Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Victory over the Timberwolves

Photo via Heat.com

The Miami Heat enter Monday’s game with a record of 16-17. They also were 9-8 at home. With that being said, this was going to be a huge game for the Heat. The task became even more daunting without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. However, the Heat were still able to get the job done against the Minnesota Timberwolves. And it wasn’t pretty. A late fadeaway jumper by Tyler Herro put the team up five points and late sealed the victory for Miami. With the win, Miami moves to 16-16 for the season. Here are the takeaways from Monday’s win over the Timberwolves.

Strus Leads the Way

Without two of their top scorers, Miami needed others to step up. And Max Strus answered the call. Strus stepped up to lead the team in scoring with 19 points. Most importantly, the three-point shooting was back for Strus. After struggling for most of the month, Strus made five three-pointers on Monday. He also got a couple of baskets off of run outs and cuts to the basket. As a team, Miami mostly struggled from downtown. But it was nice seeing the Heat sharpshooter get going from beyond the arc. Hopefully, he can continue to shoot well from outside.

Attacking the Paint

Usually when Adebayo and Butler are out, the strategy usually involves putting up more three-point shots. But yet, Miami was able to create plenty of opportunities in the paint. Kyle Lowry led the attack with his drives to the basket off the pick and roll. Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo also attacked the paint as well. It was the first time both Oladipo and Vincent played together in the backcourt. Oladipo’s finishes at the paint haven’t always been pretty. However, it’s going to be important in the long run as he gets back in offensive rhythm. At one point, Miami had 22 points in the paint in the first half. Overall, Miami finished the night with 64 points in the paint.

Has Miami found their Backup Five?

The Heat were thin at the center spot without Adebayo, Dewayne Dedmon, and Omer Yurtseven. But, they did have one true center left in Orlando Robinson. While Nikola Jovic started for spacing purposes, Robinson provided huge minutes at the center spot. He was active on the boards, particularly on the offensive end. Robinson’s activity around the basket provided multiple second chance opportunities for Miami. He didn’t force anything on the offensive end. Robinson set good screens and dove to the basket in a timely manner. There’s still room for improvement but overall, it was a solid night for the Heat rookie big man. Robinson finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Robinson closing in on Franchise Record

Now, let’s talk about the other Robinson. Duncan Robinson, who has been in and out of the rotation, got minutes on Monday. Even though he’s shooting 32 percent from downtown, Robinson is still a threat from beyond the arc. Especially when he’s shooting 40 percent for his career. On Monday, Robinson and Strus were the main Heat players shooting well from outside. Robinson shot 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. His first three of the night put him at 800 three-pointers for his career, making him the fastest player to reach that mark. He’s now five three-pointers away from passing Tim Hardaway for the most in franchise history. Robinson finished the night with nine points in 14 minutes of action.

Next up: The Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Game tips off at 7:30pm eastern time.