Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Touring Heat trounce Warriors

Searching for its fourth win in a row, the Miami Heat started RJ Hampton at point guard next to Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith and Bam Adebayo, overpowering the Warriors at Chase Center. Jimmy Butler (calf), Kyle Lowry (soreness), Josh Richardson (back) and Caleb Martin (ankle) were all absent, but the group still supplied 60 points in the paint.

In the first six minutes, the Heat’s attack looked potent as Adebayo moved in the paint for multiple jumpers, and Herro plus Jaquez scored from inside and out. But then it bogged down, suffering a 5-16 run by Golden State to end the quarter as it made one of its last 13 attempts.

Subsequently, coach Erik Spoelstra subbed in Nikola Jovic all of frame two, and the Heat’s 2-3 zone held the Warriors to two of seven trays. The 2-2-1 press was also used to slow down the ball coming up court. In five minutes, Jamal Cain’s activity disrupted the hosts’ actions by playing like a free safety.

Offensively, the visitors erupted for 36 points as five Heatles recorded multiple baskets, yet comically, bucket-getting rookie Jaquez had no points but three dimes. Baseline cuts, transition dunks, corner triples and blow bys put the Heat ahead 57-51 at intermission.

Before quarter three, the Heat squeezed 12 points out of the Warriors’ nine turnovers and scored 30 in the box while making five of 14 triples. No turnovers, two fewer rebounds, and less trips to the line produced nine additional field goal attempts for the Heat. Herro and Adebayo combined for 25 points on 10 of 22 shots.

Then Jaquez put the guests in control. He bumped Brandin Podziemski away for a hook, spun past Jonathan Kuminga in the post, pump-faked Klay Thompson into the air and faded over him on the baseline, and pierced the Warriors’ zone for a four-foot layup.

And Cain, who had registered just 130 minutes for the season, added eight points, pivoting around Trayce Jackson-Davis for a layup, finishing on the break and scoring at the dunker spot.

The Heat entered the fourth quarter ahead 91-76. Defensively, the squad protected the 3-point line well, contesting all eight Warrior attempts, permitting one to fall. Cain checked Curry, forcing a failed long-two and was blown by and the next attempt, but Jovic, the help defender, influenced the miss at close range.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr kept Curry in less than seven minutes of the fourth.

The Heat’s offense logged 34.8% of its tries in the last interval, but it was just outscored by three.  It won on the road 114-102. The Heat scored 60 paint points on 30 of 51 ventures. Even with a quiet night from Duncan Robinson (five points), the reserves contributed 44 points in contrast to Golden State’s bench having 51.

At the postgame presser, Spoelstra said the team wanted to set the tone at the start of its five-game Western road trip. On the topic of Hampton, Cain and Jovic’s minutes, the coach was complimentary. “Without those three guys and their contributions tonight, we are not winning this game…”

In the locker room, Herro was asked about involving them, too. He said the guys have a “next man up mentality, being able to fufill [roles] for the guys who are out.”

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