Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Dejounte Murray’s trifecta spoils Udonis Haslem appreciation night

Nobody from the Atlanta Hawks was chopped down in Udonis Haslem’s honor, but the Miami Heat recognized its former captain with his jersey retirement in front of past and current teammates and got silenced by the visitors in the last two seconds. (Jaime Jaquez Jr. was absent for the Heat with a left groin strain, and Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter were out for the Hawks with an undisclosed illness and right knee inflammation.)

The offense, aside from Jimmy Butler’s multiple putbacks and dunk past Saddiq Bey, was in a rut to start, again, converting 10 of 27 baskets. And the Heat fell behind 24-32 after 12 minutes because it conceded two second-chance opportunities, seven points off turnovers and five triples.

In the second quarter, Duncan Robinson connected on three of four 3-pointers on a handoff against drop coverage, a closely contested left-wing jumper and an opening in the corner.

Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Butler combined for 28 points on 55% shooting in the first half. Yet Dejounte Murray killed the Heat’s defenses, popping on the side of a screen for a triple plus hitting another in the corner, dusting his cover in transition and maneuvering to the elbow for a jumper. Onyeka Okongwu, Johnson and Bey assisted him, logging nine of 17 buckets before intermission.

At halftime, the Heat was down 56-57, with three points scored on the break, a dozen on second tries and eight via turnovers. And here is where the Heat honored Haslem.

Some in attendance were Goran Dragić, Tim Hardaway, Ron Rothstein, Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Quentin Richardson, Jason Williams and Dorell Wright.

Team president Pat Riley addressed the crowd, thanking UD for his service. “Udonis Haslem. His force mattered and it counted, and that’s one of the reasons why we’re hanging his jersey here [tonight].”

Then Haslem spoke from the heart, expressing gratitude to colleagues, coaches, friends and family.

In the third quarter, Herro swished the Heat’s only pair of triples out of eight attempts, cut back door for a layup and blew by Patty Mills for an inside finish. Adebayo burst into the paint for a dunk, broke down Capela from the top to the cup for a bank shot and nailed four freebies.

Then Bogdan Bogdanović erupted for the Hawks in the fourth with eight points, coming from a triple behind a flare screen, another on the left side after setting the pick and two free throws. Bey contributed seven points, too, and Mills, Murray and Garrison Mathews each supplied a triple.

In the last two minutes for the Heat, Butler burned Johnson from the left wing to the hoop for a dunk, then hit a floater with contact over Bey. Next, Adebayo nailed a turnaround jumper over Capela in the lane to push the lead to three points.

Subsequently, Capela registered two free throws after Adebayo fouled him, but Herro responded with a tray to put the Heat back up by four with 36 seconds left.

The game should have been over, but afterwards, Richardson fouled Bogdanović on the inbound, sending him to the line for two. He made both.

With 30 seconds left and up two points, the Heat killed the clock on an isolation play for Herro, defended by Johnson that resulted in a failed baseline shot. Murray picked up the rebound, dribbled up the court, and pulled up from 27 feet out in Caleb Martin’s face to take a one-point advantage. That basket was also his only one of the period.

Timeout Heat.

With two seconds left, the ball was inbounded to Butler, he passed to Martin, and the Heat failed to get up a try in time.

The Heat lost 108-109, recording nine fastbreak points, 14 through second chances, 19 via turnovers and six extra rebounds. Butler had 25 on his scorecard on eight of 10 attempts. Herro also had 25 on 55% shooting.

The Hawks scored 22 points from turnovers and 17 on additional opportunities. Murray dropped 22 points, 11 assists and three boards.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said the final possession was “One of those plays when I’m going through it in my head, there’s going to be an advantage in that corner, and it just didn’t play out that way… It was a poor play call. I’m disappointed in my call on that.”

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