Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat’s hunt for the sixth seed intensifies and more NBA notes

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Call it luck, or the Orlando Magic being an unserious team, but the Miami Heat’s quest for a postseason spot to avoid the Play-In Tournament is not over. Both Southeast division rivals have lost two in a row, and they have to be careful since the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets want the same thing, too. 

 

The worst thing the Heat could do is fall into the mental trap of believing they are world-class, like they did in mid-November. They recently put a target on their backs after winning seven in a row and it will last until the regular season is over. 

 

Fortunately for them, Bam Adebayo is having the most productive offensive stretch of his career. He’s played in 31 games since Jan. 10 (37.8% of the year), averaging 23 points on a 49.8 effective field goal percentage. The team can live with a dip in efficiency because he puts pressure on the defense by going to the line for seven shots a night (77.9%) during this stretch. 

 

Keeping it up is vital when he returns from his brief layoff caused by calf tightness. The next thing is making sure Tyler Herro and Norman Powell get into a groove while staggering them. Coach Erik Spoelstra started them when the team was slaughtered in Charlotte on Tuesday, and they are not a dependable defensive combination, but Adebayo’s absence was a big factor in the lack of synchronicity.

 

Powell had been the team‘s best player until the All-Star break. It’s not his fault he got injured and missed the entire seven-game win streak, but circumstances change things, and the Heat should keep rolling with Herro as a starter because of his advantage as a playmaker for others. It also gives the offense more versatility if he is next to Davion Mitchell, who is the team’s leader in assists (6.6).

 

Leadership is also measured with sacrifice. The only way this team will be able to do anything memorable is with some outside-the-box thinking.

 

Moreover, the biggest defensive adjustment they have to make is to stop giving up open 3-pointers. It can happen if they don’t get stuck in no man’s land too often. 

 

The Heat are the seventh seed and a half-game behind the Magic. Keep in mind that the Magic own the tiebreaker after beating them five times this year. Additionally, the Toronto Raptors are the fifth seed, being only 1.5 games ahead of the Heat. The team will see them twice more, but the Raptors have won the first two outings.

The Heat’s next game is at home against the Los Angeles Lakers, who are on a seven-game win streak, on Thursday.

 

Quick Hits:

 

  • Last year’s Most Improved Player race was an example of the voters getting it wrong by choosing Dyson Daniels over Christian Braun. It’s too early to tell how the votes will go for the Coach of the Year award, but the Boston Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla is the most deserving. The Celtics were the second seed before Jayson Tatum returned from an Achilles tear suffered in last year‘s second round, and they replaced two starters. The team is currently on a 54-win pace.

 

  • Adebayo’s historic 83-points, which is now the second-highest scoring output in NBA history, scrambled the brains of many observers and exposed some haters. Gordon Hayward preposterously said it’s bad for the league that someone who isn’t regarded as a natural scorer did it. Adebayo not having that reputation is actually the best part about the story since it made it totally unexpected. 

 

  • Spoelstra is seven wins away from tying Cotton Fitzsimmons (832) for 16th in all-time NBA regular-season coaching wins. The only head coaches ahead of him are Rick Carlisle (11th, 1,008) and Doc Rivers (5th, 1,190).

 

  • LeBron James has said in the past that NBA ownership is the next frontier, but he appears to have changed his mind when asked about it after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Rockets in Houston on Wednesday. 



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat got crushed by the Hornets, staying in Play-in Tournament territory

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The Heat got obliterated in the second half in Charlotte against the Hornets. It’s their second loss in a row, and the captain, Bam Adebayo, was out with calf tightness, which affected their rebounding and coverages. 

 

The Hornets were playing with extra synchronicity and force, causing coach Erik Spoelstra to summon his troops. They were mostly off target, and it turned into a track meet, while they got contributions from their background players.

 

The Heat started the second quarter down two points and struggled to contain Charlotte’s inside-out attack. Davion Mitchell was called for a flagrant foul one after hitting LaMelo Ball’s nether region when curling around a screen. Yet, the Heat’s saving grace was repeated trips to the charity line, and more hustle from Keshad Johnson.

 

They subsequently were stunned by Charlotte’s inside pressure to start the third quarter, and got some relief when Pelle Larsson drew Kon Knueppel’s fourth foul early in the third quarter, forcing him to sit next to Brandon Miller, who also had four. The Heat’s first substitution of the period came after six minutes with Jaime Jaquez Jr. coming in for Norman Powell, and Johnson came back soon to work the back of the zone. 

 

Eventually, Coby White erupted with strikes from short and long range, and the game got testy as Tyler Herro and Josh Green tangled up, causing both herds to be separated. 

 

Ball then got out in the fast lane, setting up others plus himself. Miller also got in on the action, nailing two 3-pointers, and Knueppel erupted, causing the Heat to fall apart. The visitors were down 21 by the time Herro checked back in and got uglier quickly. 

 

The Heat lost 136-106.

 

Spoelstra said the floodgates were opened. “It was disappointing to see. There were parts of the game where it was just highly competitive…We’ll learn what we can, but we have to move on and get on to the next fight, and make sure we are ready and do what we need to do for Thursday night.”

 

Takeaways:

 

  • No team in the NBA is getting surprised by the Charlotte Hornets since they’ve been playing well for two months. Their high-level offense shredded the Heat to pieces, and they scored 37 points in the third and 40 in the fourth quarter. Keep in mind that the Heat were down six with over a minute into the fourth. The Hornets have a collection of young, talented players who play unselfishly, and White had his best game since being traded to the Hornets on Feb. 4.

 

  • The Heat’s biggest bright spot was Johnson, who hustled for loose balls, made timely cuts, downed multiple treys and even threw down the reverse dunk from the baseline. He got minutes over Nikola Jović, who was cleared after 11 absences (back injury). Spoelstra said, “The majority of our young guys have gotten their opportunities. [Johnson] didn’t get his opportunity frequently yet because of all the young guys [who] were playing, but we felt all season long that he had been getting a lot better and his minutes in the G League had been very good.”

 

  • The defense was compromised without Adebayo. Additionally, Herro and Powell started together and it leaves the team vulnerable since they are not great at stopping the ball. The Heat allowed the Hornets to score 128.3 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 90th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

 

  • Herro and Powell were inefficient as the team’s highest scorers, logging 20 and 17 points. Ball was the player of the game, logging 30 points 0n 50% shooting, with 13 assists and six rebounds. The Hornets had four more double-figure scorers log between 14 and 24 points.

 

  • The Heat have 13 games left and are the seventh seed, being only a half-game behind the Orlando Magic. The Magic have the tiebreaker because they beat the Heat five times this season.



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat fall to the Magic at Kaseya Center as they fail to complete second-half comeback

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The final matchup between the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic ended with the latter getting away at Kaseya Center. They are 5-0 against the Heat this season, and it wasn’t about the hosts matching their urgency as their rivals were bigger, stronger and faster. But the Magic make the constant mistake of getting satisfied with their work. 

 

The defense was on ice in the first few minutes, committing four fouls, getting mauled inside and on the break plus they were unable to slow down Jalen Suggs. Tyler Herro nailed multiple treys, but their attack was in shambles, falling behind by 14 points.

 

“Forty-one points in the first, was not our defense,” Adebayo said.”

 

Suggs’ pull-up shooting continued, and former Heatle Jamal Cain’s inside and outside pressure were like the shots that shatter a fighter’s ribs. The Heat went on a run at the end of the quarter, but the Magic diluted it with the last two baskets going into halftime.

 

At that point, the Heat were down 16 digits and powerless to stop the Magic from extending their bombardment to 32 points in the lane. They subsequently struggled to guard Desmond Bane’s paint attacks in the third quarter and couldn’t stop Banchero from going to the line. Powell made a few baskets at short and long range, but cutting the deficit to nine was short-lived as Orlando extended it back to 16 going into the fourth. 

 

The Magic, sensing they already had it in the bag, slowed down in the fourth quarter, and allowed the Heat to get within two points in the last 19 seconds. Then Banchero made the critical freebies after Jaime Jaquez Jr. intentionally fouled. 

 

The Heat won 121-117. They allowed 54 paint points, yet were superior on the break and on second chances.

Takeaways:

 

  • Both teams entered the matchup nine games over .500. The Magic logged 41 points on 69.6% shooting in the first quarter, setting the mood. Additionally, the Magic give up the lowest number of wide-open 3-pointers this year (16.2), and the Heat only made 31.6% on Saturday. The Heat should get some credit for trying to seize the opportunity when it presented itself, but it’s no different than a fighter who makes the scorecards closer because his superior opponent foolishly did not step on the gas in the championship rounds.

 

  • Herro and Powell returned after missing two and seven consecutive games. The former started and never got it going offensively, and the latter came off the bench, being a step behind on defense while adding 20 points. Additionally, Bam Adebayo was a pest with four steals, and he scored 10 points in the second quarter on rim attacks, finishing with 20. 

 

  • Pelle Larrson had a career high of 28 points on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks. On Saturday, he picked up two early fouls, yet was still second in minutes (16) in the first half and went on to have a decent game. He finished with 35 minutes, scoring 15 points and doing a little bit of everything.

 

  • The team’s offense was derailed to 112.5 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 41st percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Pelle Larsson has career night as the Heat hold off the Bucks

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The Bucks’ stampede through Kaseya Center made them sweat, but the Heat pulled away in crunch time, claiming their seventh-straight win. They have Pelle Larsson much to thank for it as he totaled seven baskets in the lane in the best game of his career.

 

In spite of Giannis Antetokounmpo slicing and spinning his way to the cup for 10 early points, the Heat led by as much at the end of the period because of their 3-point shooting and limited success in the paint.

 

The Greek Freak even broke through the zone and outran transition defenses in the second quarter. The Heat’s 3-point protection also fell apart, allowing four treys and their 14-point lead was briefly cut to zero before they sped off with the last eight points going into halftime. 

 

 The Bucks subsequently went on an 11-2 run with Antetokounmpo resting to get within two possessions as Bobby Portis and Ryan Rollins’ jumpers reinvigorated them. The Heat went back to the zone in the fourth quarter and it had mixed results, yet the Bucks kept having success going to the body and got closer as the boiling point approached.

 

The Heat sent the wall to stop Antetokounmpo as he rushed downhill, but five other Bucks still scored in the lane, and they were hurt by two corner treys. The game hung in the balance, and they were bailed out by Pelle Larsson burning Jericho Sims in the half-court for a layup going left and making a trifecta with 28 seconds left.

 

Larsson said in his walk-off interview that “This was a big win for us. We had to get some payback, and yeah, obviously Bam [Adebayo] can’t score all the points,” referencing the loss in Milwaukee on Feb. 24 and how his teammate had the second-highest scoring output in NBA history (83) on Tuesday against the Washington Wizards. 

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra praised Larsson and Kasparas Jakučionis at the press conference. He said, “Pelle [Larsson] was relentless. He was not to be denied at all in this game. He was so rugged and physical. He drove it with aggression when he needed to… Kas [Jakučionis) continues to get better, gains more confidence with each week. He stepped up, gave us some punch with his scoring. ”

 

Takeaways:

 

  • The Bucks came into this game having lost six of their last seven outings. The Heat were still without Tyler Herro, Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins, and offensively were much affected, scoring 112.1 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 40th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. Some of the things the Bucks did were put big man Jericho Sims on Jaime Jaquez Jr. and pressured the lane, making the Heat inefficient at close range and in the in-between areas (3-10 feet).

 

  • Larsson had a career high of 28 points on 64.3% shooting and added six rebounds plus six dimes against one turnover. He’s shown a little bit of everything this season, and one of the most beneficial for the team is that he is capable of being on-ball. He also strained the defense with trips to the line, and he went eight-for-eight there. Milwaukee‘s coach, Doc Rivers, said after the game that he was the key player.

 

  • The team’s rebounding was a major factor. The double big lineup started, and they combined for 21 of their 53 rebounds. On top of that, they had an edge in second- chance points (18-4).

 

  • A seven-game win streak is their longest of the season, and they couldn’t afford to drop this game since the Orlando Magic, who are separated by 0.02 percentage points with Miami in the standings, played the lowly Washington Wizards and won in overtime on Thursday. Additionally, this is the first time this season the team is nine games above .500 (38-29).

 

  • Jakučionis is turning into a dependable release valve with good defensive skills. He drained five 3-pointers on 45.5% accuracy, which raises his total to 52 for the year. 

 

  • Bam’s aggressiveness continued following his epic 83-point performance, but he wasn’t accurate. The team can live with him missing if he is getting to the line for 13 attempts, making nine, and guarding at a high level. He had two consecutive second-chance baskets at close range in the fourth quarter and finished with 20 points on 30% shooting, with eight rebounds and two assists.  

 

  • Antetokounmpo, whom the Heat have coveted, was relentless and finished with 31 points on 50% shooting, with six rebounds and three assists.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Bam Adebayo’s second-highest scoring game in NBA history powers the Heat past the Wizards

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The Wizards were powerless to stop Bam Adebayo’s assault, leading the Heat to their sixth-straight win on a historic NBA night. They were undermanned at home again, using their 22nd starting lineup and still took control of the open court and never gave up their lead.

 

He was merciless, outscoring the Wizards by himself with 30 first-quarter points on rim attacks, freebies and 3-pointers, and eclipsing LeBron James’ record (25) for the most points in any quarter of Heat history. 

 

They had a 12-point lead at the start of the second, and he followed up with 13 more points via rim pressure plus extra freebies, and Keshad Johnson and Simone Fontecchio chipped in, combining for five baskets from deep and short distance. Their only concern was dealing with Alex Sarr, the 2024 second overall pick, who erupted on mostly outside jumpers and one strike at the rim.

 

They led 76-62 at halftime and subsequently kept a comfortable separation on the scoreboard throughout the third quarter as Adebayo refused to take his foot off the gas, pouring in another 19 points. He feasted at the line, plus he swished his sixth trifecta and nailed two more baskets at the rim, but he wasn’t finished there.

 

The Heat entered the fourth quarter ahead by 16, and Adebayo picked up his first two assists, setting up treys for Fontecchio and Dru Smith. Then he proceeded with rim attacks and the Wizards couldn’t defend without fouling. It was always garbage time, and they still sent him multiple defenders. Additionally, the entire bench stood up when coach Erik Spoelstra challenged an offensive foul on Adebayo with fewer than three minutes left and it was not overturned. As he approached Kobe Bryant‘s second all-time scoring record, assistant coach Caron Butler was yelling at the team to intentionally foul so he would get the ball back.

 

He scored his 82nd and 83rd points at the line as his mother stood, along with everyone fan in the building, at her court side seat.

 

The Heat won 150-129.

 

Spoelstra said, “This was just an absolutely surreal night. Obviously we’ve been blessed to have been a part of big moments in this arena. This one, it just happened.”

 

Takeaways:

 

  • The Wizards were without the firepower of their new trade acquisitions, Trae Young (right knee injury management) and Anthony Davis (left finger sprain). The Heat were missing Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Kel’el Ware. Still, the offense scored 127.4 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 84th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. It was also the 13th time they’ve scored at least 70 in the first half, and they are undefeated on those nights.

 

  • Adebayo’s previous career high was 41 points in Brooklyn on Jan. 23, 2021. He wasn’t concerned with feeding his teammates since he had the scorching hot hand, and he passed his old best with 42 seconds left to go in the first half (43) on a catch-and-go move from the wing to the cup. He later finished with the Heat’s record for most points in a game by a player and the second-highest scoring game in NBA history (83). Despite the low-level competition, his outburst should keep his confidence high and was a nice boost to his scoring average. He is the 11th player in NBA history to cross 70 points and the third to break 80. 

 

  • Adebayo scored 36 of his points at the line, in 43 attempts. Ten of his baskets were logged at close range, and three more in the paint were in the non-restricted area.

 

  • Many coaches would have subbed Adebayo out earlier (43 minutes), but coach Erik Spoelstra allowed a special moment to continue. His teammates showed great respect to keep pushing for it, too. Aside from the championships, it’s hard to point to a more noteworthy night in the team’s history. Adebayo came in as a defensive player with a limited arsenal. He even passed up open mid-range jumpers in his fourth season plus at times in his fifth. Now he’s comfortable shooting from anywhere.

 

  • He may not have made an All-Star team this season, but he may be in play for a selection on Third Team All-NBA when counting how he has played since Jan. 10.



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat match their early-season best, Magic City Night cancelled, how Miami players fare in award races and more league notes

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Fortunes can change for a team at the turn of a page. The Heat are on a five-game winning streak and have matched their best mark from the season being seven over .500. It makes it even more impressive how they’ve done on this run without All-Star Norman Powell. 

 

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro have done loads of the heavy lifting and the latter has barely experienced any rust after missing 45  games. Situations are fluid and they must keep riding this wave. Herro should keep starting and Powell should come off the bench, while playing the same amount of minutes. 

 

The team isn’t good enough defensively for them to start together, so one of these All-Star scorers has to sacrifice. Powell is recovering from a groin strain, but Herro is the superior playmaker and dribbler who will be helped out by two other plus defenders in Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins (when he returns) on the perimeter; Herro’s connection with Adebayo makes the rotation even stronger 

 

—

 

Even with Kel’el Ware being a force on the boards and as a shot blocker, the Heat’s surge might get Adebayo another look by some of the voters for the Defensive Player of the Year crown. He’s never won it before despite being arguably the top defender in the NBA since 2020.  

 

Of course, Victor Wembanyama’s shot blocking numbers and paint security make him a heavy favorite and worthy candidate. Yet he gets tons of help from his uncommon reach and size, which makes it a bit less impressive since it’s nothing out of the ordinary for someone who looks like a mountain to create so much resistance. 

 

Chet Holmgren, Rudy Gobert, Scottie Barnes and Ausar Thompson are other candidates, but it should be noted that Adebayo plays with weaker defenders around him, and the Heat are fourth in defensive rating.

 

On top of that, Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s paint pressure and playmaking from the bench make him a worthy candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award. The only reserves who have logged more points than him are the ones who haven’t recorded enough games off the bench, so they aren’t in the race. Jaquez’s 15.3 points is the most scored by a second-unit player, and his 4.6 assists are fifth behind Isaiah Collier, Jamal Shead, Dennis Schröder and T.J. McConnell. 

 

Jaquez’s biggest competition for the award is Naz Reid (Minnesota), Reed Sheppard (Houston), Keldon Johnson (San Antonio), Ajay Mitchell (OKC) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (Denver). The top spot could be argued for either man, but Johnson (13.0) and Hardaway (14.0) have been the accuracy kings, logging a 60.2 and 60.0 effective field goal percentage.

 

While Jaquez has an all around game, minus the deep shooting, he has only averaged a 52.8 EFG percentage. Those numbers could be higher, but he was arguably their second-most important player for a while this season as he ensured the team stayed in attack mode.  

 

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The Atlanta Hawks, who made waves after the announcement that they would be honoring Magic City strip club, on March 16, will no longer be proceeding with the event.  While there were good intentions to give tribute to an adult watering hole and entertainment center, it was a bizarre gesture for an event that is usually marketed as a family affair.

They put out an official statement that said, “While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision. As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta- with authenticity- in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together.”

Luka Kornet of the San Antonio Spurs, was the first NBA player to publicly ask for the Hawks to cancel it, and veteran Al Horford of the Golden State Warriors seems to have given him an endorsement on X (formerly Twitter).

 

Magic City was federally sued in 2025 by a former dancer for wage theft and sexual harassment. Those allegations probably should have been enough to pass on the idea when suggested.

 

The establishment has been famously referenced by musicians, and even those who enjoy reportedly impressive chicken wings. Still, some who enter that establishment can be no different in nature than those who frequent other similar places in the country.

 

Respect to the ladies who want to be there, and feel empowered dancing. Yet many have to put up with perverts, so it’s hard to see it as empowering when they stay quiet through something. How many of them signed up for that? 

 

Quick Hits:

 

  • Aaron Gordon is the perfect power forward for the modern game and might be one of the best, if not the best player to never make the All-Star team. He’s got an indoor court in his home that he’s spent an incalculable amount of time using to refine his jumper and it’s money now. He’s also a rare combination of athleticism, power, size and panache that makes him a matchup nightmare.

 

  • Reed Sheppard has some of the quickest hands in the league. It’s a major asset on both sides as his jumper is reminiscent of a gunslinger unholstering their revolver at light speed. Those hands make up for short his NBA stature, and how opponents can go at him, since he’s quick to poke the ball loose or strip it. 

 

  • Jayson Tatum made his comeback from an Achilles tear on March 6, and while still rusty, he will return to superstar status sooner rather than later. The Boston Celtics are second in the East and within reach of the first seed (2.5), held by the Detroit Pistons.

 

  • The Orlando Magic, Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets are all in the race for the sixth seed, which is the last spot that bypasses the Play-In Tournament. Orlando had the lead by .04 percentage points over the Heat. This race is too close to call.

 

  • Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander hit two cold-blooded step-back triples late in the fourth quarter on Monday over Denver’s Christian Braun and Spencer Jones to claim victory in a head-to-head matchup with another top MVP candidate this season, Nikola Jokić.



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat take down the Pistons and stay a step ahead all game

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The Heat honored Pat Riley Court the best way they could, playing like greyhounds and schooling the East’s top team. 

 

They ended the first half ahead by 19 on a steady diet of paint pressure and fastbreak strikes. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro set the mood with six combined baskets in the lane and three 3-pointers that carried them through the first half. 

 

Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren kept trying to drag their crew out of the ditch, but the Heat answered consistently with second chances and 3-pointers, three of which belonged to Herro. The fourth quarter started with the hosts up 23 points and what followed was a formality despite Isaiah Stewart having a late, inconsequential burst for Detroit.

 

The Heat won 121-110, claiming their fifth in a row. They outscored Detroit 22-6 on the break, and 28-18 on second opportunities. Additionally, Herro, Davion Mitchell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel’el Ware each logged at least four shots in the lane.

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra was pleased with Herro’s performance. He said, “He’s letting the game come to him. You don’t feel he’s pressing or trying to get anything back on any particular possession. He’s just letting our style of play create some advantages.”

 

Takeaways:

 

  • The Heat are seven games above .500 (36-29) for the first time since Dec. 2, when they were 14-7 and the third seed. They needed this win badly as well because the Orlando Magic are in the race with them for the sixth seed and they own the tiebreaker after beating the Heat four times this year. Herro showed up, scoring 25 points on 50% shooting, which included four 3-pointers, six rebounds and three assists against one turnover. 

 

  • Herro and Mitchell were the only team starters who didn’t play in the fourth quarter. Their minutes went to rookie Kasparas Jakučionis (12) and Jaquez (9), who did well pressuring the ball throughout the game. 

 

  • The Pistons are on a four-game losing streak, but were on the second night of a back-to-back, and Ausar Thompson plus Caris LeVert’s absences affected their perimeter defense. Miami’s attack scored 126 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 81st percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. It’s one of the team’s top wins of the season, and the defense had an easier job keying in on them since Cunningham is their only high-level shot creator. 

 

  • Adebayo is in his ninth season and his 24 points on 41.2% shooting were enough to cross 10,000 regular-season points, and he did so on a catch-and-go move from the top to the cup. He’s the second player in team history to score all 10,000 while wearing the uniform next to Dwyane Wade. Spoelstra said, “He came in not necessarily known as a scorer. He’s worked and willed his way into that.” Adebayo may not be as efficient as other reputable big men, but his motor is high, even while expending a ton of energy on defense. 

 

  • Ware had a key role in making sure the Pistons never got back in the game, as he picked up two steals and two blocks on defense. He wasn’t afraid to show some physicality against Stewart, one of the league’s inflammable tough guys, either. 



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Tyler Herro’s rampage leads the Heat past the hot Hornets

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It was a track meet between two division rivals, and the Heat narrowly escaped Charlotte on the second night of a back-to-back. The confrontation, featuring one surging team and the other hanging on, had high stakes as both are after the coveted sixth seed, which bypasses the Play-In Tournament.

 

Tyler Herro got targeted, but he was the Heat’s main source of offense along with Pelle Larsson, Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware as the Heat were down three going into intermission. Charlotte had found production from second opportunities and transition strikes, while Brandon Miller made six baskets at short and long range.

 

The team subsequently had trouble finishing at close range in the third quarter but that was offset by their scorching 3-point shooting which was needed to match Charlotte’s long-range assault. Herro and Davion Mitchell scored four shots apiece on mostly jump shots from long range, yet they ended the period still down three. 

 

Herro’s rampage continued, and the game shifted on three straight possessions: he curled around a handoff for a trey off an inbound then lobbed it to Ware for a vicious dunk through traffic, and Adebayo nailed a baseline jumper, giving them their largest lead of the night (7) as crunch time began.  

 

Despite the Hornets responding quickly with four 3-pointers, Herro and Dru Smith were there to bail them out with a pull-up jumper at the elbow and a tip-in.

 

The Heat won 128-120, with eight of the team’s 18 made triples belonging to Herro.  

 

Takeaways:

 

The Heat entered this game having won 14 of their last 25 games, and the Hornets had a 19-6 record, including a six-game win streak, in that span. The win gave the Heat the tiebreaker. They scored 130.6 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 89th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. Keep in mind that Charlotte had posted the sixth-ranked defense in that span.

 

The Heat are the fastest team in the league, but they are terribly inefficient when raising the pace. The Hornets were much sharper, logging a 12-7 edge in first-half fastbreak points then outpointed them 9-2 after intermission. 

 

Both squads combined for 13 3-pointers and each scored 40 points heading into the fourth quarter. It was easily one of the most entertaining sequences of their season.

 

Herro was the team’s engine, having the best game of his career. He logged 35 points, including eight treys on 80% shooting, with nine rebounds, nine assists and zero turnovers. His first miss from long range came on his seventh attempt.

 

Lots of games are won in the trenches. Moussa Diabate was a force on the offensive glass in the third quarter, supplying multiple second-chance triples. Charlotte even had 21 second-chance points before the fourth quarter started. Ware’s four blocks were some of the little things that helped the Heat survive in the trenches.



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Kel’el Ware has big night as the Heat take down the Nets

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The Heat cruised to a win against the tanking Nets, completing the miniseries in Miami. The Heat scored 122.3 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 72nd percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. And Kel’el Ware had a double-double (16 points and 11 rebounds, but notably had seven blocks and five steals off the bench. 

 

The zone was featured again, and coach Erik Spoelstra was pleased with its production. He also cited Ware’s impact in it, and said he likes it because it keeps the youngster closer to the basket. 

 

The Nets hung around for a half, and even torched the Heat at the rim and corners. The Heat’s 3-point shots weren’t falling, yet they led by four going into intermission owing to frequent trips to the line, scoring 15 points off turnovers and Ware turning into a wrecking ball on defense. 

 

Michael Porter Jr. came out of the break, nailing outside shots for Brooklyn, yet Tyler Herro scored a dozen points in the third quarter, which included breaking into the lane thrice.

 

They subsequently detonated inside the arc in the last frame, and had three players log three field goals apiece.

 

The Heat won 126-110 after eight lead changes and three ties. They also had a 19-6 edge in fastbreak points and scored 20 more points in the lane.

 

Adebayo said it was a professional win on Tuesday against Brooklyn, and Spoelstra repeated the same thing on Thursday. They’ll have a chance for another  “professional” win against the Hornets on Friday in Charlotte on the second night of a back-to-back. The Hornets have a 19-6 record since Jan. 10, and unlike the Nets, the season still means something to them. 

 

On top of that, Adebayo praised Ware’s efficiency (77.8%), and said, “He was able to showcase a lot of, obviously, the defensive side.”

 

Both the Heat and the Orlando Magic are a half-game out of the sixth seed, but the latter owns the tiebreaker.



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat’s quest for the sixth seed and other NBA notes

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 27 after missing nine straight games with an abdominal injury, and his squad looks like the best in the league. Keep in mind they are still missing All-Star Jalen Williams, who has been out with a right hamstring strain since Feb. 11. The San Antonio Spurs closed most of the gap with them for the first seed, but the Thunder’s proven depth gets tons of credit for maintaining it. 

 

The Spurs beat them four times this season, giving them the tiebreaker, and whichever team gets the first seed will have an advantage because of the extra night at home in a seven-game series.

 

The Thunder went into Madison Square Garden on Wednesday and showed themselves a class above their hosts. The New York Knicks weren’t concerned with guarding the arc, and their visitors turned it into target practice in the first half. On the other end, the Knicks had trouble getting the looks they wanted.

 

The game got tighter due to a home resurgence in the third quarter, but the Thunder prevailed because of contributions from multiple members, including the key strip by Cason Wallace on Jalen Brunson to make the last shot much harder when it was inbounded after that. And still, the Knicks got two 3-pointers off to tie in the last six seconds and the last one by OG Anunoby was a good look. 

 

The champs don’t hurt themselves, averaging the lowest turnover percentage in the league. Yet they aren’t some unbeatable juggernaut since their biggest weakness is allowing too many 3-pointers. Still, their physicality inside the arc permits the lowest two-point field goal percentage (49.1). Additionally, while they are only 24th in transition frequency, they are tied with New York as the most efficient team when raising the pace, scoring 1.19 points per possession. 

 

All of that is nice, but most importantly, SGA is the real deal. His ability to get to his spots late, as he did against Anunoby for a pull-up trey as the game hung in the balance, is what separates him from other All-Stars and All-NBA players. It’s special how he takes over a quarter (27.7) of his shots at 10-16 feet, making 59.1 percent of them, and is an above-average scorer in the in-between area (3-10 feet), logging 49.7 percent. 

 

He can go off like Rambo against a defense, and is good enough to make the right reads when added pressure comes. SGA and the crew have championship confidence so they’ll never be rattled. 

 

They are looking to be the first team to repeat since the Golden State Warriors did in 2017 and 2018.   

 

The Cavaliers’ front office doesn’t lack boldness, but did they make the right move?

 

Darius Garland was a beloved player in Cleveland. They drafted him fifth in 2019, and he made two All-Star teams. Now he’s a Los Angeles Clipper at age 26, and James Harden is a Cav. 

 

There’s a lot Harden does offensively that still makes him a high-impact player at age 36. Two advantages he has over Garland are his size and strength, being four inches taller and significantly heavier. 

 

He’s rarely gotten the credit for being the guy who took the Kevin Durant-led Warriors further than anyone, yet one questions Harden’s basketball character. He’s got a rap sheet of playoff letdowns and he wanted to leave the resurgent Clippers for guaranteed money two years from now, as if he hasn’t made a fortune already.

 

Combining him with Donovan Mitchell gives the Cavs two real hubs of offense. The latter being the superior player also takes pressure off Harden, but the latter can’t be a turnover machine or have games shooting in the 30s to low 40 percent range in the playoffs. 

 

This year has turned out favorably because they got out of the mud and now the Cavs have a solid opportunity to get back to their first Finals since 2018. They won’t catch the Detroit Pistons for the first seed, but it remains to be seen how the latter lacking a second big-time shot creator will factor in to the playoffs, presuming they vanquish the eighth seed. 

 

After flaming out in round two last year, it’s all or nothing for the Cavs.

 

The Miami Heat’s difficult quest for the sixth seed:

 

The Miami Heat have six games left against the league’s worst teams, and they can’t afford to lose any of them if they want the sixth seed to avoid going through their fourth Play-In Tournament. They have to be on point because the Charlotte Hornets are on their tail, and are the superior team plus the Orlando Magic have the tiebreaker after beating them four times.

 

They’ll need to tighten up their 3-point defense in the final regular-season stretch since they give up the most open attempts. The Heat are not good enough to get by on the strength of their offense and must commit to being the nastier team in the trenches.  If they don’t, their top-four defensive rating is not as good as it sounds.

 

It helps that Bam Adebayo has picked up his play since mid-January, averaging 21.7 points and 10 rebounds on 45.2% shooting. He needs to finish the year like that while keeping up his high level of defense. On top of that, Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. can’t fail to deliver on nights the team needs their scoring and playmaking as this will affect the defense. The more efficient they are, opponents will have to play the Heat more in the half-court because the ball will need to be checked in.

 

The Heat have 20 games left but two remain between them and Hornets, both being in Charlotte 11 days apart. The latter has a 19-6 record since Jan. 10,  and the Heat’s best 25-game spurt was 14-11. The Heat are one game out of the sixth seed, but are separated by 1.5 games in the standings with the Hornets.