Photo Credit: Heat.com
The Miami Heat entered this new road trip with the goal of winning their road games. Since the start of the season, the Heat have been winless from the road at 0-3. On Wednesday, their opportunity to end that came against the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies. At first, the Heat blew their lead up to double-digits. However, just like any other Heat game, this one ended up being a close one. But in the end, Miami was able to get stops and finish the game with a win. With the win, Miami moves to 4-4 for the season. Here are my thoughts on Wednesday’s victory over the Grizzlies.
Statement Game for Bam
This week has been a statement week for Bam Adebayo going up against two of the best defensive centers in the league. On Monday, Adebayo excelled in that challenge against Anthony Davis. This time his opponent was Jaren Jackson Jr, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. It was an uneven game for Adebayo in the first three quarters. He was making some questionable mistakes and got himself in foul trouble. But when the fourth quarter came, he was ready to play. Adebayo was very aggressive on both ends of the floor. He blocked a couple of shots and attacked the rim on the other end. Adebayo scored 16 points in the fourth period, putting the team on his back. Adebayo finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks.
Herro Goes Down
Things were clicking offensively for the Heat midway through the first period. Miami was moving the ball and attacking the open gaps in the Grizzlies defense. Tyler Herro was one of the main players attacking the Grizzlies defense. Unfortunately, his night ended when he sprained his right ankle on a play in the first period. Herro hobbled to the locker-room and never returned. Now the Heat awaits to hear about the severity of the injury. Losing Herro would be a blow to the Heat’s offense. He’s one of the few guys who can create his own shot. Now they’re going to need multiple guys to step up in his absence.
Kyle Steps Up
It’s been a quiet season offensively for Kyle Lowry. With the Heat’s top players taking on the bulk of the scoring, Lowry has been making an impact in other areas. The majority of the things he did don’t show up in the box score like taking charges and diving for loose balls. But when Herro went down, Miami needed more from him offensively. And Lowry certainly answered the challenge. He knocked down open threes and made plays in the paint for him and his teammates. Lowry almost had a triple double but was one assist away from it. Lowry ended the night with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists.
Rook to the Rescue
Since he’s been with the Heat, Jaime Jaquez Jr has shown great basketball IQ on the floor. His feel for the game is exceptional. Especially considering he’s only a rookie. Defensively, he’s in the right spots and has great hands. Most importantly, he was very clutch down the stretch of the game. He got a couple of stops on defense and shot a huge three to put the game away for good. Overall, a solid night for the Heat rookie. And He’s only going to get better from here. A great pickup for the Heat. Jaquez finished the night with 11 points.
Next up: The Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The game tips off at 7:30pm eastern.
