Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat make a statement with win over the Bulls in Chicago

The Heat sacked the United Center in Emirates Cup play, claiming their third road win and their largest margin of victory this season (36).  Andrew Wiggins missed the game (hip flexor), and as a result, Keshad Johnson, the team’s 12th man in minutes, got extra time off the bench, and they didn’t suffer for it. Yet the difference was their unforgiving defense and pressure on the glass.

Five Heatles logged multiple baskets in the first quarter, raising them to a 36-32 lead. Norman Powell strained his groin, and he stayed loose on the workout bike when he checked out, returning four minutes into the second quarter.  

The visitors suffocated the Bulls, invaded the restricted area on the other side and downed three more treys, taking a brief 25-point lead. Powell was their leading scorer in the period, logging 10 points on catch-and-shoot threes and getting to the cup. Kel’el Ware was next, tallying a dozen digits on rim attacks.

They went to intermission ahead by 18 and had a significant stimulus from their second-chance scoring (15-4) and 18 made free throws. 

Ware and Bam Adebayo subsequently contained the lane with back-line movement, and the crew had easy access to the cup, nailing five shots, including three from Davion Mitchell. He also made a pull-up jumper in the middle. 

Everything went right for the Heat, and the opposite was the case for the Bulls, including Kevin Huerter not being emotionally regulated and getting ejected for frustratingly tapping a ball to a ref’s backside. 

The Heat took their largest lead of the night (27) going into the fourth. Adebayo got his final rest shortly after extending the advantage to 39, pouring in a corner triple, and Ware momentarily replaced him. Coach Erik Spoelstra kept Pelle Larsson and Ware in to even out the lineup.

The Heat won 143-107 and are 4-0 this season when scoring 140 or more points. They had eight players in double-figure scoring and improved to 10-6. The Bulls are the third-fastest team in the NBA, and the Heat held them to 92.3 points per 100 transition plays, good enough for the 16th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

Spoelstra said, “It started with our defensive intentions. That looked like us before Bam [Adebayo] was out, defensively, covering a lot of ground… and then offensively, that definitely looked more like how we looked 10 days ago, two weeks ago.”

Regarding Powell’s groin check, Spoelstra said he “feels good right now.”

Game Notes

• Kel’el Ware got his 12th start of the season, having a solid night throwing his body around the lane for 12 first-half points on 55.5% shooting. He finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Combining and staggering him with Adebayo led to the Heat having strong center minutes at all times. “He’s being much more intentional…He’s making his presence felt with his size,” Spoelstra said.

• Mitchell’s showing growth as a scorer in every game, but he’s also been terrific as a playmaker. He had six helpings and zero turnovers, going along with sharp defense, too. 

• Johnson recorded a season high in minutes (29), plus his first double-double of his career (14 points and 12 rebounds). The defense did well when he played, too. 

• The Heat attempted a season high in free throws, making 35, and it was the second time this year they’ve hoisted at least 40. Adebayo, Powell, Larsson and Johnson each took at least six. The other time they had at least 40 free-throw attempts was their two-point win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 10.