 in this year’s postseason, which may be why this loss feels so odd for them. He mentioned the word “preparing,” which is what they’ve been doing a lot of since there’s been a bunch of film sessions over the last few days. Execution will be huge in game four, and there’s a good chance they’ll do just that.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Goran also talked about the chemistry on this current Heat team. He said, “We really enjoy spending time together. We enjoy playing together on the floor and you can see that energy transfers to the floor.” This is something that Goran has mentioned time and time again. He really enjoys the bond of this locker room, and you can tell he’s having a good time going to battle with his teammates on a nightly basis. Goran finished off the media session mentioning their team defense. He said, “We need to do a better job containing the ball and helping each other.” That was a huge reason for their loss on Saturday, since guys like Jimmy weren’t helping when Jayson Tatum and others would attack Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson in the paint. If they clean this up, they’ll have a good shot at winning.

5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Crowder, Iguodala

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The Miami Heat basically went through a non-contact practice today, which everyone on the team attended. Afterward, Erik Spoelstra, Jae Crowder, and Andre Iguodala talked with media about their mindset after that game three loss and some minor mistakes they will need to critique. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Jae Crowder spoke about the hot topic heading into into game four on Wednesday, Jimmy Butler. He said, “He’s a guy who is about action. You can tell if he’s in one of those moods where he’s going crazy all game.” He followed that saying that the Heat need a more focused and intense Butler. That is indeed the truth. Many people have been saying that it’s time for Butler to start being a primary scorer, but that’s just not him. What he can do is intensify the team through his on-court actions as Jae mentioned, which would speak more volume than any scoring he could do. He did say at the start that Jimmy doesn’t do a lot of talking pregame, which is why you never know what Jimmy you’re getting heading in. But on Wednesday, I’m pretty sure Jae Crowder and this Heat team know what Jimmy Butler they’re getting.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Jae also talked about some adjustments they will be making, without going into detail. He said, “I don’t want to give it away through you,” when discussing some match-ups they will be searching for. This may be the spark for not letting the game get away from them early, which he expanded on starting games better as well. He said, “Our spirit is right, our heads are right, our energy is there. We just want to see how we can play a complete game.” There’s no question that this Heat team has been better in the fourth quarter in all three games, but the key is putting that out there in the first three quarters as well. That’s something else that has to do with intensity, since they finally get a burst of energy down the stretch it seems.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Erik Spoelstra touched on Duncan Robinson for a bit, mostly about the defensive side of the ball. He mentions that he “just has to do things with force and detail.” He knows that teams are going to continually try to attack Duncan no matter what, especially in the post, but he says that “he’s gotten much better at it.” There were many instances that Marcus Smart or Jayson Tatum would take Duncan to the rim, and Miami displayed zero help defense. Duncan struggles one-on-one defensively as it is, and with no help, it seemed problematic. Spo also mentioned that Boston came out with “great force off the dribble” and that they must do a “better job of that.”

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Erik Spoelstra was going into great detail about their young star Bam Adebayo. He said Bam is genuine and real, but on the court he’s as nasty as anyone in the league. “One of the best competitors on this planet.” That statement was on full effect in game three, when Bam was giving it his all even when they trailed by 20 points. Jimmy even recognized it post-game on Saturday, saying “He did everything he could to try to will us to this win all game long.” Spo also transitioned into selecting Bam on draft night, saying “He was the guy we wanted to take. We were just hoping he was going to be there.” He then said that he’s the “Anti-AAU player,” since he never played AAU basketball. Spo ends with “He’s wired differently, which we like.”

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Andre Iguodala touched on what it has been like to mentor Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and others. He said, “I had really good vets…I like to take no credit at all.” He also said, “Once you master something, it’s your duty to teach it. So it’s my duty.” Bam Adebayo having Udonis Haslem as a mentor and Jimmy Butler taking Tyler Herro under his wing has shown to be very essential for this young group. Andre also talked about his recent play, which has been tough due to some issues with back spasms. He said, “One thing you don’t want to be is a detriment to the team.” He says that the Bubble “has been more good days than bad days,” but today is one of those tough days. He finishes off with “We are really built for this environment, it really puts us in an advantage.”

Bam Blocks

5 Best Blocks in Miami Heat History

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The Miami Heat took Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night, defeating the Boston Celtics 117-114 in overtime. The headline-making play came from Heat center Bam Adebayo, a first-time All-Star this season and member of the 2019-2020 NBA All-Defense Second Team. Adebayo met Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum at the summit in the closing moments of overtime and blocked the would-be game-tying dunk attempt. It was one of the best blocks in Heat history.

Reactions spanned the gamut on social media. NBA players and celebrates alike fawned in awe. Heat legend Dwyane Wade posted a Dikembe Mutombo gif, his wife, Gabrielle Union, screamed “BAMMMMMMM!!! MONSTER BLOCK!!” Even pop-star Halsey called the Heat “spicyyyyy.”

The NBA legend Magic Johnson came thundering in with his opinion:

 

Magic’s hot take sparked plenty of debate across sports networks and social media. But the question is: Was Bam Adebayo’s Block the Greatest Block in Heat History?

No. 5: DWade Blocks Amar’e Stoudemire

Dwyane Wade is largely considered the greatest shot-blocking guard in NBA history. He’s certainly that for the Miami Heat. And while Wade sports so many highlight reel rejections on his resume, perhaps the greatest of those came 2005.

During a late March contest between the Heat and Phoenix Suns, Wade authored one of his signature plays. In the closing moments of the third quarter, Leandro Barbosa ran a pick-and-roll with Amar’e Stoudemire. Barbosa hit the rolling Amar’e with a pocket pass to the middle of the key and Stoudemire rose up for his two-point attempt.

From the weakside, though, Wade flew in and didn’t so much block Amar’e’s shot but spiked it to the court. He gathered the loose ball, took one dribble, then heaved a 60-foot shot from the opposite three-point line as the quarter buzzer sounded. He drilled the shot and the American Airlines Arena exploded.

Wade comes in at No. 5 here because, despite the spectacular nature of the play, the stakes of the game and moment were not at the level of the next four.

No. 4: LeBron Blocks Tiago Splitter

LeBron James holds arguably the greatest block in NBA history: his chase down of Andre Iguodala during Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. But he was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers then, so that play doesn’t count.

For the Heat, James’ most impactful block came during Game 2 of the 2013 NBA Finals. In the fourth quarter, coming off a Game 1 loss, the Heat held a tenuous lead. Off an inbounds play, the Spurs ran a pick-and-roll with Tony Parker and Tiago Splitter. Miami’s aggressive defense backfired when Splitter slipped the screen and Parker found him with a perfect bounce pass.

Splitter thought he had an easy dunk, but James had other ideas. James erased the dunk attempt at its peak. Splitter tried the spike the ball one-handed, but James swallowed the attempt right at the front of the rim. The ensuing fast break led to a corner three from Ray Allen (on a James assist) to give Miami a 89-67 lead en route to the Game 2 victory.

James holds No. 4 here because, while the block itself was spectacular, that game was largely in hand at that point.

No. 3: Zo Blocks Jason Terry

Alonzo Mourning remains the Miami Heat’s all-time leader in blocks. He tallied 1,625 of them in 593 games over 11 seasons. In 82 career playoff games with the Heat, Zo rejected 171 shots.

Perhaps the biggest and most important of those came in Game 6 of the 2006 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. While Zo never led Miami to the championship as a centerpiece of the team, his pivotal defensive stop late in Game 6 helped the Heat hoist the franchise’s first trophy.

The Heat clung to a five-point lead in the fourth quarter in Dallas when the Mavs had a fast break. Jason Terry attacked from the wing and hoisted a runner. Zo came flying down the lane to swat Terry’s attempt into the seats. He tumbled to the court and seemed to be excited about the block. It was later revealed Zo was angry with Gary Payton.

 

Mourning’s effort on the play and in that game (eight points, six rebounds and a game-high five blocks) helped the Miami Heat win their first ever NBA Championship. He gets No. 3 on this list because, even though that was a play Heat fans saw Zo accomplish nearly 2,000 times in his career, the stakes were never higher.

No. 2: Bam Blocks Jayson Tatum

The Heat’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals remains on of the most impressive and unlikely stories in the NBA this season. One of the main reasons for Miami’s ascension up the East ladder has been the play of Bam Adebayo.

Overlooked during the draft, the Heat have modeled Bam into one of the league’s most impactful young players. He’s a prototypical neo-big, with an ability to score, handle and defend across multiple positions. Nowhere was Bam’s defensive acumen on display more than the closing moments of last night’s Game 1.

Down two, the Boston Celtics turned to their 22-year-old All-Star Jayson Tatum in hopes of tying the game. Bam had other plans. Tatum worked past Jimmy Butler and launched himself toward the rim. He cocked back the ball with one-hand as Bam rotated over and elevated to meet him.

Bam erased Tatum’s dunk attempt with his offhand, avoiding any physical contact and potential whistle. The ball remained in play, Bam secured it and was fouled. The Heat secured the Game 1 win on the back of Bam’s defensive brilliance.

No. 1: Bosh Blocks Danny Green

The Big 3 Experiment was on the line in the 2013 NBA Finals. Sure, the Heat had won in 2012, but two Finals losses in three years could have spelled the end for the Wade, James and Chris Bosh triumvirate.

Bosh played a pivotal role down the stretch of Game 6 in 2013. The famous play will always remain Bosh’s rebound and assist to Allen to tie the game near the end of regulation. But in overtime, after the Heat had taken a 3-point lead, the Spurs had a final chance to tie the contest.

With less than two seconds remaining, Tim Duncan found Danny Green racing to the opposite corner. Green had come free after a Splitter screen. Bosh sprinted to the corner and timed his block perfectly. With Green fading off the floor, Bosh met him and spiked the ball down. Spurs cried foul then, and it would most certainly be a foul now, but it wasn’t one in 2013.

It’s the greatest of all Miami Heat blocks because it capped the most unlikely comeback and saved the Big 3 Era in the process.

5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Herro, Robinson

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The Miami Heat are coming off an absolute game one thriller, but still remain as focused as ever. Erik Spoelstra, Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson talked with media today following that game. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra was asked about an overall evaluation of their game one win. He said, “We need to play better.” He also mentioned that Boston was clearly outplaying them throughout, saying “We were getting our asses kicked going into the fourth.” Miami and Boston each had good and bad stretches, Miami owning the second and fourth quarter, while Boston handled the first and third. He thinks they can be better on both sides of the floor which is indeed true. They definitely didn’t have their best game shooting the ball, and defensively there were a couple of small mistakes. Most of those issues on defense occurred with Bam on the bench, since he was flying around the court in both zone and man defense in game one.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Tyler Herro started off his session with media speaking about missing the All-Rookie team by one vote. He said, “I felt I could have been on the first team but am happy with what I got.” It was expected that Tyler would make the second team, since this was a regular season award and he missed some time. Now, if this award carried over to the bubble and playoffs, he’d be the clear top rookie. But ultimately that’s not the case, and although he made that comment, he’s truly focused on much bigger things, as is Bam. Tyler Herro is currently on an unbelievable playoff run in his rookie year, while the other players from the All-Rookie team are watching his games from home. This just truly isn’t a big deal to him.

Post-Practice Comments #3:

Tyler Herro talked about last night’s near triple double stat line. He said, “I didn’t know I was close to a triple-double.” Its continually been talked about that Tyler is improving more and more with his play-making abilities, but most of his attributes aren’t teachable. He has a natural feel for the game, and also a high basketball IQ which rounds out his smooth overall game. Also, the other part of that triple-double with 11 rebounds proved to be essential as well. His elite rebounding abilities for his height is something that isn’t discussed much. Not only does he grab a bunch of rebounds, but he grabs them forcefully. Tyler just does so many things at an A level, which was not expected to be the case by many heading into this season.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Duncan Robinson touched on his shooting in game one, which it definitely wasn’t what it usually was. He said, “Truthfully, I feel like I’m getting good shots. I think I’m taking good shots.” Duncan was getting absolutely blanketed against the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks, but that wasn’t the case in game one against Boston. Most of his shots were open shots, but they just weren’t going in, which is unusual for Duncan Robinson. This definitely isn’t something that should be a concern, since Duncan is one of the deadliest and most confident shooters in the league right now. He should have a huge bounce back game on Thursday.

Post-Practice Comments #5:

While Duncan Robinson was talking with media, Soloman Hill decided to join in and yell “Shoot it.” While this doesn’t seem like a big deal, this is how the entire team feels when referring to Duncan Robinson. They don’t care if he’s missed his last 20 shots, they want him shooting that next one with confidence. This is also because he is one of their main keys to winning, since he’s the start of allowing their offense to run smoothly. And once again, he has not had a back to back bad game all season, which is why he should bounce back in game two, to try and put Miami up 2-0.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Comeback Win over Boston in Game One

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The Miami Heat once again displayed their pure will and grittiness tonight, battling back to win in overtime, 117-114. A corner Jimmy Butler three late in the fourth, led to an overtime finish, which was a Jimmy Butler layup with the foul to give them the lead. Bam Adebayo’s game saving block on Jayson Tatum won Miami the game though. Here are some takeaways…

#1: First half fluctuates, Boston begins and Miami ends.

The Boston Celtics came out to start the game at their absolute best, while Miami played their worst. Marcus Smart was the clear hot hand for Boston, while Jayson Tatum followed close behind. And while it seemed that Boston would blow the doors off, Miami battled back. The score was tied at halftime, which it didn’t seem it was heading that was throughout. This is a clear representation of these two teams. Both Boston and Miami are streaky teams, that go through the highest of highs and lowest of lows. They each had their quarter, but ultimately the second half was the true test, which Boston controlled but Miami rallied back.

#2: Goran Dragic single-handedly brings Miami back.

It seems as if it’s the same story with Goran Dragic every game, an absolute offensive display. When it seemed as if Miami would never get back into an offensive flow, Goran fixed that per usual. He attacked the basket and controlled the mid-range, which is what is needed when trying to get your team out of the mud. He continually shows he’s the offensive engine, since he’s Miami’s most consistent scorer. But he can’t carry the while offensive load for 35 minutes a game. That’s why Jimmy Butler is looked to in the second half usually and down the stretch. It’s up to Jimmy to take control of that, which he did hitting a corner three pointer late in the fourth quarter.

#3: Bam Adebayo once again proves that he does everything on the floor.

It was talked about that Bam Adebayo would need to be the guy for Miami to win this series. But that doesn’t always mean scoring, it means impact. Bam Adebayo was flying across the court tonight, making Boston’s offense choppy. Kemba Walker was held to 2 first half points, which was mostly due to the constant energy of Bam on the pick and rolls. He also was huge for Miami with his play-making abilities, pulling Daniel Theis out of the paint and setting up others. This is something he brings to the table every single game, due to his guard-like play. This is Bam’s series, it’s up to him to bring that constant energy. And obviously the game winning block on Jayson Tatum, which describes Bam Adebayo.

#4: Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler bounce off others.

It was clear that Tyler Herro got into an offensive rhythm once Goran Dragic got going. It was also because Tyler needed a little bit to settle in, and once he does, it’s trouble for Boston. Tyler mostly made himself useful with his ball-handling and passing, with 6 assists in the first half. Tyler’s ability to set up others during tough stretches is key. Jimmy also needed a boost to bounce off others, which is what he usually does in the fourth quarters of games. He’s a player that needs others to play good in order to thrive scoring the ball, but once Jimmy gets going, he’s hard to stop. This is just another evident representation of how Goran impacts others, and it’s needed more than ever right now.

#5: Miami’s scrappiness late on both sides of the ball wins them the game.

Once again it seemed as if the game was over, but with Miami the game is never over. Small plays win you playoff games. That includes the play that could’ve been an open Jae Crowder three, but he makes the high IQ play, assisting to Jimmy Butler for a dunk. Those are Miami Heat type plays. Another play that stands out was a Jimmy Butler kick out to Tyler Herro for an open three. These guys trust one another late in games, which isn’t common. But lastly, a late Jimmy Butler corner three forces overtime, and he finishes them off in overtime with an and 1 layup. But more importantly, a Bam Adebayo game saving block on a Jayson Tatum dunk attempt wins Miami the game.