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Takeaways from the Miami Heat’s Game 4 Victory over Bucks

The Miami Heat entered Monday’s night game with a 2-1 series lead. With the Milwaukee Bucks trying to tie up the series, Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from injury. It was all Bucks early to start the game, as they jumped to a 15-5 lead. Antetokounmpo was aggressive with his drives and setting up open looks for teammates. Miami struggled to get their offense going and was heavily dependent on Jimmy Butler. The Bucks led by as many as 15 points in Game 4. However, Miami showed no quit. In the end, they came back and took home the victory over the Bucks. With the win, Miami takes a commanding 3-1 series lead over Milwaukee. Here are our takeaways from the win.

Himmy Butler

Butler has been the best player so far this postseason. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Butler entered Game 4 averaging 30 points on 60% shooting from field. And he took his game to another level when his team needed it most. No one wanted this win more than him. With most of his teammates struggling, Butler took it upon himself to get going with 22 points in the first period. He was virtually unstoppable against the Bucks defenders. Simply incredible performance from the Heat star, who put up a Heat historic performance. He simply wouldn’t let his team lose this game. Butler finished the night with 56 points and nine rebounds.

Bam’s Offensive Struggles

In the first half, Bam Adebayo had only two points with two turnovers. Yes, two points. It was a frustrating night for the Heat big man, who has struggled to get into any offensive rhythm. In the first few minutes of the game, Adebayo picked up his second foul and had to sit early. When he was in the game, he was very indecisive on the offensive end. Miami made every concerted effort to get him going early. However, the shots were either short or he was careless with the ball. Milwaukee clogged the paint and it seemed to effect Adebayo’s mental. He did, however, made key defensive plays down the stretch to help Miami win. But, he has to find a way to get going for Miami to advance. Adebayo finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.

Key Role Players Step Up

All Photos via Heat.com

As mentioned earlier, it was alot of Butler on the offensive end. But there were players who did contribute along the way. Duncan Robinson, who has been out of the rotation this season, came out firing from downtown. He looks more confident in his shooting than ever before. Haywood Highsmith entered the game when Adebayo was in foul trouble. He did all the necessary dirty work and guarded Antetokounmpo. Highsmith was everywhere on the defensive end. And then we have Caleb Martin, who has been consistent this series. Martin provided a huge energy boost off the bench. He hit timely three pointers in the fourth period and slowed down the Bucks guards. While the night belonged to Butler, it’s important to note some of the things the others did.

3-1 Series Lead

The Heat have a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Bucks. Read that again. This has been one of the most surprising playoff runs so far this postseason. With Miami playing up and down all season, who expected them to lead this series 3-1? Not many. And they’re doing this with injuries to key players. Now, they have an opportunity to advance to the second round with one more win. It most certainly won’t be easy against this Bucks team. But, we will all be watching and rooting for this Heat team to do it. Let’s Go Heat!

Next up: Game 5 on Wednesday. Game tips off at 9:30pm eastern time.

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Takeaways from the Miami Heat’s Game 3 Victory over Bucks

After splitting the first two games, the Miami Heat entered Game 3 with homecourt advantage. For the second consecutive game, the Milwaukee Bucks sat their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo. Still, the Bucks proved formidable without him with their three-point shooting threat. Instead, it was the Heat who shot a playoff franchise high 12 three-pointers in the first half. They ended up blowing out the Bucks the rest of the way. With the win, Miami moves to 2-1 in the series. Here are my takeaways from Saturday’s win over Milwaukee.

Jimmy Sets the Tone

All Photos via Heat.com

Playoff Jimmy Butler is a popular name these days in the NBA. Especially during his four years in Miami. He’s known for elevating his game to an even higher level in the playoffs. And that’s exactly what he’s done so far this series. Usually, we would see Butler do his damage in the paint early on. However, in Game 3, he was doing it from the outside. Butler shot two triples in the first quarter alone, scoring 17 points in the period. He had four triples by the end of the third quarter. His night ended when he fell down hard after a strong drive to the basket. Butler finished with 30 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

Birthday Boy Shines

Duncan Robinson turned 29 years old on Saturday. And the birthday man looked like the Robinson of old. Robinson knocked down his first triple of the game off a dribble hand-off. With the Bucks playing drop coverage, that created tons of space for Robinson to knock the shot down. From there, Robinson got going. He even knocked down a triple on the break. Surprisingly, he took Jrue Holiday to the basket off the dribble. And that was very surprising. Overall, a solid performance from the Heat sharpshooter. They’re going to need that consistently from him the rest of the series. Robinson finished with 20 points with five triples.

Concern for Dipo

It’s been an up and down series for Victor Oladipo. He’s been on the outside of the rotation at times, mostly because of his uneven shot selection. But this series, his number has been called. With Butler sitting out after his first quarter masterclass, you immediately saw the Oladipo impact. Oladipo put full court pressure on the Bucks guards. He showcased his great on-ball defensive skills that have been very impactful at times. Unfortunately, his night ended at he injured his knee on a drive to the basket. A stretcher was provided but Oladipo was escorted to the Lockeroom with the help of the Heat coaching staff. Such a tough break for Oladipo, who’s had his share of bad injuries.

Heat take control of the Series

With a 2-1 series lead, the Heat have control of the series right now. While we still don’t know the status of Antetokounmpo, don’t be surprised if he returns on Monday. Regardless, the Heat really need to take advantage of this. With or Without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks had shown they can be resilient. We saw that in Game 2 when they looked like the hungrier teams. And Miami appeared lethargic for most of that night. Now, it’s time for Miami to take advantage by winning Game 4. Should they win Game 4, they’ll really have an opportunity to get closer to clinching the series. Game 4 going to be a fun one to watch.

Next up: Game 4 on Monday. Game tips off at 7:30pm eastern time.

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Takeaways from the Miami Heat’s Game 1 Victory over Bucks

The Miami Heat entered Sunday’s Playoff game as the true underdogs. They faced a strong Milwaukee Bucks team, with the best record in the league. Miami started the game off well on both ends of the floor. The three-point shooting was there and the multiple defensive efforts as well. Both teams suffered devastating injuries to their key players. Still, there was a game to be played. Milwaukee kept creeping back into the game but Miami pushed the lead further each time. With the win, Miami takes the series lead 1-0. Here are my takeaways from Sunday’s victory over Milwaukee.

Playoff Jimmy

Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, and Jimmy Butler. What do these players have in common? Well, all three players have 9 or more 35 point playoff games in Heat history. Butler was sensational in the first playoff game of the series. He set the tone with early dishes to his teammates off of drives. With the three-point shooting going well, it opened up more drives for Butler. And he took advantage. Butler relentlessly kept attacking the basket, where he drew fouls and scoring opportunities. He may say Playoff Jimmy is not real, but it most certainly is. He had full control of this game on both ends. Butler finished with 35 points and 11 assists.

Love Solid Off the Bench

All Photos via Heat.com

Kevin Love played a terrific game on Sunday. He looked every bit of the player Miami envisioned when they signed him in March. The three-point shooting was there all night. He made four triples in the game. This was huge for Miami and opened up lanes for Butler. Defensively, he was just as good. Love made timely charges in the game. His rotations were mostly good. He’s not a lock down defender by any stretch. However, he was active on the boards and rotations. Overall, a solid performance from the former all-star. Love finished the night with 18 points and eight rebounds.

Adebayo Bounces Back

Since the All-Star break, Bam Adebayo has struggled on the offensive end. There’s been the hesitation to shoot the ball and even look at the rim. Knowing this, the Bucks decided to play off of him to start the game. It worked for them early on with Adebayo hesitating with his shots. The shots were falling short early on. However, in the second half, things clicked for Adebayo. After a halftime conversation with teammates, Adebayo started the second half more assertive. He shot a jumper over a defender while in rhythm and seemed to get going from there. The midrange jumpers started to fall for Adebayo more. Most importantly, his confidence was back. Miami is going to need this Adebayo going forward. Adebayo finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.

Series Changing Injuries

Things can change quickly in a series. And we saw that in the first half of Game 1. For Milwaukee, it was Giannis Antetokounmpo landed on his back after charging into Love. He tried playing through the injury before eventually leaving the game before halftime. Later in the second period, the Heat lost a player as well in Tyler Herro. Herro dove on the floor for the loose ball, injuring his hand on the play. He played the rest of the quarter holding that hand and even attempted a shot in the corner. With a broken hand. He would later be ruled out for the second half of the game. Tough breaks for both teams. Breaks that can change a series.

Next up: Game 2 on Wednesday. Game tips off at 9pm eastern on NBA TV.

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Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Victory over the Bulls

After losing their first Play-In game on Tuesday, the Miami Heat found themselves in danger of elimination on Friday. They faced a tough defensive team in the Chicago Bulls, who have been hot on that end since the break. It was a physical game between both teams throughout the night. It appeared the Bulls were in total control with five minutes left in the game, but then Miami sparked a run. Led by their star player Jimmy Butler, Miami was able to close out the Bulls. With the win, Miami advances to the NBA Playoffs. Here are my takeaways from Friday’s win over Chicago.

Jimmy Clutch

Before Friday’s game, Butler was named a finalist for the NBA Clutch player award. And he showed why down the stretch. Before Butler entered the game in the fourth quarter, Miami was trailing by four with 9:41 left in the period. After the game, they ended up winning by 11. With the season on the line, Buter was ultra-aggressive down the stretch. On the defensive end, he was playing the passing lanes and getting steals. Offensively, he willed his way to the basket and got multiple and-one plays. From there, he also set up his teammates for open shots, especially Max Strus. This was Butler’s time and he showed why he’s a finalist for the clutch award. Butler ended the night with 31 points and five rebounds.

Strus is Loose

All Photos via Heat.com

Last game, Strus only had three points. Yes, three points. However, Friday was a different story. Strus started the night off strong, converting on his first four triples of the game. With his defenders sagging off him, Strus kept getting open and making them pay. He hit three pointers after three pointers. At times, he was the only one making them from the outside. By halftime, he had six triples. It could have been seven triples, but one of his triples was removed with him stepping out of bounds. Sounds familiar right? Regardless, Strus was huge for Miami. He finished with 31 points on the night.

Adebayo’s Offensive Struggles Continue

Bam Adebayo‘s offensive struggles have been a weird study. Since the All-Star break, he’s been struggling on that end of the floor. The midrange shots he was hitting before were falling short. At times, he’s even seemed hesitant to score. And there also times where he didn’t look at the basket. His offensive struggles continued on Friday. Adebayo shot 1 of 9 from the field against the Bulls. But defensively, he was huge. He was a beast on the boards and was very active on defense. He picked up a big block on Chicago down the stretch as well. This was enough to advance to the playoffs. But, Miami is going to need him to shake off the rust very soon. Adebayo finished the night with eight points, and 17 rebounds.

On to the Playoffs

With Friday’s win, Miami moves on to the NBA Playoffs. Now, a tall task(literally and figuratively) awaits them. Miami will travel to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. A team that previously put them out back in 2021. This would be a huge series for Miami’s top trio. Adebayo is certainly a x-factor for the this series. With the Bucks playing drop coverage, the midrange shots will be there for him to take. He’s certainly going to have to take them shots and be ready to shoot them. Milwaukee will likely be favored to win this series. It’s going to be an interesting series to watch. We’ll see what happens.

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Takeaways from the Miami Heat’s Victory over Sixers

As the Miami Heat’s playoff chase continues, they took on the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. The 76ers locked in the third seed prior to the game but still played their starters. However, the Heat still came prepared and gave it to the 76ers on both ends of the floor. This was the most confident the team has looked all season long. The 76ers made it interesting when they cut the Heat’s lead to 14 in the third quarter, but Miami pulled away in the fourth. With the win, Miami moves to 43-37 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Miami’s victory over the 76ers.

Going to Bam Early

Bam Adebayo has been a trending topic among fans this season. After a strong first half of the season, Adebayo hasn’t played well as much in the second half. On Thursday, he put up a better performance. Miami went to the big man early in the game. They fed Bam whenever there was a mismatch, and he took advantage of it. Adebayo also attacked Joel Embiid in the paint as well. From there, he was able to get his midrange game going. Defensively, he also helped slowed down Embiid and made it tough on him. Adebayo did not play in the fourth quarter with the Heat keeping a huge lead. Adebayo finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.

Butler Continues to Bully Philly

All Photos by: Heat.com

Jimmy Butler was back in Philadelphia again this season. A place where he’s put-up big-time performances for Miami. Once again, Butler was a torn on the 76ers side. Early in the game, Butler mostly focused on getting his teammates involved. Once that was done, Butler went into attack mode in the third period. The 76ers put Embiid on Butler to force him into a jumper. However, Butler was still able to get inside the paint. He got one and-one bucket on Embiid. He also knocked down a couple of jumpers as well. Like Adebayo, Butler didn’t have to finish the game in the fourth period with the game out of reach. Butler finished with 24 points and six assists.

Herro Strong

Tyler Herro also put up a good performance on Thursday. He put up 16 points in the first half. Herro started the game with a strong attack on P.J. Tucker in the paint. Yes, he didn’t make it. But it was a strong signal that Herro was going right at his defender. Usually, Herro would lean into his floater game. Or he would settle for jumper. But wasn’t the case on Thursday. Herro’s focus was to attack the paint. He also hit five three-pointers as well. This was a good night for Herro. Herro finished with 24 points and five assists.

Play-In/Playoff Chase

The Race for the sixth seed is still in play. At least for now. The Brooklyn Nets need to go winless over their final two games and Miami needs to win their next two. A sixth seed guarantees a matchup with the 76ers in the first round. With the way Miami has played the 76ers, it appears that’s the preferred matchup for Miami. For some reason, the 76ers tend to struggle against the Heat. Mostly when Miami plays their 2-3 zone. If Miami doesn’t reach the sixth seed, they’ll have to play in the Play-in tournament, which starts on Tuesday.

Next up: The Washington Wizards on Friday. Game tips off at 7pm eastern.

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Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Victory over the Mavericks

This was a game that both the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks needed to win. The Mavericks entered one game out of the play-in tournament while the Heat stood two games out of sixth place. Miami was without it’s star big man Bam Adebayo. Jimmy Butler started the game out firing on all cylinders, the Heat’s two buyout acquisitions came to play. Despite making it a close game down the stretch, the Het escaped with the victory. With the win, Miami moves to 41-37 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Miami’s win over Dallas.

Jimmy Sets the Tone

Anytime you ask Butler if he’s in Playoff Jimmy mode, he’s going to deny it. But there’s no question he was in playoff mode from the start. Butler was able to get the switches he wanted and attacked early. He had 16 point in the first period, on high level efficiency. With his scoring going on, it opened up his playmaking game. Butler had a nice two man pick-and-roll game going with Cody Zeller. He kept finding Zeller on the open roll to the basket. Butler’s midrange was also going in as well. One of those midrange shots, he turned around before it went in. You can tell how confident Butler is in his game right now. Butler finished the night with 35 points and 12 assists.

Zeller Fills In For Bam

All Photos via Heat.com

With Adebayo out, the Heat were missing a 20 point scorer. However, Adebayo’s replacement filled in very well in the starting lineup. Zeller kept scoring at will on the roll and open looks from Butler’s penetration to the basket. Zeller had 20 points halfway through the third period. The Heat center and Butler formed a nice pick-and-roll combination throughout the night. Zeller doesn’t roll as fast as Adebayo and it allows Butler time to read and react to the defense. Overall, it was a good night for Zeller, who was active on both ends of the floor. Zeller finished with 20 points and eight rebounds.

Love Debuts off the Bench

Since signing with the Heat, Kevin Love has started in every game. But on Saturday, Miami went to a different direction. Instead of keeping Love in the starting lineup, they replaced him with Max Strus. This moved Love in a backup center role. And man did he play well. His shots were falling, he punished smaller players in the paint, and he played well on defense. Love took multiple charges against the Mavericks throughout the game. He also did well on staying with the perimeter players. Unlike the previous games, he wasn’t as much of a defensive liability. Once Adebayo returns, this could potentially be Love’s new role. Love finished the night with 18 points and five rebounds.

Keeping an Eye on Standings

With the Playoffs around the corner, Miami is keeping an eye on the standings. As of Sunday morning, the Heat sit 1.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets for the sixth spot. Brooklyn also has the tiebreaker over Miami after winning the season series between the two teams. The more likely scenario seems to be the Play-In tournament for Miami. If so, Miami needs to stay in the seventh spot to maintain homecourt advantage. They have to maintain distance between them and the teams trailing them. There’s four games left in the season. We’ll see where Miami lands.

Next up: The Detroit Pistons. The game tips off at 7pm eastern time.

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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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