Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Draymond Green hit with lite punishment

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Must we witness more tackles, squeezed windpipes, gouged eyes, crushed testicles, stomped rib cages and assaulted teammates so the NBA’s chief disciplinarian, Joe Dumars, cracks down on Draymond Green?

Affirmative.

A five-game suspension for suspension no.5 was mandated for him after he rear-naked choked Rudy Gobert fewer than two minutes into Golden State’s bout with Minnesota. The league also said that his previous incidents influenced the decision.

Yet he’s still very lucky. Most “castigating” measures in his career have been a slap on the wrist and they’ll continue as long as he’s enabled by coach Steve Kerr.

It shouldn’t go unnoticed, either, that when dealing with a bigger man, Draymond prefers to take him from behind.

Five games off is disrespectful to Gobert and the Timberwolves. Had anyone tried to suffocate another at league headquarters in Olympic Tower, they would have been cuffed, thrown in the wagon, and barred from any NBA territory.

Nobody should be convinced this will teach Green. Missing a handful of games isn’t enough to hurt his pocketbook or enough to make everyone around him wise up about how much his tomfoolery hurts them. It didn’t matter that he wasted away a championship and ran two of their own out of town. I wouldn’t hold my breath, but after getting extended for four years at $100 million, he’ll likely get worse until the commissioner says, “No mas.”

After watching Tuesday evening’s embarrassment, commish Adam Silver should have got creative and said, “I got this,” exercising Article 35 from the NBA’s Constitution.

“The Commissioner shall have the power to suspend for a definite or indefinite period, or to impose a fine not exceeding $50,000, or inflict both such suspension and fine upon any player who shall have been guilty of conduct that does not conform to standards of morality, or fair play, that does not comply at all times with all federal, state, and local laws, or that is prejudicial or detrimental to the Association.”

Starting at 15 games would have been appropriate. Of course, he wouldn’t because it would likely set up a showdown with the Players’ Union and undercut Dumars, who already failed to do his job by not suspending Green for a dangerous push in the back on Donovan Mitchell in Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. On the break, Mitchell hit the brakes and didn’t tumble into the TV cameras.

Perhaps he was reprimanded privately, but publicly, Green was defended by his coach, claiming Gobert, who was trying to separate Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels from an entanglement, was getting in on the action. Kerr should have said “no comment” to any questions about the scuffle, or taken the fine for not showing up. His reckless wording is enough for Green’s cult followers to look the other way or say, “Wouldn’t you want a teammate who will have your back?”

Indeed, most would. But Thompson was in as much danger as someone pounced on by a golden retriever. It was obvious to everyone but Green, who targeted a man he’s publicly made fun of and toed the line with on the court. Remember when he mocked Gobert for crying because he didn’t make the 2019 All-Star team? Green is the type of hater to ridicule things people care about and hypocritical enough to say head injuries are too severe to be joked about, then aim for Gobert’s.

He’ll be back in time for a rendezvous with Golden State’s first-round opponent, the Sacramento Kings, on Nov. 28. The games he’s missing are against the Oklahoma City Thunder (twice, 7-4), Houston Rockets (6-3), Phoenix Suns (5-6) and San Antonio Spurs (3-8).

Aside from thwarting the Warriors, the suspension hurts Green’s efforts to catch Rasheed Wallace’s technical foul record (41) set in 2001. Hopefully, he can learn restraint, and if he does, the games he shows it might mean more in his career than any other achievement.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat win in Group Play for the In-Season Tournament in Charlotte

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Buzzing in Charlotte for its second In-Season Tournament game in Group Play, the Heat overcame a porous defensive start to hold off the Hornets, winning six in a row behind Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo’s dominion.

In the first quarter, the Hornets stung the Heat on half its attempts and drew three fouls in three minutes on Kyle Lowry that benched him until the next half. Pick-up points to take away the 3-point shot weren’t set for Miami, resulting in PJ Washington lighting them up for a dozen.

But Butler was assertive early, attacking drop and single coverage for 11 points on five of six tries. Duncan Robinson was still burning from the weekend’s back-to-back wins and nailed two 3-pointers when his cover was caught ball-watching. And the defensive firm Adebayo and Haywood Highsmith forced LaMelo Ball into six misses at short and long range.

The Heat installed its 2-2-1 press to slow down the ball in the second quarter, and Highsmith stole it in Charlotte’s territory for a pick-6. He took over the game with 10 points, a block on Théo Maledon at the elbow and two more takeaways, reaching in when Ball spun past him and poked it loose when Ish Smith dribbled by.

Adebayo faced-up Nick Richards in the post for a quick drive-by and slammed the rock over Smith. Butler set up Highsmith in the corner and Thomas Bryant below the rim, plus buried a near half-court shot to end the half.

At intermission, the Heat was ahead 57-48, with 14 points scored off turnovers and 26 in the lane. Taking care of the ball had allowed Miami four extra cracks at the goal.

In the third quarter, the visitors registered 30 points on 56.3% shooting without a 3-pointer. Butler earned multiple charity line trips after getting fouled on rim attacks. Adebayo danced into the paint for two fadeaways and a layup in pick and roll assisted by Robinson.

But the Heat’s arc protection collapsed in man coverage and the 2-3 zone, allowing five of nine trays to fall. Washington also supplied six more points for Charlotte off a putback, a driving hook when beating Butler off the dribble and a layup from a baseline curl.

The Heat was up seven points to start the fourth but tallied its first four of 13 baskets. Trying to capitalize, Washington scored eight, and Ball added nine more to his scorecard on 37.5% shooting but committed three ruinous turnovers.

Butler got to the line a few more times. Adebayo supplied four more points. But Jaime Jaquez Jr., bailed out his teammates with baskets on the break, baseline and from deep.

Miami won 111-105. The only Heatles to play all of the fourth quarter were Adebayo, Jaquez and Josh Richardson.

Butler finished with 32 points, making 71.4% of his field goals, with five assists and four rebounds. And Adebayo had 21 on half of his shots, plus 11 rebounds.

JJJ was tasked with the Bally Sports TV inquiry on the court. He said his first perfect road trip with the team felt “pretty good” and that he’s looking forward to getting back to Miami. When asked about the defense, he said, “We’re all just bought into the defensive end of the floor, trying to do what we can to get stops. It gives a lot of fuel to our offense going the other way.”

At the press conference, coach Erik Spoelstra said he rolled with Jaquez in the fourth quarter because of his grit and mental/emotional stability. “He’s learning things, he typically doesn’t make the same mistake twice…He’s earned the trust of the staff, but more importantly, he’s earned the trust of his teammates. They feel comfortable with him out there, and he knows how to fit in. Defensively, he can do a lot of different things, which fits into our system.”

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Spoelstra’s Spoilers deliver the Spurs fifth consecutive loss

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The percolating and undermanned Heat visited the Spurs and gave the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama another warm welcome to the league, forcing him to play half his size. Yet, the Heat’s offense was disorganized, its glass protection was feeble, and it fell behind significantly in the first half without Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry from the main rotation. But en route to the finish line, the match was tied seven times, with 10 lead changes before the Heat, winners of five straight, took control of the fourth quarter.

Miami was frozen in the first interval, making six of 23 attempts and at one point bricking 10 consecutively. The Spurs bothered jump shots, deployed drop coverage and allowed zero fastbreak baskets. After one period, the hosts led 29-15, holding Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson without a field goal in seven tries.

Early in the next frame, Keldon Johnson’s block on Jaime Jaquez Jr. set up a fastbreak triple to Malaki Branham, extending the Spurs’ lead to 19 points. Then, amid a 15-0 run, Robinson got loose for a layup down the middle and two trifectas over Doug McDermott. Butler rolled, faced up and hit a long-range bomb to register his first baskets. And Adebayo attacked Zach Collins in the lane for multiple finishes.

San Antonio’s Wembanyama made four of eight shots inside the arc but missed all six 3-point attempts in the first half, bailing out the Heat. He was defended by Adebayo, Kevin Love and Thomas Bryant, with a hint of 2-3 zone.

Miami cut the deficit to 50-53 at halftime, scoring 10 points off turnovers, seven on second chances and taking eight more shots at the line.

In the third quarter, Miami’s Beach Boy (Love) fired over Cedi Osman in the corner, pump-faked Wemby into oblivion at the top of the key to get free for a layup, and then hit another banger in the kid’s face on the left wing.

Yet, Miami’s 3-point defense slipped by unnecessarily helping away from the corners and losing track of the screener, off-setting its progress, as it permitted seven of 12 to fall.

In the fourth quarter, the Spurs converted its first four tries through PNR, a post-up and a lane jumper to regain an eight-point advantage. The Heat countered with 11 makes of its last 16 shots, engaging in a standoff 150 miles from the border.

Robinson schooled Wembanyama, blowing past him on the baseline for a layup in transition and faking him in the air for a left-wing triple. Additionally, Adebayo logged three elbow jumpers, a hook and a putback. And Richardson put down the Spurs with Miami’s last five points- a top-of-the-key jumper in front of Wembanyama and a fadeaway over Devin Vassell at the left hash mark.

Coach Erik Spoelstra’s Spoilers won 118-113, scoring 33 points off turnovers and 13 on second opportunities. Robinson finished with a season-high of 26 points on 50% shooting, with four assists and five rebounds. Adebayo had 24 points, 11 boards and six dimes.

Postgame, Robinson was interviewed on the court and said the Heat wanted to get greedy, winning two on the road. When asked about the work done on his handle, he added that he doesn’t want to be one-dimensional. “[I’m] just trying to grow as a player, be a little more dynamic than just shooting threes. Obviously, with guys out, too, responsibilities shift. [I’m] just trying to step in and then help us win.”

The Heat completed its second back-to-back set of the season, winning in Atlanta and San Antonio. The group failed in its first against Boston on Oct.27 and Minnesota on Oct. 28. Its record improved to 6-4.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat’s skeleton crew overwhelms the Hawks

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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.”

 

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat win in Memphis but lose Tyler Herro to an ankle injury

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat narrowly held off LeBron James and the Lakers’ comeback

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pressure Point: Dolphins can’t quell doubts as comeback fizzles in Frankfurt

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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.

Dolphin’s rally falls short

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.

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.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The WNBA showed significant growth despite serious obstacles

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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.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat start In-Season Tournament Group Play with a dub over Wizards

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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.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat’s flame goes out in fourth quarter loss to the Nets

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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.