Tua Tagovailoa failed again to deliver a season-saving win for the Dolphins in a 25-18 drubbing by the Steelers.

Pressure Point: Enough of Tua, time for Dolphins to see what Quinn Ewers can do

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The best that can be said about the Miami Dolphins’ putrid performance in Pittsburgh (try saying that ten times fast) is the fantasy that they were actually in playoff contention can be mercifully flushed.

Monday night, in their most important game of the season, the Dolphins froze up in yet another frigid failure in December.

The 25-18 drubbing administered by the Steelers confirmed the inevitable: Miami’s drought without a playoff win will hit the quarter century mark before the end of the month.

More than that, it showed that in four seasons of Mike McDaniel as coach and six years of Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, nothing has changed.

No progress. No hope left for this season. Zilch.

Only one thing is left to accomplish in the final three games of this latest of lost seasons. Find out what they have in rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Tagovailoa falls short as franchise quarterback

If he’s not a viable option, the Dolphins will need to start looking elsewhere for their quarterback of the future, asap.

Because it’s not Tagovailoa. He’s not getting better, he’s gotten significantly worse this season.

Asked about giving Ewers an audition now that the Dolphins are eliminated from playoff contention, McDaniel handled the question about as poorly as he did with the game plan against the Steelers.

“Yeah, I think it would be very irrational, shortsighted if I even tried to tackle that option,” he said. “I think I have to look at the tape. I’ll move on from there.”

What he’ll see on the tape is another failure of Tagovailoa to deliver what a franchise quarterback must with the season on the line.

It was a very Tua-like performance, producing a stat line totally misaligned with how he played.

It featured another bad interception — his league-leading 15th — to end an early drive into Steelers territory. Later, when he tried to scramble for a first down that would have kept another drive going, his slide came up short.

Tagovailoa outplayed by 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers

In the third quarter, when the game got away from the Dolphins, the Tua-led offense produced minus-20 yards. It was the least productive quarter of McDaniel’s tenure.

Then, after gray-beard Aaron Rodgers led the Steelers on four consecutive touchdown drives for a 28-3 lead, Tagovailoa padded his stats in the fourth quarter against Pittsburgh’s prevent defense.

The pair of late touchdown passes to Darren Waller served only to raise the question, why didn’t they get the big tight end involved when the game was still in question?

Asked what went wrong with the passing game, McDaniel said, “I think passing, a lot of times people squarely put focus on the quarterback. I think there’s several times tonight, one in particular stands out, where I think he was about to make the right read, and we had our [primary receiver] fall over.

“I thought Darren [Waller] made a ton of plays at the end. Should have got him involved earlier. There’s a lot of things. Ultimately it hasn’t been good enough. I think that hurt us tonight.”

Aikman ridicules Tagovailoa, Dolphins offense

While McDaniel was reluctant to heap blame on Tagovailoa, the CBS announcing crew didn’t hold back. Referring to the interception and other questionable throws, analyst and former quarterback Troy Aikman said, “It’s a little bit of a head scratcher. Those type of throws, you’re not quite sure what he’s seeing or not seeing.”

What we’ve seen all season is a quarterback with very little mobility making poor choices and unable to make a throw with the zip needed to connect downfield.

The interception came on an underthrown ball for Jaylen Waddle that floated like a wobbly duck while Asante Samuel Jr. maneuvered for the pick.

Tua’s pocket presence has also diminished. Typically, he looks once, twice, then finding nobody open and feeling the walls collapsing on him, he starts running around like someone with his hair on fire searching for a blanket to smother it.

He was sacked four times Monday. Yet, Tua’s numbers (22 of 28 for 253 yards and 113.2 passer rating) belie the reality of what transpired in another missed opportunity to break out of the narrative that has haunted this franchise for 25 years.

Dolphins flop again in prime-time chill

Here are the numbers that matter: the Dolphins have lost their past 14 games with the temperature under 40 degrees, including the past six with Tua; they are 4-13 in primetime under McDaniel.

As is often the case, it was more than a defeat, it was a prime-time embarrassment. It had Aikman repeatedly ridiculing the Dolphins’ lack of urgency and overall strategy in the fourth quarter.

It had two former Dolphins contributing to their demise. Defensive back Jalen Ramsey had a rare sack. Tight end Jonnu Smith took a handoff out of the backfield and ran 14 yards untouched for Pittsburgh’s final, in-your-face touchdown.

Realistically, the Dolphins season was sunk by the 1-6 start that was as dismal as the numbers indicated.

Give them credit, they didn’t pack it in at that point. They responded admirably, improved in several parts of their game and played themselves into respectability.

But let’s face it, that surge of five wins in six games was a mirage. The only quality win was the rare rout of the Buffalo Bills at home.

All that’s left of 2025 is to look to the future. That should start with giving Ewers a chance to show if might be a viable alternative. The seventh-round draft pick from Texas made some tantalizing throws in a mop-up opportunity against Cleveland.

Certainly, McDaniel and the offensive coaches have seen a lot more of Ewers from months of practice. But only game action can tell the full story.

Tagovailoa’s contract straps Dolphins under cap

Unfortunately, the Dolphins are bound to Tua by a contract that has already cost Chris Grier the general manager’s job. Realistically, they are probably stuck with him at least through 2026.

Improvement by the defense and offensive line as the season progressed suggests that the Dolphins don’t need a total roster blowup. There is talent to work with, and the current rookie class has shown promise.

The Dolphins are in a salary cap bind for 2026, due in large part to Tagovailoa’s contract.

But just because they are on the hook to pay him an ungodly amount doesn’t mean they have to play him if there is a better option on the payroll. The final three games can shed light on that possibility.

No doubt most Dolfans have seen enough of Tua for this sorry season.

I’m totally Tua-ed out.

Question is, will McDaniel and the front office have the good sense to pull the switch for the final three games? Will owner Steve Ross demand it?

All we are saying is give Quinn Ewers a chance.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for more than four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat’s losing streak spirals to five after the Raptors take over the fourth quarter

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Snapping a four-game losing streak can be a cathartic experience for a team, especially when the other side is trying to end its own skid.

 

The Heat came off five days of rest with their 11th different starting lineup because of Tyler Herro’s toe injury and fell apart in the fourth quarter for their fifth straight loss.  Their biggest tasks were surviving Brandon Ingram’s onslaught of jumpers and Scottie Barnes’ rim pressure, and they failed miserably on Pat Riley Court.

 

They logged their lowest-scoring game of the season (96), and it was the first time they had below 100, too. They’ve been figured out in part because they are getting picked up higher in the full-court and look as ordinary as a lottery team. 

 

First they poured in four first-quarter threes and it appeared as if it would be a night the Heat hit the gas, but they decelerated as they were mentally rattled watching Nikola Jović, whose playing time had waned, hurt himself after checking in. He went up for a dunk, got fouled and didn’t have his legs under him, landing on his backside and injuring his arm. 

 

Powell later erupted to start the second quarter making multiple trifectas and freebies, then Bam Adebayo took over until intermission. 

 

But when examining the autopsy, one pinpoints the eight early turnovers, which later spiralled to 18, their inability to guard the 3-point line, the weak half-court offense and the bench being outscored by a dozen, as causes for their downfall. 

 

Naturally, Ingram got where he wanted when he wanted, and Barnes plus rookie Collin Murray-Boyles made all five attempts in the lane. They subsequently went on a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter and never gave back control.

 

The Heat made only 34.8% of their attempts in the fourth quarter. The closest they could get was within four late, but Jamal Shead maneuvered into the lane for a six-foot floater and Powell lost the ball on the next possession. They flatlined there. 

 

They lost 106-96 after getting outscored by 16 points in the second half. 

 

Does anyone remember when the Heat were the third seed on Nov. 28 and their offense was ripping up schemes? That was probably too wild to be true.

 

One thing is sure: their issues are deeper than Herro’s presence taking up teammates’ shots. They turn into a skinny jeans team when shots aren’t falling, regardless of who is present. One doesn’t need a bigger sign to know that they cannot be trusted.  

 

Jake Paul is in over his head against Anthony Joshua

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Anthony Joshua looked way past his prime when Daniel Dubois pitilessly beat him down in September 2024 when challenging for the IBF heavyweight belt. Now he is less than a week away from facing off against what he hopes is a stepping stone to another nice run at glory before it’s over. 

 

It’s an eight-round fight in Miami’s Kaseya Center on Dec. 19 with Jake Paul, who has never seen anything close to this level of competition. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, who is also the chairman of Matchroom Sport, rated Paul as a top-60 cruiserweight in interviews ahead of what many anticipate will be an execution.

 

Props to Paul. He pivoted from the canceled Gervonta Davis exhibition fight to one of the toughest opponents he could see. He’s already taken one loss to Tommy Fury, but Joshua is in another stratosphere of athleticism and size.

 

Yet what if this goes badly for AJ like the Tyson Fury v. Francis Ngannou fight that went to a 10-round split decision win for the Englishman? At least in Tyson Fury’s case, he was undefeated at the time. If Joshua doesn’t impress or worse, loses in the biggest upset since Buster Douglas KOed Mike Tyson, then he’ll never sniff the top again and should retire.

 

But don’t get your hopes up for a fairytale ending of AJ losing. Paul is at a six-inch reach disadvantage and he is (listed) six inches shorter than Joshua. Even with Joshua not what he once was, this feels as one-sided as the giant wave against the fishing boat in the film, The Perfect Storm. It’s possible this could go like the Tyson v. Peter McNeely fight. That was Iron Mike’s first time back in action since serving prison time for a rape conviction, and he hurt McNeely so badly that the latter’s manager stepped into the ring 91 seconds in, and that was it.

 

Unless Paul suffers life-changing damage, the outcome is a win regardless of what happens after round two. He could get cruelly knocked out and history will remember him for his bollocks. His legacy will get a massive boost, too,  for the step up in competition from washed MMA fighters and boxers plus low-level opponents to a former Olympic gold medalist and heavyweight champion.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat’s road in Emirates Cup play finishes in Orlando loss

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They just can’t beat those guys. 

 

The Heat are only going home with $53,093 earned by losing to the Magic in Orlando in the knockout round of the Emirates Cup play. It’s the third time they’ve come up short against their pin-striped killers, and this time, the bench was dead weight, and they blanked too many open threes. 

 

The Magic set up a date with the winner of the Knicks-Raptors matchup and will at least make double the loot in the semifinals. 

 

The first quarter took 45 minutes, but the Heat held a 30-17 lead after their first seven made shots, including bursts from Tyler Herro and Norman Powell. The Magic also had seven turnovers and were held to scraps in the lane, but they were hungrier, much less going to allow themselves to get sacked.

 

Yet, of course, the Magic caught up a few minutes into the second quarter then took a brief lead in the latter stage as the Heat couldn’t stop them from getting to the body. It was like a fighter who unlocked the sweet spot and had their opponent stumbling over while getting whacked senseless. The hosts also sank five extra 3-pointers, which helped slow down the Heat by forcing them to check the ball more. 

 

Since the Heat is a collection of B-tier players, it took them until the end of the half to compose themselves. The visitors went to intermission ahead 57-56, and their bench was offset by Orlando’s.

 

Herro, Powell, and Adebayo’s long and short range baskets could only do so much because their rivals were the bigger and more athletic team. The Heat even went 19 minutes without a fastbreak basket courtesy of Orlando’s pressure. On top of that, the Magic figured out the zone, going into the fourth quarter ahead by six.

 

The Heat followed up, missing open looks while Desmond Bane’s rampage carried on. Coach Erik Spooestra was caught by the broadcast cameras, telling his crew that they weren’t giving a hard enough effort to get to Las Vegas for the next round but they weren’t able to stop the bleeding, even with the starters staying in until the last seconds.

 

They lost 117-108. Bane had 37 digits for the third time since Nov. 28, which included 15 in the fourth quarter. Additionally, the Heat’s transition attack was derailed to the 14th percentile at 88.2 points per 100 plays.

Spoelstra said after, “They had a huge second quarter… We’ve been struggling with this concept recently. If we’re not making shots, we are not getting stops.”

 

 

Jaylen Wright had his best game as a pro, rushing for 107 yards against the Jets.

Pressure Point: Run game, defense keep Dolphins in the running

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Kudos are absolutely in order for the Miami Dolphins.

From dead team walking at 1-6, have played themselves into the playoff hunt, at least mathematically, at 6-7.

With Sunday’s 34-10 whooping of the oh-so-woeful New York Jets, the resurgent Fins have won four in a row and five of their past six.

Notably, they rushed for 239 yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Oh, and Tua Tagovailoa can finally say he’s quarterbacked the Dolphins to victory when the temperature is 46 degrees or below on his eighth try — the 41-degree weather at the Jersey Meadowlands was really quite conducive for football, though. But still …

Dolphins avoid bad break on Achane’s injury

The highlight of a dominant win came afterward when coach Mike McDaniel said the rib injury that sidelined star running back in the first half was not a break.

“We got it looked at. He was hurting. He was available to come back in the game in an emergency,” McDaniel said. “I chose not to put him in there.”

Whew! That is a collective sign of relief echoing through Dolphinland.

Let’s face it, however legitimate the hopes of this team to claw its way into the postseason rides with Achane. The newly crowned AFC offensive player of the month for November has fueled the Dolphins’ resurgence.

Achane came into the game with 1,034 yards rushing and was on his way to another dominant performance when he walked off gingerly after a 29-yard run. He left with 92 yards rushing on nine carries, including a touchdown, and a 13-yard reception.

Jaylen Wright has first 100-yard performance

Achane’s absence provided an opportunity for second-year back Jaylen Wright to have his best game as a pro with 107 yards on 24 carries (4.5-yard average) and his first career touchdown. Rookie Ollie Gordon II added a hard-nosed 7-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The three-back attack was reminiscent of the Dolphins’ winning formula from the distant past.

That was noted by one of the men most responsible for that success, Hall of Fame fullback Larry Csonka, who tweeted, “Opening drive today brings back memories — ball control, down the field w/first possession. More of that please.”

More of that sort of production running the ball will be vital over the final four weeks of the season. It has been made possible by significant improvement by the offensive line. That includes much-maligned rookie left guard Jonah Savaiinaea, who had some key blocks that led to significant gains.

While they can lean on a three-back attack, Achane is the difference maker. He has shown to be a remarkable talent while putting together an All-Pro worthy season.

After scoring touchdowns with Achane on their first three possessions, they didn’t get into the end zone again until they ran it down the Jets’ throat in the fourth quarter —Wright and Gordon accounted for 61 of 69 yards on the drive.

Dolphins’ O-line shows major improvement

“Going into the season, we felt like we have a strength in the offensive line unit. Just to be able to manufacture that type of success on the ground, that’s December football, and that’s how you win,” McDaniel said.

Keep in mind, this December win on the road came against a Jets team that has now been eliminated from the playoffs for the 15th consecutive season. And of Miami’s five recent wins, the only one against a playoff-caliber opponent was the rout at home against the Bills.

The home stretch will be more challenging, and the Dolphins will probably need to win all four to have a chance at a wild card. That begins with a Monday Night date (Dec. 15) at Pittsburgh against the Steelers, who are also in the hunt at 7-6.

Then it’s home against the Bengals, who have Joe Burrow back at quarterback, followed by the 7-6 Buccaneers, and finishing at the AFC East-leading Patriots.

Dolphins’ defense fuels hope for late-season run

The Dolphins too often have gotten to this crossroads, only to lose their way. So I must abstain from labeling them legitimate contenders.

But the factors that could make the outcome different this time is the running attack and Anthony Weaver’s defense, which has become an absolute beast.

Granted, the Jets were forced to use rookie quarterback Brady Cook, who had never appeared in an NFL game, after veteran Tyrod Taylor went out early with a leg injury. They intercepted Cook three times and sacked him six times while holding the Jets to 207 net yards and 1-for-12 in third down conversions. The only New York touchdown came on a punt return.

However it plays out from here, it must be acknowledged the way these Dolphins have pulled together since the dreadful performance in Cleveland that prompted the firing of general manager Chris Grier and left McDaniel’s future dangling.

The players rallied around their coach, and McDaniel has done a better job with the offense since then.

Can they keep it rolling at Pittsburgh in prime time against a Steelers team also desperate to keep their season alive?

It’s a trap door the Dolphins have fallen through countless times, so we’ll see. Still, they have our attention.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for more than four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

Barely anything went right for the Heat as they got embarrassed by Kings

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Mamma mia; the Kings mowed down the Heat in one of their two worst losses of the season. The latter sullied schemes, went up as much as 28 digits, and former Heatle Precious Achiuwa took revenge for getting booted a second time by the club. 

 

Few things will humble and disturb coach Erik Spoelstra like getting defiled at home by one of the worst teams in the league, who had lost four in a row prior. Or maybe it’s watching Nikola Jović, who was no different than a kid holding a ball for the first time at LA Fitness. He even looked defeated after missing a corner triple early in the fourth quarter. 

 

They were a serious squad not too long ago, and now resemble a small bunch of JAGs who are mentally as strong as Jello. This wasn’t a symptom of missing Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell. It is indicative of a larger problem they must solve: they don’t get up for every game. 

 

A team that plays up or down to the level of completion cannot be trusted. 

 

Consider how the Heat were down two with eight minutes left in the first half, and then went to intermission below 17. The Kings were denying the Heat’s first actions, and Zach LaVine’s artillery strikes and drives to the basket racked up 29 points up to that moment. He finished with 42, including eight made trifectas on 61.5% accuracy. 

 

Bam Adebayo was the furthest thing from a max player. Kel’el Ware lost his starting spot in the second half and got outplayed by the obscure but talented second-round pick, Maxine Raynaud. 

 

Shots were not going down, so they went soft on defense, and the 16-point deficit at the conclusion didn’t properly explain how reprehensibly they played, losing their third straight. The Kings shot 75.9% at the rim, which is 9.2% above the league average.

 

Their next one is Tuesday against the Orlando Magic in the knock out round of Emirates Cup play. Maybe the prospect of earning some extra money will motivate the Heat.

Lionel Messi celebrates Inter Miami's MLS Cup championship with owners David Beckham and Jorge and Jose Mas.

Pressure Point: Messi-led Inter Miami joins S. Florida’s other four pro franchises with championship

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Another euphoric championship celebration is underway in Broward County as Messi and Inter Miami join South Florida’s other four pro teams with a league championship.

South Florida joins New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington D.C. as the only markets with titles in the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS.

Inter Miami follows on the heels of the Broward-based Florida Panthers winning back-to-back NHL titles the past two years.

Recall covering David Beckham’s announcement of the franchise in February 2014. There was a lot of curiosity because of Beckham’s involvement, but mixed with considerable skepticism about whether the team would ever make it onto the pitch and where it would even play. There were certainly a lot of obstacles, but Beckham and partners Jorge and Jose Mas managed to get the biggest star in the world in Leo Messi, the MLS championship and will open a new stadium next year in Miami.

But the best part, for me, was seeing them win their first championship at the same location (different stadium) where I watched Rocky Ray Hudson and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers become South Florida’s fun bunch in the late 1970s before ultimately losing their luster. Later, the Fusion, with Hudson as coach, had some tantalizing moments on the same ground before also flaming out.

What a long, strange trip it’s been for soccer here, and Messi, Beckham et al brought a nearly half-century saga full circle and finally sealed the deal in their temporary home where Lockhart Stadium once stood before moving on to Miami.

So hat’s off to them, and there’s little doubt there will be more to come.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat comeback fails in Dallas as the offense goes cold

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The Heat’s comeback effort in Dallas caved in as the Mavericks answered every run, completing the season series 1-1. The latter’s coach, Jason Kidd, said it would be a “man’s game” 20 minutes before tip-off, and he wasn’t wrong: it was a rebounding battle the visitors lost in trenches and they couldn’t buy baskets from deep.

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra said, “I felt like it was an opportunity that slipped for us to be able to have that gratification of winning a game where we weren’t making shots.”

 

Norman Powell was out with an ankle injury, so Pelle Larsson started in his place, and that was Spoelstra’s first mistake, using him over Kel’el Ware. They felt the absence of a shot creator while their transition attack had been shut off and didn’t have the extra muscle enough time to blow up Dallas’ actions.

 

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro had it rolling in the first half, making jumpers and drive-by layups, but the latter was the only one in double-figure scoring, and most of their teammates had gone as cold. The second quarter meltdown saw them get outscored by 15 as Ryan Nembhard stung them with a few 3-pointers.

 

They went to halftime down 64-54.  Only 21.1% of threes were falling and the bench added next to nothing.

 

The Heatles were subsequently on the back foot most of the third because four Mavericks logged multiple baskets, and Herro’s offense ran out of gas. They then started deploying a full-court press and the 2-3 zone but couldn’t close the gap because they conceded two treys to Russell. 

 

Dallas then got comfortable, and the Heat’s 3-point shooting sliced the deficit to six with under five minutes left. Yet Andrew Wiggins kept brcking everything he threw up and shot the Heat out of it. Cooper Flagg afterward made a turnaround jumper in the lane and scored on a give-and-go set in the last two minutes to put the game out of reach.

 

The Heat lost 118-108. They made five fewer 3-pointers than Dallas and couldn’t stop them from scoring efficiently in the paint non-restricted area.

 

Game Notes:

 

  • Top overall pick Cooper Flagg picked up three fouls and five minutes, but he went on to have a strong game, logging 22 points on 69.2% shooting, with six rebounds and two assists.

 

  • The offense without Powell was missing a dependable scorer off catch-and-go moves. They were also held to 66.7 points per 100 transition plays, good enough for the 3rd percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. On top of that, Herro, Wiggins, Adebayo and Larsson combined for 20% of 3-point attempts.

 

  • Ware had a career high in made triples (4), while putting up 22 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes. Despite his three late turnovers, he was the team’s best player in the fourth quarter and was the primary reason they got within striking distance.



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Clippers cutting ties with franchise legend

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It doesn’t matter who is in charge; some organizations will never develop class. Character is also measured when times are toughest: the Los Angeles Clippers are failing both tests. 

 

They cut bait with their best player in franchise history, Chris Paul, 21 games into the season of his retirement tour. They are even alleged to have notified him late at night, according to his Instagram story. 

 

It’s not much of a surprise, considering how they did another franchise icon, Blake Griffin, dirty eight years ago by trading him after he re-upped with them, thinking they were committed. Don’t expect any public answers on the real reason why Paul was let go, as the team has a 5-16 record.

 

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and the higher-ups must have zero pulse on the fan base because his retirement tour is about the only thing many of them were looking forward to as the season appears lost at the start of December. Maybe they wouldn’t be SOL had they realized Norman Powell is the goods, and it’s dumb to trade him for a scrap heap just because you don’t want to pay him. Now he’s thriving with the Miami Heat on a career season, while they stay attached to a sinking ship led by Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ty Lue. 

 

The team said, “We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team. We will work with him on the next step of his career. Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career. I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise.”

 

Their city rival Lakers didn’t shame Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when he was an old set of wheels. Nor did they when the late Kobe Bryant was no longer himself after tearing his Achilles tendon. Sure they won 10 rings combined for the Lakers, but the Clippers were in their shadow for a long time and their history is nowhere near as glittering. 

 

Keep in mind that before they traded for Paul in 2011-12, the Clippers had only four playoff trips between 1978 and 2011, breaking out of the first round once, as California residents. Their roots are traced back to the Buffalo Braves, but the furthest they went was three straight second rounds. Yet they went six consecutive times with him, never getting out of round two. 

 

Fortunately for the Clippers, NBA contracts for big-time players are jackpots, they still play for LA and have a shiny new home, the Intuit Dome. Time will soften the public’s memory, and perhaps some future star will think, “Hey, not me.” Maybe he’s right, playing well and long enough not allowing them to make such a move, but why should the Clippers get so lucky if this is how they treat their best? 

 

Imagine if the Heat underhandedly embarrassed  Dwayne Wade in his last season (2018-19), saying, “Old sport, you’re taking up a seat on the bench, while we aren’t going anywhere.” It would have hurt their credibility as a first-class organization and turned off lots of devoted fans.

 

The memories Paul left behind in Clipper land, including the layup that sunk the defending champion Spurs in 2015 Game 7, round one, were not enough to spare him dishonor. Hopefully, someone gets to ask the top brass on record whether they would have done this if Paul delivered them a championship.

 

 



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat tie franchise best in 3-point makes at home, overwhelming Clippers

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The Heat shamed the Clippers, tying a franchise record in made 3-pointers (24) and setting a new season high in blocked shots (10). It was their fifth time scoring at least 140 points this season, yet they got sloppy at the end because of poor attention to detail and thinking the Clippers gave up. 

 

Miami started extra alert, coming off Saturday’s three-point loss at home. Coach Erik Spoelstra said that some of the motivation was that “really good teams don’t lose two in a row at home.”

 

Bam Adebayo broke the ice with a dominant first few minutes, nailing jumpers, attacking the basket, and swiping Ivica Zubac’s shot from behind. Then Andrew Wiggins went on the next flurry, making three baskets and blocking a shot in the corner. Four other Heatles made 3-pointers, bringing the output to seven out of nine for the quarter, and eight of them got on the scoreboard.

 

Their 14-point lead was short-lived because Kawhi Leonard rampaged through the lane, and the Clippers momentarily snatched the lead. Yet the Heat’s scorching 3-point shooting continued as they set a new season high for a half (14), and their lead was quickly raised to 26.

 

On top of that, Norman Powell is clearly not over the Clippers wasting his time with “blown smoke” over the summer before trading him, reflected by his 30 digits on 66.7% accuracy in the Heat’s second game against them this year. It was a slow start for him, but he eventually mowed down schemes, and he made three straight shots in the last few minutes of the first half, too.

 

They went to halftime ahead by 20, and their longest unanswered streak was 20 points, bringing their block total to nine as well. Four Heatles had multiple treys apiece, and Powell plus Davion Mitchell made the most (3).

 

They kept beating a dead horse, adding seven more trifectas, taking a 32-point lead going into the fourth. Clippers coach Ty Lue even briefly benched his starters two minutes into the third as it became clear his crew needed external motivation. 

 

The ball movement subsequently slowed down, and coach Erik Spoelstra re-inserted four starters five minutes into the fourth as they were up 25. Leonard erupted again, logging 19 points in the period on jumpers and drives, further shrinking the lead to 12. But Powell, Wiggins, Mitchell, and Herro combining for six shots in the lane in crunch time was enough to hold off LAC’s comeback. Spoelstra then gave rookie Kasparas Jakučionis his first NBA action in the last 53.7 seconds.

 

The Heat won 140-123. Eight players combined for their 24 3-pointers.

 

Adebayo kept it cool in his on-court interview on the abundance of 3-pointers, saying, “We work on that every practice…”

 

Games Notes:

 

  • Five Heatles logged double-figure scoring, between 16 and 30 points, and the half-court offense logged 120 points per 100 plays, good enough for the 96th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. Additionally, most of Miami’s attempts came in the paint non-restricted area and above the break. They shot 12.2% above the league average at the former spot and 21.7% higher than the average at the latter.

 

  • Pelle Larsson injured his ankle in the first half and didn’t play the rest of the game. Spoelstra offered nothing but crumbs, saying the diagnosis from him and the trainers is that “he would be alright.”

 

  • Aside from 16 points, Mitchell recorded 12 assists against two turnovers. Spoelstra said, “It’s the pace. Every time there was an opportunity for us to extend the lead in the open court, he was just making all the right reads…”

 

  • Adebayo was involved with a good chunk of the long-range action, setting a career high (5) in makes. Additionally, the Heat made 30% of their 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter. 

 

  • James Harden played two minutes in the second half, and he was not injured.

 

  • The Heat were in cruise control to start fourth, and a Nikola Jović sighting never came.