Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Victory over the Atlanta Hawks

Photo by Heat.com

The Miami Heat entered the night on a seven-game losing road streak. This was an important game for the Heat on their new four-game road trip. Miami started the game sluggish on both ends. The Atlanta Hawks got an easy bucket with Miami in a 1-3-1 zone. Miami ended up giving up 60 points at the half. But then, Miami picked up their defensive intensity in the second half. The Heat did a great job of forcing Atlanta into tough shots and protected the paint. In the end, Miami closed the game with an eight-point victory. With the win, Miami moves to 10-11 for the season. Here are my takeaways from Sunday’s win over Miami.

Bam’s Growth

Is Bam Adebayo reaching all-NBA talent status? So far, he’s looking like it. For the second consecutive game, Adebayo scored 30 points. He started the game off strong as well. Adebayo keep getting his points in the middle of the floor. He did it from the midrange and also got his scoring down in the paint. Adebayo’s scoring game is steadily increasing while remaining an elite defender on the defensive end. Defensively, he was covering so much ground in the zone. Additionally, he was boxing his man out and looking to push the ball in transition. It was great sight to see from the Heat big man. Hopefully, he keeps this up when Jimmy Butler returns. Overall, another fantastic night from the Heat big man. Adebayo finished the night with 30 points and eight rebounds.

Caleb’s Strong Fourth Quarter

Caleb Martin has been hooping these past few games. He’s been taking his defenders off the dribble and creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. The opposing defender often dared him to settle for the catch and three-point shots. However, Martin displayed great patience and never fell for the trap. In the fourth quarter, Martin kept the Heat afloat while Adebayo was on the bench. Martin was great in transition and beating his defender one-on-one with his euro step move. Martin was great on both ends tonight. On one sequence, he got the block on one end and converted a three pointer on the other end. Martin ended the night with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Herro’s First Triple Double

It was another quiet scoring night for Tyler Herro. Some of the shots Herro took were not good for the offense. The shots were often taken early in the shot clock. But Herro did well in other areas. The passing game from Herro was there on Sunday night, especially with Adebayo. The best action on the Heat’s offense is the Herro-Adebayo pick and roll. Miami kept going with it in the third quarter as they climbed back into the game. Herro would dribble the ball and find Adebayo for the easy dunk. The Hawks couldn’t find the right adjustments to stop it. Herro ended the night with his first career triple double of the season. Herro finished the night with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Solid Minutes from Dedmon

Dewayne Dedmon had himself a good night off the bench. He was able to provide good stretches with Adebayo off the floor. He shot 6-of-7 from the field and converted one three-pointer. He got a couple of rebounds as well. The defense at times is questionable, especially in drop coverages. But overall, he was able to spell minutes for Adebayo. And that’s most important. If he can play good minutes consistently, it certainly will help this team. Dedmon finished the night with 13 points and nine rebounds.

Next Up: The Boston Celtics on Wednesday. Game tips off at 7:30 pm eastern.