Let’s cut right to the chase. I’m frustrated. You are frustrated. The Miami Heat’s activity – or lack thereof – over the last two seasons has been perplexing. I’ve been a passionate fan since 2004 (I’m 28 years old), and I cannot remember a time when the fanbase felt this defeated. And that’s saying something because I was around for the Stephane Lasme days. (Shoutout to him).

 

As taxing of a season as this has been, it’s not where most of the disappointment lies. Actually, it’s quite the contrary. The frustration mostly lies with the front offices’ unwillingness (or inability) to maximize this build.

 

Since Jimmy Butler was traded to Miami back in 2019, we’ve enjoyed two trips to the Conference Finals and fell one shot short of a second NBA Finals appearance last Spring. Championship pedigree was evident with this core. And success in the postseason gave this city a glimpse of what was possible with the correct additions.

 

After Butler’s shot rimmed out in Game 7 of the Conference Finals, it’s felt that this franchise has gone backward.

 

The only moves – offseason or free agency – completed in Miami have been the re-signing of Victor Oladipo and the re-signing and trade of Dewayne Dedmon. The latter was just sent to the San Antonio Spurs with a second-round pick in exchange for cash considerations and a box of fig newtons.

 

To make matters worse, we’ve had to stand by and watch other contending Eastern Conference teams make additions that move their needle. The Boston Celtics added Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, and Mike Muscala. The Philadelphia 76ers added James Harden, De’Anthony Melton, P.J. Tucker, and Jalen McDaniels. The New York Knicks (man I hate the Knicks) added Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. The Milwaukee Bucks added Jae Crowder. You get the point.

 

This all culminated on Thursday at 3:01 PM ET. The trade deadline came and went. And just like that, Miami stood pat (pun very much intended).

 

So where do we go from here?

 

First, I’ll tell you where we’re not going to go. We’re not going to dwell on the past. This isn’t the Sixers franchise. I’m not going to sit here and revoke your right to disappointment because this roster has overachieved in two of the last three postseasons. I’m not going to type some overused “In Pat we trust” slogan and expect everyone to put on a happy face and accept the current circumstance.

 

On the same token, I’m not going to bash the front office either. As of the time of this writing (Friday afternoon), there are 27 games remaining. And this team deserves our full focus as they push for a top 5 seed.

 

Despite not acquiring another piece, here are a few notable things to watch for moving forward.

What Kind Of Spark Can Omer Yurtseven Provide?

 

Last season, Victor Oladipo made his return to the lineup shortly after the trade deadline. His presence gave a huge boost to Miami’s depth and ultimately paid large dividends during the postseason.

 

Can Yurtseven have the same impact?

 

Yurt hasn’t played a minute this season and underwent ankle surgery in November. When asked Thursday about the timeline to return to the court, Erik Spoelstra said, “I don’t have an answer, I just like the progress. Things in our center position are trending in a much better direction.”

 

Despite Spo not having a direct answer, by all accounts, his return to the lineup is drawing near. It was just last week that he was cleared for “high-impact work”.

 

The big question will be if/how he can coexist with Bam Adebayo. Looking at last season, the two big men only shared the court for a total of 34 possessions. It wasn’t pretty.

 

While a small sample, Miami was a minus 27.5 points per 100 possessions.

 

Interestingly enough, a quote from Yurtseven during the Heat’s media day is worth delving into. In explaining why he should play alongside Bam more, his response was this:

 

“I can put Bam in his more natural position… Which would also allow him to be more aggressive.”

 

Here's a snippet of our interview with Omer Yurtseven from today's media day on why he should play next to Bam Adebayo more.

"I can put Bam in his more natural position … which would also allow him to be more aggressive." pic.twitter.com/TxlMliY3EO

— Locked On Heat (@LockedOnHeat) September 26, 2022

 

 

Bam and aggressive. Those two words together will make every Heat fan perk up.

 

With Bam now a bonafide threat from midrange, opening him up to catch the ball outside the paint could unlock an entire brand of offense for Miami. Giving him room to attack his defender off the dribble will surely open things up along the perimeter.

 

Defensively, it could bring a whole new persona. If Yurt is down low manning the paint, Bam now has the freedom to stay up top and switch everything. Simply having a non-negative big on the court alongside Bam allows Miami to utilize Bam’s defensive versatility to their advantage.

 

At the very least, Yurtseven’s presence should bolster the Heat’s frontcourt depth. It was clear that Dedmon was just a walking talking negative every single time he stepped on the floor. Miami was getting obliterated in non Bam minutes as a result. The hope here is that Yurt can step in and be the bridge down low that keeps Miami afloat when Bam is on the bench.

 

Bam was asked earlier this season what it’s like playing alongside some of his teammates, and he specifically brought up playing with Yurt:

“But Big 77 [Yurtseven], I’ve got to be aware of where I’m at, just to keep the spacing and keep us in sync, to where if he’s spacing, I’m in the paint. Or if he’s in the dunker’s [spot], I’m in the corner.”

 

It remains to be seen how often Spoeltra will employ the two at the same time – especially with Yurt getting back into the swing of things. But simply having him available is a huge positive for Miami’s offensive and defensive versatility.

 

How Can Nikola Jovic Contribute This Season?

 

Miami’s only acquisition this season has been Nikola Jovic. While only 19 years old, he’s shown flashes of high-level play during Summer League and the preseason. He’s currently out with a back injury but should be re-evaluated any day.

 

The first question here is *can* Jovic be of value this season? After all, he’s young and his growing pains were on full display during the 15 games in which he saw the court.

 

One way I would like to see Miami utilize him when healthy is in a PnR scenario with Bam. Jovic is 6-foot-10 but has mostly guard skills. With him on the ball and Bam screening, it could create some mismatches for opposing defenses. The Denver Nuggets do a great job at this with Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon. The 4 screening for the 5 or vice versa is something that not a lot of teams like to deal with. And Jovic has a better jump shot than Gordon.

 

If Bam screens and defenses switch, Jovic can use his ball handling and speed to attack a bigger, slower defender. It also puts a smaller defender on Bam. If defenses play drop, Jovic has shown he is comfortable enough to take the shot. And if defenses fight through, Jovic could force a 2-on-1.

 

If the latter happens, Jovic has already proved himself to be a talented and willing passer. Especially on lobs. Just check out some of these passes from the preseason:

 

Nikola Jović against Memphis last night:

13 pts
8 rebs
3 blks

The kid has handles, a jumper, good passing ability and can make his presence felt in the paint on both sides of the floor pic.twitter.com/z98fVQYlEO

— Playbook Sports (@PlaybookSN) October 8, 2022

 

 

Sign me up for the high post playmaking of Nikola Jovic.

Flex into a high post split for a pair, just a high post split for the third. Either way, good touch and placement from the young fella. pic.twitter.com/4HHnFZctsG

— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) October 8, 2022

 

 

There will be growing pains. I’m not expecting Jovic to heal and become prime Kevin Durant overnight. But his playmaking skills and length could create some mismatches for opposing defenses.

 

Duncan Robinson’s Confidence Needs Rebuilding

 

In his heyday, Robinson was one of the deadliest sharpshooters in the league. Unfortunately, that heyday lasted only a season. Since then, it’s been a grind. Teams have caught on and when he’s not making threes, his shortcomings on defense make him a liability on the floor. As a result, his role has diminished and his confidence has noticeably declined.

 

With that said, Miami needs to be shining the proverbial batman symbol in the sky. Except instead of batman’s logo it looks like Sheen from Jimmy Neutron. Only real ones will get it.

 

Miami was the best three-point shooting team last season. They are 27th at the time of this writing. By all accounts, Robinson is needed now more than ever.

 

His game has always seemed mental and Ethan Skolnick brought up a good point on Thursday’s show. Duncan actually played better last season after the trade deadline. It’s been no secret that he’s been mentioned in every trade rumor for the past two seasons and that has to mess with you – simply on a human level.

 

With the trade deadline behind us and Robinson on the roster at least until the offseason, could that alleviate some pressure when he’s healthy? Could it also take some of the 3pt weight off of Max Strus’s shoulders? Possibly.

 

At the very least, having a career 40% 3pt shooter on high volume available has to be a good thing for the Heat simply by the law of averages, right?

 

Gabe Vincent Should Start Regardless Of Kyle Lowry’s Health

 

This has been debated ad nauseum for much of the last month, but the answer is quite simple. Miami’s starting core is better with Vincent than with Lowry. With Vincent, they are putting up 132.5 points per 100 possessions. Good enough for the 90th percentile. With Lowry, that number dips all the way down to 111.0 points per 100 possessions. That’s the 33rd percentile for those wondering.

 

Lowry’s presence also affects Tyler Herro. His numbers and efficiency from three improve with Lowry off the court. My theory is that they each feel more comfortable with the ball in their hands. After Herro was inserted into the starting lineup this season, there were one too many ball handlers on the floor. With Vincent in over Lowry, this frees up Herro to play make while also letting Vincent function off the ball – a role he plays well.

 

But the main reason why Vincent needs to start is that the Heat need to know what they have. This offseason brings with it a very interesting dilemma for the front office. With Strus and Vincent up for extensions, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to afford both. Giving Vincent ample time with this starting unit can help them when it comes time to decide their route.

 

Do Any Buyout Options Move The Needle This Season?

 

This is tough to say at the time of this writing, as there will surely be more names bought out over the next two weeks. But looking at the current slate of guys, there are a few options who could help the Heat.

 

Russell Westbrook

 

My mom could have told you that Westbrook wasn’t a good fit in Los Angeles. If Miami can get him at a cheap number, he could offer some much-needed juice to Miami’s offense. The turnovers will be there, but the rim pressure he provides could open things up.

 

Terrance Ross

 

Ross is my favorite buyout candidate for Miami should he become available. Outside of the fact that he’s been a #RandomHeatKiller more often than not, his offensive game is what Miami needs. He’s only a few years removed from putting up 15.6 points and two threes a game in less than 30 minutes. I would expect him to provide a “Joe Johnson-esque” scoring boost to Miami, which could come up big during postseason dry spells.

 

Danny Green

 

This is a risk, given he’s only played three games this season. But the reward could be huge. Green has championship DNA. He can defend and knock down threes at a 40% clip. Those are things Strus and Robinson cannot do simultaneously. It’s likely that Green prefers a squad with better title odds, but he’s an intriguing target.

 

Ultimately, the Heat is in this pickle due to past mistakes. Bloated contracts and an over-reliance on developing undrafted players with low ceilings will catch up to you sooner than later. Hindsight is 2020. It’s easy to clown moves now when you know the outcome.

 

The reality is this:

 

Jimmy Butler will be 34 years old before next season. It feels like Miami’s window to win a ring with him is closing fast. It’s clear that this team cannot keep relying on his Herculean efforts every postseason. It’s unsustainable.

 

Miami finds itself at a fork in the road this offseason. The direction they go will determine the future of this build. If Miami finds itself watching from home in May, I wouldn’t be surprised to see something drastic take place. After all, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that the future of this team belongs to Bam.

*****
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The Heat’s loss on Saturday gives the team its first set of consecutive defeats since December.  Miami has performed a 180 since its putrid start to the season, but some areas still need adjusting if the fourth or fifth seed is to be captured.

There are 28 games left on the team’s calendar. They’d need to finish 24-4 to earn the exact win total as last season. Getting there isn’t happening, and the slate for the eight remaining games in February is brutal. There are nine days off courtesy of the All-Star break that should give this outfit the rest it craves.

But if the Heat wants to avoid a first-round exit or, worse, a play-in spot, it will need at least a few solid win streaks until mid-April. Miami must outdo itself in the last third of the season to avoid a disaster scenario, which would be, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro playing their best minutes of Heat basketball ever and the team folding early.

Eight games is a minuscule sample size. Yet, in that stretch, Miami has to host the reigning back-to-back MVP and the first-seeded Nuggets on Feb. 13. The following four are on the road. First in Brooklyn. The pendulum could swing either way since Kyrie Irving is holding the team hostage, and it’s unclear if the Nets will move the malcontent before the trade deadline.

Then Miami visits the Bucks and former two-time MVP and champ Giannis Antetokounmpo. He just waxed the Heat for 35 points on 68% efficiency on Saturday. The next two are in Charlotte and Philadelphia.

The Hornets stung the Heat at home on Jan. 29. The opportunity for revenge is there, but if the Heat concedes the point of attack again, the backline defenders can’t save them.

The 76ers are not a good matchup either because it has too many weapons to break Miami’s zone coverage.

An issue that’s bedeviled the Heat all year long is its lamentable deep shooting. Max Strus was canning 41% of his triples last season. This campaign, he’s down to 34.3%.

Duncan Robinson, who has been out since Jan. 4 following finger surgery, hit 33% of his 3-point tries through 28 games. His minutes have dwindled to 17.9 a night.

Kyle Lowry is also down to 33% from long-range, and those are 63.2% of his total attempts.

With shooters playing below standards, it gives Miami’s opponents the liberty to sag off or gamble more often. If they were on target, the other team wouldn’t be able to double Jimmy Butler in the mid-post to get the ball out of his hands.

The other problem that needs to get fixed immediately is Butler’s fourth-quarter minutes management. Coach Erik Spoelstra is trying to buy JB as much rest as possible ahead of the playoffs. On many nights, the Heat can’t afford it. In losses, he’s averaging 7.7 minutes in the final period.

In defeats, Butler is logging over 10 minutes in the third frame. It makes sense. On many occasions, the Heat stumbled coming out of the intermission and were outscored in 29 third quarters. Keeping the best player on the floor is necessary to climb out of the turd period. But sometimes, the inescapable truth is that Butler will have to play at least 40 minutes for Miami to win against some rivals.

Until Miami’s sharpshooters find their touch, the group is dry on other options. Giving Butler an extra workload is a double-edged blade, however. The Heat have found themselves in 27 games decided by five points or fewer. The record in those games is 16-11.

Butler turned 33 on Sept. 14. It’s not fair to him that at his age that more is needed. But since he’s got $146 million guaranteed over the next three seasons, there isn’t a more suitable candidate for sacrificing his body.

In Miami’s last two games, losses in New York and Milwaukee, Butler combined for 13.8 fourth-quarter minutes and didn’t take a free throw in that span. When he checked in for the last time at Madison Square Garden, the Heat was down 10 points with seven minutes and change left. On Saturday, when Butler came in for Strus, the squad was down six with over six minutes left. Miami had converted only 36% of its attempts before Butler was inserted in Milwaukee.

He is the closer and best playmaker on the team. Butler has the highest assist percentage at 23.6%. This would put him in the 96th percentile for his position, per Cleaning the Glass. Even above the NBA’s second-leading paint scorer, Bam Adebayo, Butler is still the Heat’s best option to get to the line or draw a double team and hit the open man.

It’s not true that regular-season games don’t matter. If a group doesn’t lock up home court and stay above .500 on the road, it shouldn’t be taken seriously. Without #22, Miami’s record is 8-7, but with him in the lineup, it has lost 18 games.

One of the reasons the Heat had a deep playoff run last season run is because it was the east’s first seed. Round one was against the Atlanta Hawks, a team with more holes than a sponge. In the conference semifinals, the matchup was the 76ers without Embiid for the first two games. The Heatles were then taken out in round three by the Celtics, a group two wins away from a title.

What good will all this rest do if Miami is instantly faced with a bad matchup on the road after the regular season?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The playoffs are supposed to start in April, but the New York Knicks and Miami Heat didn’t get the message. In the season’s first encounter, both squads, only two games apart in the standings before the match, broke the other’s schemes.

The Knicks went to man-to-man coverage and switched defenders against screens initially. Facing pick and roll, Knicks center Jericho Sims dropped, allowing Bam Adebayo breathing room at the nail after the dive. But the hosts’ active hands and doubling Jimmy Butler after the catch in the lane forced five turnovers too.

New York ran its pick-and-pop action with RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. The Knicks’ big man swished two jumpers from the corners and splashed one more catch-and-release shot from the left wing. Randle was also mismatch-hunting and commanding the extra help of another defender when Kyle Lowry or Tyler Herro switched on him. This breakdown allowed him to hit Quentin Grimes, the open man in the right corner, for a triple.

New York started by making its first six out of eight shots. Barrett attacked Herro off the dribble every chance he could, converting seven out of nine baskets defended by #14 through four quarters. Additionally, he made a wide-open bucket in the lane after Randle was doubled in the post, plus blowing by Caleb Martin and Lowry for three field goals.

Midway through the first quarter, New York got on a three-on-two fastbreak. It looked like an easy basket as Herro and Martin swarmed in on Barrett, and he dished it to Randle, who had no one in front of him at the cup. But Martin hit an extra gear and came away with a rejection from the blindside of the left-handed Randle. Butler also had two takeaways, and Gabe Vincent had one in the first half.

On the other side, Adebayo showed why he was recognized as a second-time All-Star, awarded minutes before the game. On the baseline, #13 faced up Isaiah Hartenstein, maneuvered into the paint, hesitated, then canned a well-contested fade away. Next, he faked a handoff to Herro at the top of the key and zoomed by Hartenstein for a destructive slam over Evan Fournier. For his penultimate field goal of the period, the Knicks (somehow) lost sight of him in transition as the rock pinballed back from the wing to Adebayo, running his lane for an unbothered jam.

The closing of the first half was a disaster for the visitors. Miami suffered a seven-point gashing in the last minute, only countering with an Adebayo midrange pullup over Sims.

In the third quarter, Miami lived up to its name, raining fire from deep. Herro hit a catch-and-shoot triple and two more, assisted by Adebayo’s screens versus the on-ball defender, while seeing Sims in drop coverage at the top. Lowry, Strus and Martin each hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter, raising Miami’s output in that department to six out of 12.

But Miami’s defense wasn’t as sharp in the second half as it had been through most of the first, and they rarely got to the line. In the last 24 minutes, Grimes and Barrett combined for 12 out of 16 field goals. Since the Heat couldn’t stop the ball handlers at the perimeter, the 2-3 zone was ineffective, and the interior was exposed and clobbered for 56 points.

With over seven minutes left, Miami was down 11 points but managed to cut the deficit to two in crunch time on an Adebayo baseline jump shot over Hartenstein. As the clock ticked down, the Heat over-helped on Barrett’s drive, leaving Grimes open in the corner for a 3-pointer. Herro and Barrett then proceeded to trade baskets. Subsequently, Adebayo intercepted a sideline inbound and was fouled hard on the break by Randle. At the charity stripe, he buried both. Miami was down a point.

When Herro and Butler blitzed Barrett on the left wing, he passed the rock to Grimes, cutting down the middle. It’s a pity the refs didn’t see him travel after the catch, but Grimes then dished to Hartenstein cutting on the baseline as Strus, the low man, came forward to contest.

With a chance to tie, Herro missed from the right wing. The Heat stole New York’s recovery but lost it right back off a bad pass by Strus. Hartenstein started the break, ending with a Randle dunk to take a five-point lead.

Strus made up for his error by splashing a SLOB triple up top. Afterward, New York turned it over on the inbound because Randle slipped, and Miami got the ball. At first, it was called a foul on Adebayo, but coach Erik Spoelstra challenged the call, getting it overturned.

The Heat had 2.1 seconds left for a shot. The Knicks defended well, denying an open pass to everyone but Herro, who curled to the left corner. He took an off-balance jumper over Randle and Barrett. He missed.

At the postgame presser, Spo said his team’s fight to get back into the match was part of its DNA as they’ve been in the most close games of 30 teams. “There were some key swing moments, particularly in the beginning of the fourth quarter where they were able to take control a little bit and get it to almost 10 points. We had to dig our way back…”

 

Every time I open up my Twitter app it’s filled with casuals comparing him to whoever scored more points than him that night.

 

I’ve had enough.

 

As if that’s not aggravating enough, it appears that ‘points per game’ Twitter is a microcosm of how (too) many NBA fans actually think. It’s the sole reason why Adebayo can’t be seen inside the top 10 for frontcourt All-Star votes. Kyle (Pink Sweater) Kuzma and Paolo (18-29) Banchero have more votes than him for crying out loud.

 

This sickness doesn’t stop with points either. The same argument can be applied to any other stat.

 

Take the Defensive Player of the Year race for example. Bam is the anchor for a top 5 defense and is the most versatile defender in the league. He makes guarding 1-5 look effortless at times.

 

Apparently, that doesn’t matter. Outside of Heat fans and media, you won’t hear anyone make the case for Bam. Those finalists are awarded to the players who average the most blocks per game.

 

(While we’re on the topic: ‘Points per game’ Twitter or “*insert stat* per game’ Twitter is reserved for only the most casual of casual NBA fans. It is the holy grail of casual. If you ever want to tell someone you don’t watch NBA games without telling them, just start your argument with per-game averages.)

 

End of rant.

 

Whichever way you slice it, Bam is often overlooked. And as frustrating as it is, it’s exactly what the Miami Heat need.

 

Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely want Bam to be celebrated for his elite on-court play. As a matter of fact, his lack of recognition and accolades is the inspiration behind this piece.

 

But among all of the disrespect, a new Bam is unlocked. It’s a Bam with a chip on his shoulder. And it’s dangerous for the rest of the league. The disrespect fuels him. It ignites a fire on the court that can’t be contained.

 

That’s exactly what happened in Tuesday’s win over the Celtics. With Miami’s offense continuing to struggle from three (and every spot on the court for that matter), Bam took things into his own hands.

 

He dropped 30 points and 14 rebounds on 12-22 shooting (21 points and 12 rebounds in the second half) and willed Miami to a win without Jimmy Butler.

 

Possession after possession, he carried Miami’s offense while anchoring their defense. Elite.

 

In his post-game press conference, he was asked if making an All-Star statement on national television was on his mind: “No, not really. It was the rivalry. They booted us from the Eastern Conference Finals last year”, Adebayo said.

 

While some of that may be true, I’m not buying it as the sole reason for his aggressiveness.

 

To get a real glimpse of Bam’s mentality on Tuesday, we need to shift our focus to seconds after the final buzzer sounded. With sweat dripping off his face, TNT’s Jared Greenberg closed the post-game interview by saying “hopefully we’ll see you in Salt Lake in just about a month.”

 

Bam responded by saying, “I should be in Salt Lake”. A direct contrast to his mentality and comments when asked by the media.

 

He wasn’t done.

 

Shortly after, he spoke to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Bam didn’t hold back:

 

“There are guys that shouldn’t even be on that list”, he stated.

 

“But it’s fan voting. That’s what it is and you got to live with that. I mean, right now I’m in a position where it’s based off the coaches in the East. Now that, I’m going to be [upset] about if they tell me somebody else has played better than me this year considering I’m leading the NBA in paint points and I’m one of the reasons why we’re winning. So for me, it’s just that fan voting is fan voting. I’ll let that be. But when it comes to coaches voting, that’s when I feel like I deserve to be in it.”

 

Go off, Bam! Call them out. This isn’t passive. This is cut-throat talk from a max player.

 

Regardless of how many times he plays it cool, Adebayo cares. He feels the disrespect. And when he feels disrespected, you get Tuesday night’s stat line.

 

That’s exactly what this team needs; an aggressive Bam.

 

Miami is 20-10 in games where he shoots at least 15 shots.

 

To all the casual fans, coaches, and players – continue to fade Bam all you want. It only makes the Miami Heat dangerously potent.

******

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For the first 21 minutes of Sunday’s competitive affair at Miami-Dade Arena, the Heat’s vain play from Friday night continued. As halftime approached, supporters grew anxious as NOLA’s lead ballooned to 16 points.  Then, Miami flipped like a light switch and found a pulse on offense.

 

In the first quarter, the Pelicans were ravaging the paint, converting easily without all five Heatles getting back on multiple possession changes, and beating the hosts in the half-court.  Jonas Valanciunas overpowered Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler in the post, then hit an elbow jumper when #13 sagged off him.

 

In transition, CJ McCollum used a pick on the left wing to slither to the nail for a jumper in front of Adebayo in drop coverage.  On a broken play with eight seconds left on the shot clock, CJ reset at the top of the key and blew by Victor Oladipo for an unchallenged make at the rim.  Orlando Robinson was the Heat’s closest big man, but he was jammed by Larry Nance Jr’s back screen.  

 

All three of Trey Murphy III’s first-half baskets came on fastbreaks.  As the Heat jogged back, he sprinted hard, running the right and left lanes.  

 

NOLA routinely doubled Butler in the mid-post, a strategy used successfully by the Mavericks on Friday.  Through 24 minutes, Butler had five points, none coming in the half-court.  Ball movement was not up to standards for the sixth straight quarter. And Miami’s marksmen, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, shot four blanks for the period.  

 

In the last few minutes of the half, Miami scratched its way back with a 10-0 run. Defensively, they strangled NOLA at the point of attack by intercepting a couple of passes, creating its fastbreak chances.  It all started with the charge Lowry drew on Nance in transition.  

 

Herro nailed a triple on the left wing on account of Robinson picking up #14’s first miss from the same spot.  Next, Lowry snatched Herb Jones’ errant pass from the right wing to the other for a break that finished with a soft Oladipo layin.  

 

Dribbling back into Miami territory, McCollum forced a switch against Herro, but Oladipo doubled.  Trying to pass out of the blitz to Jones, Butler deflected the rock, Oladipo recovered it and gave it right back to JB for the layup plus a free throw.

 

On the next play, Adebayo and Oladipo blitzed McCollum again on the wing.  Both defenders overwhelmed him, and #4 pulled the ball out of his grasp, then hit Herro with a hit-ahead pass he scored on. 

 

In the last 24 minutes, Miami secured the perimeter.  New Orleans converted four out of 16 attempts and committed 12 of its 24 turnovers.  The Heat also found a way to get to the line for 18 of its 27 tries, finishing the night with 22 made freebies.  

 

With three minutes left, the Pelicans were down two points.  Through nine minutes of the fourth quarter, the rivals were shooting 50% from the floor.  Subsequently, Lowry scored the following nine points for the Heat.  

 

The first bucket was a step-back triple on the right wing against Nance in drop coverage.  On the succeeding offensive possession, Jaxson Hayes bit on a fake at the post.  Lowry maneuvered around him for a banker off the glass.  For the third bucket, he took rookie Dyson Daniels off the dribble at the key for a two-foot shot.  His last basket was a pull-up jumper in front of Nance at the elbow.  

 

In a game that both squads combined for 45 turnovers, six Heatles recorded a steal, and they won the points off turnovers battle 15-10.  It’s incomparable to how Dallas smoked them in the same stat, 31-10.

 

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra was humorful about the team’s 21st game decided by five points or fewer.  “Every night.  This is must-see, must-be TV and action live.”

 

On the topic of vintage Lowry looking for his spots, he praised his QB.  “That last three minutes, he read that intuitively.  Anytime we were trying to make a pass, they were making a deflection or a steal.  It was more get to an action and get a shot on goal.  He’ll felt that.  He understood that…”

 

It’s a shame no one asked him why Lowry hasn’t recognized those situations for most of the season. 

 

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