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Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Victory over the Knicks

The Miami Heat took on the New York Knicks Wednesday night in a big game. The last time these two teams faced each other was a big time thriller. Wednesday night’s game also didn’t disappoint. Both teams went back and forth for the majority of the night. Miami had a good three-point shooting night, which has been rare all season. With the victory, Miami moves to 40-34 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Wednesday’s win over New York.

Jimmy’s Big Night

With the playoffs around the corner, Jimmy Butler has turned into playoff mode. He was very efficient throughout the night. Butler was engaged on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he made his presence known in the paint. Even though he didn’t get to line early on, he still attacked the paint and finished. He also hit on a couple of three-pointers. Additionally, Butler was talking trash with multiple Knicks players. Butler was very good, and it was needed as Miami pushes for the playoffs. He understands the situation the team is in and is taking it up to another level. Butler finished with 35 points, nine assists, and four steals.

Gabe Hot Early

Gabe Vincent was productive in his starting minutes on Wednesday. He converted on his open three-pointers on Wednesday night. He kept going right at Knicks guard Jalen Brunson all night. Vincent also was knocking down the midrange jumpers off the pick and roll. Vincent has had a few performances like this in his starting role. However, the issue is consistency. If Vincent is going to continue to start, he has to be more consistent in his role. He doesn’t have to score 19 every game, but he has to be able to knock down three-pointers and defend at a high level. He did that on Wednesday night. Vincent finished with 19 points.

Herro Hot in the Fourth Quarter

All Photos via Heat.com

It was a quiet first half for Tyler Herro. The Knick defenders were all over him in the first half. Herro didn’t take as many shots in the first half. He had eight points in the first three quarters of the game. But then, he erupted in the fourth quarter. Very similar to his performance on Sunday. He scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, knocking down tough fadeaway jumpers. He hit a tough three-pointer over Julius Randle down the stretch as well. Herro finished with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field.

Lowry Effective in Bench role

Since his return, Kyle Lowry has been productive in his role off the bench. He’s been the lead facilitator for the second unit and helping run the offense. Most importantly, he’s shooting his shots and making them. It was an issue early in the season when he wasn’t taking those open shots. He’s also attacking against the bent defense at times. This is what you want to see from Lowry moving forward. Lowry is not the all-star guard he was in Toronto, but you want him to be productive in his minutes. Lowry finished the night with 14 points.

Next Up: The Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Game tips off at 8pm eastern.

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Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Victory over the Grizzlies

When’s the last time the Miami Heat had a blowout win? It seemed like ages. The majority of the Heat’s games have been close ones. But on Wednesday night, it was a different story. Miami had control of the game from start to finish. They got strong performances from their top three players. Additionally, the Heat’s three-point shooting was great as well. With the win, Miami moves to 38-33 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Miami’s victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Butler Sets The Tone

During Monday’s postgame presser, when asked about shooting threes, Jimmy Butler told reporters that he welcomes physicality. With Dillon Brooks guarding him, we knew it was going to a physical game. It certainly was at the start of the game, but Butler used it to his advantage. Butler put up a quick 14 points in the first period. The majority of those points were from the free throw line. Since the All-Star break, Butler has been playing at another level. And it’s coming at an essential time for the Heat, as they compete for the playoffs. Butler ended the night with 23 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

New Look Heat Rotation

Since Kyle Lowry’s return, there were questions about who Miami’s nine players were going to be. With the playoffs approaching, this is usually the time where Miami shortens their rotation to nine players. As a result, one Heat player had to be the odd man out. On Wednesday, the player was Victor Oladipo, who has struggled for the last couple of weeks. The only reason why Miami went 10 players early on was because of Omer Yurtseven being in foul trouble. Lowry and the Heat reserves certainly contributed off the bench. They provided energy, great ball movement, and defense. Overall, it was a productive night for the new-look Heat rotation.

Bam Steps Up

All photos from Heat.com

Bam Adebayo has been struggling a lot lately on both ends of the floor. He’s been standing around and often turning the ball over. Adebayo stepped up on both ends on Wednesday night. He looked like all-star Adebayo on both ends. He blocked shots and helped on the blitz coverages. There were a few miscues along the way with Adebayo opting to stick on the perimeter instead of recovering back when needed. This is the Adebayo the Heat needs for the playoff push. Often times, he’s going to have the matchup advantages with his athleticism and quickness. Hopefully, this performance means his slump is over. Adebayo finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks.

We Got Shooters?

The Heat’s shooting seems to be trending in the right direction lately. There was a point in the first period where Miami was shooting 48 percent from downtown. Yes, 48 percent. All season long, Miami has struggled from downtown. The issue was never open looks, because the Heat generated a lot of those. However, they just never knock them down. On Wednesday, the Heat were certainly shooting at a high percentage. The ball was moving from side to side instead of sticking. Heat players, mainly Caleb Martin, moved well without the ball. That’s certainly the difference in this one. Overall, Miami ended the night shooting 44.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Next Up: The Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Game starts at 8:00pm eastern.

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Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Victory over the Cavaliers

The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers played each other for the second consecutive time. And just like Wednesday’s game, this one ended up being close. In the first half, the Heat struggled with mindless turnovers. Donovan Mitchell was on a scoring clinic as well. Despite this, the Heat still battled and stayed in the game. Miami took the lead in the 4th quarter and kept it the rest of the way. With the win, Miami is now 36-32 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Miami’s victory over Cleveland.

Turnovers Continue Cause Problems

As mentioned earlier, the Heat struggled with turnovers for the second consecutive game. Miami continued to have careless turnovers in Friday’s game. Part of the reason comes from having guards who aren’t pass first guards. Gabe Vincent, who plays better off the ball, is not a lead guard. And that was evident throughout the night with his passing. Tyler Herro also had some careless turnovers in the game as well. There were a couple of plays where he was dribbling circles around the Cavaliers defenders with nothing coming out of it. Miami finished the night with 16 turnovers. With the Heat guards being tasked with making more offensive reads, they need to take better care of the basketball.

Jimmy Takeover

Since the NBA All-Star break, Jimmy Butler has been playing exceptionally well. Most importantly, he’s been very efficient from the field. And it’s coming at a time where Miami really needs it. In the third period, Miami’s offense went stagnant. There were turnovers and the Heat’s ball movement was nonexistent. With the Heat offense slowing down in the third quarter, Butler went into takeover mode. Butler became more aggressive and was even knocking down his jumpers. Outside of that, he was getting to basket whenever he wanted to. Whether it was off the mid-to-low post actions or the straight-line drives. This is the Butler the Heat are going to need the rest of the way. Butler finished with 33 points and five rebounds.

Three-Point Shooting Comes Alive in Second Half

All photos via Heat.com

If you followed the Heat all season, you know about their three-point shooting struggles. Miami has ranked in the bottom half of all teams in three-point shooting. Most of the three-point shooting percentages have come from the regression of their best shooters. That continued the be the case in the first half, with only three made from downtown. However, the shooting started to pick up in the second half. Herro knocked down a couple in the fourth quarter that gave the Heat the lead. Max Strus, who’s struggled all season with his shooting, came alive in the second half and hit timely three-pointers. As a team, Miami finished the night with 14 made three-pointers on 48 percent shooting.

Lowry Return on Saturday?

The Bally Sports Sun crew made an interesting comment before the game started. Eric Reid hinted that there’s a good possibility that Kyle Lowry will return for Saturday’s game against the Orlando Magic. Lowry has missed the past 15 games due to knee soreness. In his absence, the primary ball handling duties have been given to Vincent and Victor Oladipo as well. It hasn’t been a good season for Lowry, but the Heat are hoping he can help improve the decision making from their guards. We’ll see how Lowry’s return will impact the Heat’s rotation as well.

Next: Orlando Magic on Saturday. Game tips off at 7pm eastern.

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Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Victory over the Hawks

For the second consecutive game, the Miami Heat hosted the Atlanta Hawks. With Kevin Love out, the Heat started Max Strus in his place. The beginning of the first quarter was a nightmare for Miami. The Hawks punished them in the paint and scored 18 straight times there. But as the game went along, Miami picked up their defensive intensity. With great contributions off the bench, Miami was able to pull away for the victory. Here are my takeaways from Miami’s win over Atlanta.

Another Poor Defensive Start

Miami entered the all-star break as a top 5 defensive team. However, they haven’t looked like it since the all-star break ended. Especially at the start of games. On Monday, it happened again. Miami had trouble stopping the Hawks from getting into the paint. Atlanta was able to get into the lane relentlessly without much resistance. And this was against everybody on the Heat. With the Hawks getting into the paint, Miami countered with the zone defense. Unfortunately, the Hawks made them pay by exploiting the Heat’s zone defense and knocking down the triples. Atlanta finished the first quarter with 43 points, before going into the halftime with 68.

Caleb Excelling in New Role

Since the Love signing, Caleb Martin has been moved to the bench. It’s a role many have wanted for Martin all season long. It’s a role that Martin is very familiar and comfortable with. He’s able to play more freely and not be limited as a small ball four. With the Heat lacking energy and intensity, Martin brought both once he entered the game. He scored 16 points in the period to help Miami trim Atlanta. Martin scored off of back door cuts, slips, and open shots. Defensively, he limited dribble penetration from the Hawks guards. Martin finished the night with 21 points.

Oladipo!

Victor Oladipo has struggled a lot since returning from his ankle injury. There have been moments where he turns the ball over alot which hurts the Heat’s offense. Usually, it would be off of careless live ball turnovers that would force the Heat to get back in transition. That was very evident in the first half of Monday’s game. As the Heat’s leading point guard off the bench, he was very loose with the turnovers. But in the third quarter, Oladipo’s game shifted for the better. Most importantly, he started to look like the Oladipo of old. The shifty ball handling and the burst was on full display in the second half. Oladipo’s performance gave the Heat a huge jolt of energy. Oladipo finished the night with 21 points.

Butler Flirts with Triple Double

All Photos via Heat.com

The one player who loves playing the Hawks is Jimmy Butler. He’s able to get to his preferred matchups easily against the Hawks. Butler started the game off slow offensively, but got others involved. He picked up his offensive in the third period when Miami needed it. Butler provided consistent rim pressure and drawing fouls on the Hawks. It also opened up more opportunities for his teammates. And when it was time to close the game, Butler sealed the deal down the stretch with timely baskets and assists. Even though he fell short of triple double, it was an all-around good performance from Butler. Butler finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and, nine assists.

Next up: The Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Game tips off at 7:30pm eastern.

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Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Victory over the Hawks

After a gut-wrenching loss on Friday, the Miami Heat had another game less than 24 hours later. The Heat took on the Atlanta Hawks, who entered Saturday’s game a half-game behind Miami. This was an important game for Miami and their playoff hopes. Miami came out with more energy and intensity early on. They pushed the league to 21 points at one point. However, like most Heat games, the game somehow ended up being close in the 4th quarter. But in the end, Miami made plays and closed with a victory. With the win, Miami moves to 34-31 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Saturday’s win over Atlanta.

Bam Bounce Back

Since the all-star break, Bam Adebayo has been struggling. He didn’t look like the Adebayo we’ve seen throughout the regular season. On Saturday, we saw All-Star. Miami looked for their big man in this one. They ran multiple pick and rolls with Tyler Herro and Adebayo. Adebayo also was in attack mode on the fast break. After every rebound, Adebayo was either looking for the pitch-ahead pass or taking it to the rack himself. Once he got the inside buckets going, his jumpers were falling next. We saw how his early inside game opened up the midrange game, which has been his go-to throughout the season. Most importantly, the Heat were running offensive sets to get him going. Adebayo finished the night with 30 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.

Change in Substitution Patterns

The Non-Adebayo and Jimmy Butler minutes have been problematic for the Heat the last couple of weeks. It’s played a huge role in opponents going on huge runs. The Herro and bench unit has struggled on both ends of the floor. Against the Hawks, Miami made a switch to its substitution patterns. Adebayo exited early in the game, with Herro following him soon after. This had Butler playing mostly with the second unit. There was also a two-minute span where neither Butler nor Adebayo played. But that was okay with it only being two minutes. At the start of the second quarter, Adebayo and Herro were back in. It’s been clear that adjustments were needed, and the Heat finally responded with one.

Zeller’s First Half

Since coming to Miami, Cody Zeller has been one of the few positives with the team. He’s been providing solid backup minutes at the center position. He did the same and more on Saturday. Zeller was active on both ends of the floor with his activity. On one play, he sprinted full court for the fast break layup. Anytime there was a missed shot, he crashed the boards. If the offense got stagnant, Zeller would find the open space for the bucket. At one point, he was the leading scorer for Miami in the first half. All season long, Miami has looked for players that can play at least 10-12 minutes behind Adebayo. So far, Zeller has done that. This is exactly what you look for in a backup big. Zeller finished the night with 13 points.

Finally, A Win

All Photos via Heat.com

Despite being a regular season game, this victory was important for Miami. Losing this game would’ve been demoralizing for the Heat. Especially after coming off two disappointing performances. Another thing to keep in mind is that Atlanta was only a half-game back. So, it was clear a win was needed. Now Miami is a game and a half ahead of the Hawks. If they beat the Hawks again on Monday, they could still gain ground on the sixth seed. That’s the number one goal the rest of the way. Avoid the play-in tournament and facing the Eastern Conference’s top two seeded teams in the first round. With that being said, we’ll see how Miami responds in their last 18 games of the regular season.

Next up: The Atlanta Hawks. Game tips off at 7:30 pm eastern.

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Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Victory over the Sixers

Entering Monday’s game with a four game losing streak, the Miami Heat had a tall task of beating the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers entered Monday’s game having won 18 of their last 22 games. Basically, Miami was going to have their hands full. However, Miami was prepared. They played both ends of the floor with high intensity. The ball was moving on the offensive end and the Heat defense made it tough on the Sixers. Miami falted a bit in the fourth quarter, but still were able to pull away with a victory. With the win, Miami moves to 33-29 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Monday’s win over Philadelphia.

Jimmy Time

With so much riding on Monday’s game, the Heat needed playoff Jimmy Butler. And that’s exactly what they got from him. While his other star counterpart was struggling, Butler had it going all game. He was aggressive on both ends of the floor. Butler was able to get into the paint and draw fouls. Down the stretch in the fourth quarter, Butler pulled off a ridiculous circus shot. Just like last year’s playoffs, Butler was thorn on the 76ers side. It didn’t matter who Philadelphia put on him. Miami is going to need more of this Butler down the stretch. Butler finished the night with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists.

We Got Shooters (Finally)

Shooting has been a huge problem for Miami all season. It’s one of the main reasons why they’re in the bottom of league in scoring. It hasn’t been from the lack of open opportunities either. Throughout the season, Miami has had no trouble generating open looks from the outside. The problem is Miami hasn’t been making them. The disappointing part about it is the struggles from their own shooters. On Monday night, it was a different story. The shots were falling for the Heat’s shooters. With the shots falling, it opened up more driving lanes for Butler and others. As a team, Miami shot 40 percent from downtown.

Great Production from the New Guys

While Miami has been losing, they have received great contributions from Kevin Love and Cody Zeller. Starting with Love, he was in great rebounding position at times. He read the floor very well, including one hit ahead pass to Tyler Herro. Even though he’s not a good defender, he did well in blitz coverages and wasn’t a huge defensive liability. Zeller, who was the surprising signing, had a stellar night. He knows where to be on the offensive end and plays his role well. Most importantly, he had good defensive moments and allowed Miami to give Bam Adebayo more time to rest. He even had a Lebronesque chase down block on Joel Embiid on the break. Overall, so far so good for the two Heat newcomers.

Huge Upcoming Homestead

Miami has a six-game homestead coming up. All of them are against playoff caliber teams, including the Sixers team they just beat. Miami needs to stack these wins to stay in the playoff race and avoid the play in tournament. Going 2-4 on this next stretch would not be ideal. The sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets are at least 2.5 games ahead of them. And there are teams below them gaining ground on them. If Miami does go 2-4, they could find themselves starting a play-in game on the road. So, expect these next upcoming games to have a playoff type feel to them. Miami knows how important these games are. We’ll see how they finish them.

Next up: The Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Game tips off at 7:30pm eastern time.

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Report: Kyle Lowry Targeting his Return After February

Before Sunday’s NBA All-Star game, the Miami Heat had multiple pieces of news to share. First, there was the ESPN report from Adrian Wojnarowski about Kevin Love signing with the Heat. Next, Wojnarowski added that Cody Zeller will also sign with the Heat. Both moves add depth to the Heat’s frontcourt. Love is expected to provide spacing and passing in the frontcourt. Zeller is added in case of injury. This also shows that Miami is comfortable with its guard rotation going forward.

Kyle Lowry Hopeful of Late February Return

Speaking of guard rotation, there was also news about the Heat’s starting guard Kyle Lowry. According to the Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds, the Heat’s starting point guard is targeting a late February return. Lowry has been sidelined for the past couple of games with his knee injury. He’s also been away from the team as he recovers.

This season, Lowry has looked like a shell of his former self. He averaged just 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 37.7% from the field and 31.4% from beyond the arc in the games he did play. If the Heat are looking for a deep run, they’re going to need production from its starting point guard. Miami has 22 games left in the season before preparing for the NBA playoffs.

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Report: Cavs Finalizing Buyout with Kevin Love, Heat Expected to Emerge as Suitor

Photo via USA Today/GettyImages

After nine seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, it appears that Kevin Love’s time in Cleveland is coming to an end. According to Shams Charania and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic on Wednesday night, the Cavs and Love are completing a contract buyout. In recent weeks, Love was taken out of the Cavaliers’ regular rotation. The Miami Heat are reportedly the favorites to sign the veteran forward, though the buyout has not yet been completed.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Kevin Love are finalizing a contract buyout, with the Miami Heat expected to emerge as a suitor for the five-time All-Star should the sides finalize parting ways, league sources tell The Athletic.

Love has played in 41 games this season, but only three of those appearances have been as a starter. He has averaging career lows in points (8.5), minutes (20), and rebounds (6.8). Love missed the Cavs’ loss to the New York Knicks on January 24 due to a thumb injury he had earlier this season. With a 38-23 record going into the All-Star break, the Cavaliers have won nine of their previous 12 games since Love has been out.

Fit with Miami

The former all-star makes a lot of sense for the Heat. All season long, Miami has been seeking frontcourt depth. They been starting 6-foot-5 guard Caleb Martin alongside Bam Adebayo. Additionally, they also need depth behind Adebayo. If signed, Love would serve as a reserve option behind Adebayo. The Heat currently have two roster spots to sign a free agent. One of those spot are currently occupied by Jamaree Bouyea, who’s currently on a ten-day contract. Love may be a former shell of himself, but his spacing and passing would be welcomed in Miami.

In 853 games over the course of his career, Love has averaged 17.2 points and 10.5 rebounds. He is in the final year of his four-year, $120.4 million deal with Cleveland.

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Report: Russell Westbrook Eyeing a Move to Miami?

Photo via Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone. There was a flurry of moves on Thursday, starting with a huge blockbuster trade that landed Kevin Durant in Phoenix. Other teams like the Los Angeles Lakers revamped their roster in hopes of contending. Then, you have the Miami Heat, who had a relatively quiet deadline. Miami’s only move came Wednesday when they shipped Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to San Antonio for cash considerations. The move opened up another roster spot and cleared tax space for Miami to be players in the buyout market.

Westbrook An Option?

With the deadline passed, Miami’s next focus is the buyout market. And they reportedly already have interested from one of the potential buyout candidates. According to Law Murray of The Athletic, Utah Jazz guard Russell Westbrook would be interested in signing with Miami or Los Angeles Clippers if the Utah Jazz were to buy him out of his contract.

As part of the three-team deal involving the Jazz, Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves, the 2016–17 MVP was traded to Utah. He isn’t expected to stay in Salt Lake City, according to Murray. The Heat reportedly tried to trade six-time All-Star Kyle Lowry, who has been struggling this season. However, there was no traction on any deal. There were talks of trading him to the Clippers, but they went elsewhere.

Lowry is out indefinitely with knee injury. There’s also been a report that the relationship between Lowry and the Heat hasn’t been the best. Because of this, Miami could be looking at Westbrook as an option. Westbrook could provide point guard depth for the team. During his time with the Lakers, he has shown a willingness to come off the bench. However, his shooting struggles doesn’t make him an ideal fit in the starting lineup. Teams have until the March 1st Buyout Deadline to waive players.

Westbrook is currently averaging 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

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Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Victory over the Pacers

The Miami Heat took on the Indiana Pacers the night before the NBA Trade deadline. With so much going on in the league, this often can be a distraction for teams. It didn’t appear that way early on for Miami. Miami started the game off strong on both ends, pushing their lead up to 16 points. Of course, with most Heat games, it’s not surprising this game ended up being close. But in the end, Bam Adebayo closed the game with two key free throws in the last few seconds. With the win, Miami moves to 30-25 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Wednesday’s victory over Indiana.

Hot Early Start

The Heat were without Kyle Lowry again on Wednesday. Still, Miami came out firing in the first minutes of the game. The offense was moving well, with players cutting and shooting the ball well. It was everything the Heat drew up. Almost perfect at times. Leading the way early was Gabe Vincent, who filled in for Lowry. Vincent had 11 points in the first quarter. He knocked down the open jumpers and got some pick and roll action going. At the end of the first period, Miami had 39 points. It was a great opening for the Heat’s offense. Of course, you knew it wouldn’t last long.

Bam’s Offensive Night

Since he first was drafted, Adebayo always showed he could be a great defender in this league. And he’s still doing it this season as well. However, his offensive leap has been the most positive part of the Heat’s season. Adebayo displayed those offensive skills throughout the night. He dribbled up the court as time expired, knocking down the fade-away jumper at the buzzer. He continued his hot midrange shooting the rest of the night. Adebayo kept attempting and making the midrange jumpers with Myles Turner guarding him. He also attacked the free throw line with 14 attempts for the night. His offensive game is more fluid now and it’s very impressive to watch. Adebayo finished the night with 38 points and nine rebounds.

Butler’s Bully Ball in the Third

All Photos via Heat.com

Jimmy Butler also had some strong moments in this game, particularly in the third quarter. With Miami’s offense struggling, Butler took over the third period. Butler willed his way to the basket a lot in the quarter. He kept getting contact and drawing fouls. He also attacked the glass off of misses and scored. Butler was playing with high intensity. You can tell he was determined to get to the basket by any means necessary. Playoff Jimmy was in the arena and the Heat needed him. Butler had 14 points in the third quarter. He finished the night with 25 points and seven assists.

Now We Await The Deadline

This week, The NBA Trade Deadline has dominated talk in the basketball world. Even more so than the actual basketball games. This was the case in the Heat’s game on Wednesday night. While Butler and Adebayo were playing well, all the focus remained on the trade deadline. With the way both players played, it’s hard not to wish there was more help surrounding the players. It’s time to get them the help they need. One of the worst ranked offenses in the league, there’s clearly a need for shooting. We’ll see what happens. The clock is ticking.

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