Photo via Heat.com

The Miami Heat had their starters back together for the 15th time this season. They took on a shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans team missing their two all-star players. Still, it was business as usual. Miami dominated the game on both ends from start to finish. New Orleans tried to come back and was able to trim Miami’s lead to 14. However, Miami continued to push their lead before eventually sealing the victory. With the win, Miami moves to 25-21 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Wednesday’s victory.

All-NBA Bam

Bam Adebayo continues to show his improvement on the offensive end. He’s not only making a case for the all-star team he’s also making a strong case for the All-NBA team. Adebayo got going early in the game. His teammates kept finding him out of the pick and roll action. With the Pelicans bigs playing drop coverage, you knew the Heat were going to get opportunities in that action. Adebayo’s pull-up jumpers were falling at a high rate on Wednesday night. When those shots are falling, it’s usually a long night for teams. Defensively, Adebayo continued to wreak havoc on that end. In the end, Adebayo finished with 26 points and eight rebounds.

Gabe Back in Bench Role

With Kyle Lowry back, Gabe Vincent was back in a familiar role off the bench. And he played well on Wednesday. Vincent continued to shoot well off the ball. He even hit two buzzer beaters from the behind the arc. Miami has been getting a healthy dose of Vincent shooting the past couple of games. This is the Vincent the Heat needs the rest of the way. He’s currently trending in the right direction. Whenever the defenses are packing the paint, it certainly helps when Vincent is hitting those catch and shoot three-pointers. Vincent finished the night with 16 points.

Consistency! Consistency! Consistency!

Could the Heat finally be picking up momentum? It seems like we have been asking that question all season long. However, this is probably the first time they have been healthy all season. With a full roster, it allows players to revert back to their usual roles. Hopefully, this team can continue to trend forward. Throughout the year, we seen this team pick up huge wins and lose against lesser teams. Now, with a harder schedule, it’s time for them to push forward. It starts on Friday with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks with Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics following behind them.

Trade Rumors

With the NBA trade deadline approaching, this is the time of the year where NBA rumors happened. And there was one pertaining to the Heat on Wednesday. According to Sean Deveney, the Heat reportedly discussed a deal with the Atlanta Hawks that would have sent Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin and a protected first round pick to Atlanta in exchange for John Collins. Miami is looking to bolster their frontcourt alongside Adebayo. Collins is owed $25 million in each of the next two seasons with a player option in 2025-26 season. There’s also questions about the potential fit with the roster. But we’ll see what happens.

Next Up: The Dallas Mavericks. The game tips off at 7:30pm eastern.

Photo via Heat.com

Once again, both the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks were shorthanded. This time it was an early 1pm start for both teams. It was the Gabe Vincent show again, as Victor Oladipo got going in the fourth quarter. Miami had the lead throughout the whole game. Milwaukee made it interesting in the third quarter when they cut Miami’s double-digit lead in the third quarter. However, Miami blew the game away in the fourth period to seal the victory. With the win, Miami moves to 24-20 for the season. Here’s my takeaways from Saturday’s win over Milwaukee.

Vincent Leads the Way

Vincent really loves playing the Bucks. After scoring a career-high 28 points on Thursday, Vincent was scorching the Bucks again. Vincent had 21 points in the first half. He kept manipulating the Bucks defense in the pick and roll action. In the pick and roll action, Vincent was pin the Bucks’ defenders on his back before hitting his floater and step back jumpers. Most importantly, he was hitting his shots from beyond the arc. He hit a fadeaway three-pointer right in front of the Bucks bench. Vincent really had it going on Sunday. He finished the day with 27 points and five steals.

Oladipo’s 4th Quarter Takeover

It was the Vincent show in the first half, but in the second half it was Oladipo. Oladipo had a rough start in the first period. He was very loose with his ballhandling and got some early turnovers. When he’s the sole ball hander in the lineup, he often struggles. But when you put him alongside an extra ball handler, he tends to do well. And that was the case with Vincent. Oladipo really started to make his impact in the fourth period. In the first two minutes of the fourth period, Oladipo scored seven points. He was able to get to basket and get a couple of steals on the defensive end. His energy in the fourth quarter really changed the momentum of the game. Oladipo finished the game with 20 points.

Bam’s Uneven Start

Bam Adebayo scored 24 points against the Bucks. He was killing the Bucks drop coverages with his midrange game. But, in the second game against the Bucks, he started off slow. The shots were not falling, and he got into foul trouble early in the game. Additionally, he was unable to get calls on the other end even though there was contact. Still, it was encouraging to see Adebayo continue to attack the basket. In the past, he would be reluctant to shoot and sometimes even look at the basket. With the Heat guards playing well, it opened up the lane for Adebayo for easy buckets. He finished the day with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks.

Robinson ahead of Dedmon

After serving his one game suspension on Thursday, Dewayne Dedmon was back with the Heat on the bench. But he didn’t play. The Heat kept Orlando Robinson as the primary back up big on Sunday. Robinson was able to provide solid minutes once again. He kept fighting on the boards, especially on the offensive end. Miami was able to get multiple second chance opportunities because of his activity on the glass. He’s still raw in some areas but he’s been solid enough to play ahead of Dedmon. Robinson has been really making the most of his opportunities. He didn’t score many points but overall, it was a promising day for him. Robinson finished with four points and eight rebounds.

Next up: The Atlanta Hawks. Game tips off at 3:30pm eastern time.

Photo via Heat.com

The Miami Heat faced a shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks team on Thursday. The Bucks were without three starters. This should be an easy game, right? Well, that hasn’t been the case with Miami falling to shorthanded teams this season. Miami started the game off bad in the first quarter. But then, Miami got into a rhythm and forced Bucks into tough possessions. In the end, Miami was able to hold off the Bucks for the win. With the win, Miami moves to 23-20 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Thursday win over the Bucks.

Rough First Quarter

If you are a fan of high scoring, this wasn’t the game for you. Both teams, who struggle in the halfcourt, came out sluggish. The Heat scored only 14 points in the first period. Milwaukee played tough defense on the Heat early. Their guards kept hounding the ball handers on the Heat with Lopez protecting the paint. Miami had trouble getting into any offensive rhythm. On the other end, Milwaukee was jacking up a lot of three pointers. With their best player out, Milwaukee went with the boom or bust mentality when it came to three pointers. When they got a turnover, they immediately shot a three pointer on the other end.

Vincent’s Career Night

The Heat don’t win this game without Gabe Vincent, who had a career night. Miami struggled in the beginning of the game to get shots off. With the offensive struggling, it was Vincent who kept the Heat afloat. He knock down wide open triple and got it going from there. After a rough season, Vincent’s jumper was falling on Thursday. He took a step back jumper near the three-point line and drew the foul. With the jumpers going, it opened up the passing lanes a bit more. It forced the Bucks to turn their attention to Vincent. Now, Miami needs Vincent to be more consistent with his jumpers. Vincent finished with a career-high 28 points and six assists.

Bam vs Brook Lopez

All eyes were on the Bam Adebayo and Brook Lopez matchup. If you followed the Bucks and Heat matchups over the years, you would know how much Adebayo has struggled against him. The Bucks typically have Lopez playing a deep drop coverage against Adebayo leaving him open for jumpers. In the past, Adebayo was hesistant to take those shots. However, not this time around. Miami immediately went to Adebayo in the middle early in the game. Adebayo sunk down his first two jumpers against Lopez, which is a good sign. It even forced Lopez to play higher on the pick and rolls. Adebayo is no longer afraid of the deep drop coverages. He finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Oladipo Overcomes Tough Start

It wasn’t a good start for Victor Oladipo. He was struggling on the offensive end and was unable to get into any rhythm. He entered the fourth quarter shooting 2 of 8 from the field. But then, Oladipo started to get going in the fourth quarter. After forcing a turnover on the other end, Oladipo scored off a fancy spin move and layup. The next possession, Oladipo ran a high pick and roll action with Adebayo and knocked down the triple at the top of the key. This forced the Bucks into a timeout. It was good seeing Oladipo keep battling as he worked to find his rhythm. Oladipo finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.

Next up: The Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. Game tips off at 1pm eastern on ABC.

Photo Via Heat.com

The Miami Heat‘s injury problems continued on Tuesday. Before their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Heat announced that four starters would be out on Tuesday. Of course, this wasn’t knew for the Heat. They’re been battling injuries all season. Despite being shorthanded, Miami still made it a game. The Thunder picked up their first lead in the third quarter. They also lead by five down the stretch. But in the end, Miami came through with the victory. With the win, Miami moves to 22-20 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Tuesday’s win over the Thunder.

Jimmy Butler at the Free Throw Line

The past few days, there was talk about the non-call on Jimmy Butler‘s potential game winning basket. Yesterday, the league came back and stated that was the correct call. On Tuesday, Butler was determined to get to the free-throw line, and he did. Butler had 23 of Miami’s 40 free throws on the night. He kept attacking and drawing fouls throughout the whole game. Butler was very active on the defensive end getting blocks and playing the passing lanes. His and-one basket at the end of the game sealed the Heat’s victory. Butler finished the night with 35 points, seven rebounds, four steals, and three blocks.

Clock Ticking On Dedmon?

This has not been Dewayne Dedmon‘s best season. At all. He hasn’t been good on the defensive end with teams attacking him in drop coverages. He kept getting beat on the Heat’s zone defense. A Thunder player kept getting open on the Heat’s baseline for a dunk or layup. It kept happening on consecutive possessions. After that, is where things got heated. Dedmon got in a heated discussion with Miami’s coaching staff and then stormed off to the locker-room. As he stormed off the court, he punched a therapy gun off a table in frustration, which led to his ejection. Dedmon will be trade eligible on January 15th. And it appears his time in Miami is coming to an end.

New NBA Record

Four starters were out for Miami. They needed to find a way to win the game. So, Miami decided to make history on Tuesday night. They became the first team to make 40 consecutive free throws without missing in a game. The previous record was 39 free throws. As mentioned earlier, 23 of those free throws came from Butler. Miami was rewarded with their aggressiveness for going to the basket. This wasn’t a pretty game. Miami had to get this win out the mud. But still, 40 consecutive made free throws is a nice feat.

Oladipo’s Performance

Victor Oladipo continues to trend upward with his offense. He continued to attack the basket. Oladipo, however, does tend to make the wrong passes at times. Hopefully, the three-point shooting improves. His offense is still a work a progress. But you have to like what you’re seeing so far from. His defense was already elite and has arguably been Miami’s best perimeter defender. Oladipo has a knack for stripping the ball off of defenders. He doesn’t care who’s in front of him. It’s like he takes his matchups personal. Oladipo finished the night with 19 points.

Photo By: Heat.com

It was the final road game of the Miami Heat‘s five game road trip. The Heat took on a shorthanded Phoenix Suns team missing a couple of key players. When Wednesday’s loss in mind, Miami knew what had to be done. Despite being shorthanded, the Suns competed with the Heat. However, Miami was able to pull away and seal the victory. With the win, Miami moves to 21-19 for the season and finishes the road trip 3-2. Here are my takeaways from the game.

Victor Oladipo Leads the Way

With Tyler Herro out, all eyes were on both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to provide more scoring. But, it was Victor Oladipo who led the team in scoring. Oladipo continued to show his burst on the offensive end. He was able to provide plenty of rim pressure on Friday night for Miami. He got a couple of finishes in the paint and got to the free throw line. If he can provide consistent rim pressure and draw fouls, it’ll be a huge boost for the Heat’s offense. Defensively, he continued to be strong on that end. He’s been able to stay in front of his defenders and force turnovers. His defense has been very elite for a team that lacks many point of attack defenders. Overall, it was a great night for the Heat guard. Oladipo finished the night with 26 points.

Bam’s Double Double

To start the game, the Heat made sure to get Adebayo going early. Miami kept feeding the ball to Adebayo in the paint and on the short roll. Adebayo shot 6-of-9 from the field in the first half. Adebayo’s jumper continues to fall at a high clip. It’s at a point now where you expect him to hit the free throw line jumper every time. And the Heat are very aware of that. Seeing them continue to run isolation plays for Adebayo shows where he’s at as a scorer. It’s usually easier for Adebayo to score off the pocket when Herro is in. However, Adebayo was still able to do it without him. Adebayo finished the night with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Dedmon Minutes

Before the game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra hinted that the team would go with Orlando Robinson going forward. At least until Dewayne Dedmon gets healthy. Instead, the Heat stuck with Dedmon as the backup big. As been the case for the majority of the season, those minutes haven’t been as good. Dedmon’s drop coverage defense was immediately put to the test. The Suns kept taking advantage of that and went on big runs. You could also tell how reliant the Heat are on Adebayo by the minutes Dedmon played. He only played six minutes in the first half. Clearly, Miami needs to find more frontcourt depth to help Adebayo. With the trade deadline five weeks away, the clock is ticking.

Haywood Decision

Speaking of clocks, the clock is ticking on the Heat’s decision on Haywood Highsmith. On Saturday, the Heat must decide to either guarantee Highsmith’s contract or waive him. With so many players getting hurt, it’s likely Miami is still going to keep him around. He started Friday night’s game with Caleb Martin out. This season, Highsmith has emerged as one of the Heat’s better defenders. He’s able to hold his own on the perimeter and fight for loose balls. The three-point shooting has been iffy at times. But, Highsmith has been productive at times this season. We’ll see what happens.

Next Up: The Brooklyn Nets. Game tips off at 6pm eastern time.