Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat fall to Lakers in Los Angeles after poor start

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The Miami Heat folded in the last six minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers after nearly climbing out of a first-half 18-point hole, falling to 3-3. Pat Riley watched from his lower bowl seats likely annoyed that Spoelstra’s spoilers couldn’t stick it to the team that canned him one more time before he’s honored with a statue in February.

 

A disaster start for the Heat- allowing Jaxson Hayes to go berserk on three cuts- ensured Kel’el Ware got his minutes sliced to 11. On top of that, the Lakers told the Heat what they thought of them by going to a 2-3 zone in the first quarter. And Andrew Wiggins’ pick-6 resulting in a Bronny James lob was an omen.

 

The Heat have been the fastest team in the league early on, but the Lakers were superior at it, especially before intermission. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves ate up coverages, maneuvering inside and out for nine baskets, while combining for 12 assists, too.

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra summed up the first-half abomination as mistakes and boiling down to “a lack of effort on plays that we’re accustomed to doing and making, and/or mindless plays.” He insisted his team is better than what they showed. 

 

Jaime Jaquez Jr., the team’s top reserve and third-leading scorer, was their biggest threat. He gashed the open court and coverages for 31 points on 68.8% shooting, including nine digits in the third quarter, when the Heat recovered the most ground. Pelle Larsson was the Heat’s second-leading scorer in the second half as well. 

 

But Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Jake LaRavia made three field goals apiece in the fourth quarter, while the Heat converted 11.1% of the 3-point attempts and missed five critical late freebies, totaling 11 misfires at the stripe for the night. 

 

The Heat lost 130-120, despite having Ian edge in three key areas: paint points (66-60), fastbreak points (20-19) and second chance points (16-14). The half-court offense was held to 94.2 points per 100 plays, good enough for the 40th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. Even with Miami scoring more in the lane, they couldn’t match LAL’s accuracy in the restricted area of 79.3%, which is 12.3% above the league average. Furthermore, the Lakers were the nastier team defensively, racking a 25-15 advantage in deflections, the most belonging to Dončić (5) and Marcus Smart (5).

 

Bam Adebayo was diplomatic about Ware in the locker room after game, saying, “That’s a part of his development. We’re not going to give up on him. We know how great he can be. He moves the needle for this team.”

 

The Heart’s next game is in Los Angeles against the Clippers on Monday.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat fail to complete fourth-quarter comeback in San Antonio, falling to 3-2

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After 12 lead changes and four ties, the Miami Heat fell to the Spurs in their visit to San Antonio. For the first time in franchise history, the latter starts a season 5-0.

“We were kind of uneven all night long, but there were two key possessions there, going down the stretch where they got offensive rebounds, and both of those possessions ended up in open threes.”

Being without their starting backcourt of Tyler Herro and Norman Powell left the offense without the necessary penetrators. They compensated, draining 15 3-pointers, but they didn’t get into as many transition actions as they usually have this year. Plus, this third-leading scorer, Jaime Jaquez Jr., was locked up.

Bam Adebayo was the best big on the floor until halftime, destroying actions and somehow, he wasn’t rewarded with free throw attempts when going through contact in the lane. And Victor Wembanyama was held below his standards until intermission because the Heat tried to get the ball out of his hands early in the half-court, showing him bigs and smalls (to go at his dribble),

The Heat were neck and neck in the first quarter and didn’t let seven turnovers cripple their offense thanks to Adebayo and Davion Mitchell combining for seven baskets at short and long range.

Then their second-quarter shooting exposed coverages and nauseated Spurs’ coach Mitch Johnson. The Heat made five threes and four shots in the lane, yet San Antonio prevented them from making it ugly, as they raised the intensity by 50° and punched the accelerator in transition. Notably, the Spurs, being the third-slowest team in the NBA, played faster in the first half.

The Heat were down 59-58 at intermission, but had a 21-13 edge in assists and three players (Adebayo, Wiggins, and Fontecchio) in double-figure scoring.

Subsequently, the Heat went colder than a corpse in the third quarter, scoring one point through four minutes and falling behind by nine in that span. They also fell apart defensively, giving up the corners thrice and the non-Wembanyama minutes were a failure, too, because they couldn’t make up any ground.

The Heat deployed a zone and full-court press, erasing their 15-point deficit and taking a single-digit lead with seven minutes to go. Spoelstra said, “Did I want to go to the zone? No…that group was flying around,” giving credit to Wiggins, Jaquez, and Dru Smith for getting back in the game. They were on the verge of a signature win, but they followed up with three turnovers and allowed late triples, closing their own coffins.

The Heat lost 107-101 and were beaten in three key areas: fastbreak points (18-9), second chance points (16-14) and points off turnovers (19-14). On top of that, the Heat were held to 13.6% below the league average in the paint non-restricted area, and their half-court offense was neutralized to 85.7 points per 100 plays, good enough for the 25th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. Part of the reason the offense stagnated is because Wembanyama had all five blocks in the second half.

After the game, Herro was in the locker room with his jeans rolled up to his knee, soaking his left foot in ice, and Adebayo was icing his knees.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Jaime Jaquez Jr. went nuclear off the bench, and the Heat destroyed the Hornets

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The Heat were without their starting backcourt and flattened the touring Hornets, improving to 3-1 before leaving on their four-game road trip. They played fast, and seven members contributed double-figure scoring, but the story of the night was Jaime Jaquez Jr., who had one of his best games as a pro. He’s following up on his strong start to the season, which could make him a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year honors and the Most Improved Player crown.  

 

The Heat won 144-117 and outscored the Hornets in three key areas: paint points (58-44), fastbreak points (14-9) and points off turnovers (26-7). 

 

After the game, Jaquez said he was happy he drained two trifectas, but mostly because he went eight-for-eight from the line. He added, “You just keep the game simple, and the game will reward you.” 

 

Jaquez dropped 28 points on 64.2% shooting off the bench in 27 minutes, piercing the lane and making a pair of 3-pointers. His signature moment of the night came as he beat Tidjane Salaüan off the dribble and fiercely jammed the rock with both hands so powerfully that his body kept going and he landed on his back. He was OK, and his output lifted him to the second-highest scorer off the bench in the NBA behind Jermaine Grant. 

 

Furthermore, Bam Adebayo had 26 points and notably swished three trifectas in five attempts. Davion Mitchell had another strong showing in Tyler Herro’s place, racking up nine assists against one turnover. Pelle Larsson filled in nicely for Norm Powell, too, dropping 17 points on 60% shooting. 

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra was pleased with the bench for changing the dynamic of the game. He said, “Jaime [Jaquez] was terrific tonight and that’s an understatement…” His best compliment was that all of Jaquez’s production came within the flow of the offense.

 

The Heat’s next four are at San Antonio (Thursday), Los Angeles (Sunday v. Lakers), Los Angeles (Monday v. Clippers) and Denver (Nov.5).



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: “Everybody’s getting their piece of the pie”: Heat hold off the Knicks

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The Heat escaped the Knicks in the home opener, with help from coach Mike Brown resting Jalen Brunson too long, improving to 2-1 on the season. Andrew Wiggins had been getting worked by Brunson all game, even giving up a drive-by that cut the lead to five with 92 seconds left. He then redeemed himself, burying a left-wing triple in Josh Hart’s eye.

 

 There were 14 ties and 13 lead changes, but the hosts had 10 extra free-throw attempts, which made New York confront a set defense more often. Norman Powell whipped the Knicks with 12-for-12 free throws and outside jumpers, and later said, “We knew that we were going to have to move them around, get some stops, play them in transition, and move the ball and have them playing in closeouts. I thought we did a good job of that.”

 

The Heat started big with Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware for the second-straight game for matchup purposes, but the best combinations had them going smaller. The contributions from others were plentiful and allowed Adebayo an easier night at the office, but he substantially chipped in, recording eight of his 19 digits from the line.

 

Adebayo said at the postgame presser that they didn’t run one set play. “We got a great group, man, and we all bought into the system, and you see it. Everybody’s involved. You don’t know who is going to shoot the ball or who is going to catch and go, and that’s how we like it.” The system he speaks of involves less pick and rolls and dribble handoffs. He also said that he wants the team to maintain the current pace the entire season.

 

Jaime Jaquez Jr. blasted coverages for 17 points on 66.7% shooting off the bench, and Simone Fontecchio added 14 points in 19 minutes. The rest of the bench had 13 points.

 

Still, the Heat struggled in the half-court, logging 88.5 points per 100 plays, good enough for the 35th percentile. New York’s athletic wing defenders, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, are strong and long with good backpedaling speed and help instincts that bother entry into the lane.

 

The Heat, as has been the case in the previous two outings, experienced success on the go and ran in 31 fastbreak points, spending 19.4% of their offensive possessions in transition, putting them in the 78th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

 

Brunson took 12 more shots than Karl-Anthony Towns, who was second on the Knicks in attempts (14). Still, the former’s mastery of pull-up shooting had the Heat sweating bullets deep into crunch time. Davion Mitchell has the quickest foot speed on defense of Miami’s perimeter players, and buckets rained over him.

 

New York then stalled out, picking up two offensive fouls 27.4 seconds apart. The Heat won 115-107 and had an advantage in three key areas: paint points (48-42), fastbreak points (31-10) and points off turnovers (20-11).

 

“That’s a fun Miami Heat win,” Adebayo said.

 

 



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat make easy work of the Grizzlies in third-highest scoring game in franchise history

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The Heat curbstopped the Grizzlies on the road for the first win of the season (1-1) and had them mentally checked out midway through the second quarter. Kel’el Ware started over Nikola Jović to match Memphis’ size, and the twin bigs feasted on lobs and jumpers.

 

Bam Adebayo went on the first shooting spree, nailing four first-quarter trifectas, and he drew a charge on Jaren Jackson Jr, his fourth foul, as the Heat were up 35 points at the end of the first half. Simone Fontecchio was next, scoring 14 points in three minutes, curling around picks for deep jumpers and running in transition baskets.

 

The second quarter was the Heat’s best defensive sequence, holding the Grizzlies to 33.3% shooting. The visitors led 86-47 at halftime, the most points Memphis has ever given up at intermission. 

 

Jović and Jaime Jaquez Jr. did more heavy lifting off the bench in the second half and eventually a good chunk of Memphis’ fans got a head start on beating traffic. The fourth quarter was a formality as it began with the Heat ahead by 38 points, and they led by as much as 45. No Memphis starter played the last sequence, and the Heat’s background players such as Keshad Johnson, Jahmir Young and Pelle Larsson even got playing time together. The Heat’s reserves finished with 76 points.

 

The Heat played at a quick pace for the second game in a row and won 146-114, with eight players in double-figure scoring and five with at least four assists. The half-court attack logged 111.1 points per 100 plays, good enough for the 91st percentile. And it was the third-highest scoring game in the 38-year history of the Heat. 

 

Adebayo said they could have beat the record (153) set in April against the Pelicans, but they loosened up in the third quarter. He also endorsed the recent style of play. 

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat lose season opener in Orlando

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The Heat left Orlando- the 10th season opener between them- with a narrow loss. One of the biggest problems was stopping the Magic from getting to the line for 14 attempts in the fourth quarter, of which they made 13.

Norman Powell wasted no time asserting himself with the Heat in desperate need of firepower on night one. He drained deep jumpers and set up Bam Adebayo on a screen roll and Davion Mitchell on a drive-and-kick play in the first five minutes as the visitors took a 23-19 lead. At the same time, Desmond Bane was doing the same thing- raining jumpers and layups- for the Magic in his first stint with Orlando.

Miami added more 3-point bombs, helping them build a brief 12-point lead, but Orlando raised their intensity by 50°, cutting it to just one going into the second quarter. The hosts had success pushing the pace and exposed coverages by going to the body, which looked like a light heavyweight picking off a welterweight. At one point, despite only holding a four-point edge over Miami, Orlando was nailing 80 percent of attempts at close range, with six baskets belonging to Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero.

The Heat went to intermission down four, as seven of their players had converted multiple field goals. Adebayo gave them a boost with numerous trips to the line late in the second quarter, but the Heat struggled against Orlando’s length, taking most of their attempts in the paint non-restricted area- one of the hardest spots to score because defenses collapse there quickly.

Subsequently, the Heat experienced some playmaking issues, stemming from the lack of a true orchestrator in the lineup, but they found enough of a rhythm on transition strikes and actions around pindowns. On top of that, Kel’el Ware didn’t let the Heat’s defense fall apart in the non-Adebayo minutes, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. plus Davion Mitchell gave the Heat relief scoring, looking as sharp as ever.

The Heat led by six with eight minutes left and came out of their timeout in the mud. Banchero chipped away, attacking the hole and Jalen Suggs’ pick-6 had the Heat on shaky legs.

Jaquez checked in for Nikola Jović in the last four minutes, but it didn’t matter because the Heat let go of the rope as Wendell Carter Jr. overwhelmed the restricted area, nailing a key layup and three freebies that took the lead for Orlando. Mitchell also turned it over on a sideline ATO play because he couldn’t inbound it over Wagner. Afterward, Wiggins tied it with a pull-up trey, but Suggs downed a jumper in the lane on the following possession, and Carter added two extra free throws to put it out of reach.

The Heat lost 125-121. Coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game that he is “more encouraged than not. I don’t want to focus too much on moral victories… but I do see a blueprint.”

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Rockets fold in OKC on opening night

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The Rockets let their chance to upset ring night for the champs slip through their grasp and it took two overtime periods to get there. It didn’t matter that the bonuses they got were 3-point production from players not known for their marksmanship, and their second opportunities resulted in easy baskets. Kevin Durant was OKC’s second-best player late.

But that was a turnaround. KD feasted in the first half as he was booed, maneuvering for jumpers and kickouts as smoothly as a ballerina alone in a studio. But he missed a critical free throw with 9.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Then he was spared by the refs, with them ignoring a timeout he was calling when Houston had none while tied, which should have been free throws for OKC. He followed up by bouncing the ball off his foot, failing to get it. Next, he ensured OKC got the ball back after a loose ball foul. And with the Rockets up one in the second overtime, he bit on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s pump fake and put him on the line for two, coughing up the game.

 

Alperen Şengün’s masterclass, turning into Turk Nowitzki with 39 points, 11 rebounds and seven helpings, was wasted, and Amen Thompson was subbed out late because of a leg injury after slicing to the cylinder for three baskets in the fourth. To pile on, Houston left Chet Holmgren unbothered at the arc for two trifectas in the first overtime, forgetting he’d pieced them up in the first half from the outside. He eventually fouled out, getting replaced by Alex Caruso, but OKC still kept a top-grade defender on the floor.

 

Keep in mind that the Thunder were without Jalen Williams’ firepower against Houston’s massive rotation. They hung around until SGA erupted in the fourth quarter, scoring seven of his 12 baskets between then and the last extra period, and they demonstrated championship form when they needed to.

 

The Rockets’ lack of a real-deal point guard because Fred VanVleet tore his ACL in September stung harder than anticipated. Despite FVV’s size, he is not as exploitable as second-year guard Reed Sheppard. The point of attack was compromised when Thompson was out.

 

The Thunder became the sixth squad in NBA history to win a double overtime season opener, and the first since 2005. Houston took a good shot to send a message on night one and missed. Until further notice, they’re a cut below the champs.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Bam Adebayo celebrates A’ja Wilson and the Aces’ championship

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Bam Adebayo got the closest he’s been to a professional championship celebration in Las Vegas in support of his girlfriend, A’ja Wilson. He sat with her family during Game 4 of Aces-Mercury, and she embraced him after, crying, “Thank you for believing in me, baby.” He also received some applause while she spoke about her inner circle at the on-court interview. 

 

Sometimes people can’t help but be vulnerable, and the outpouring of emotions was a beautiful reminder of how hard players, coaches and management work for that moment. And just like that, Adebayo is already a more popular figure among WNBA fans than the commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, who was mercilessly booed by the audience. 

 

Adebayo has been to the NBA Finals twice in 2020 and 2023 with Miami, losing in six and five games against superior outfits. The experience of seeing a loved one up close win a third championship is likely one that the Heat are pleased about because it’ll motivate him to try to match her trophy case. 

 

On top of being there for moral support, he had a role in making Wilson sharper because she credits him with helping her footwork improve. He even joked back at media day on Sept. 29 that “Somebody gotta guard that sh**,” and he credits her with helping him by answering all his questions about how she tears up the court. 

 

The commitment to showing support at each other’s games goes both ways. I remember seeing Wilson on her phone in Denver after the Heat lost against the Nuggets last November, waiting for Adebayo to finish his post-game workout.

 

Wilson and Adebayo are both top-notch leaders. The former put the biggest exclamation mark on her career so far because the Aces were dead when they were at 14-14, and she was the main figure powering them through the regular season and playoffs en route to a title. If the latter ever earns a championship, no doubt she’ll celebrate just as hard for him as she did when she won. 



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Aces swept the Mercury for the WNBA championship

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The Aces sacked the Mercury 4-0 in the WNBA Finals, completing one of the most successful turnarounds of a season ever in hostile territory. They accepted their trophy- the third in four years- surrounded by loved ones and commissioner Cathy Engelbert was showered with boos.

 

The Mercury put up a fight late despite suffering a 19-point gash only 12 minutes in. They were without Satou Sabally because of a concussion, and their 3-point defense was like a boxer who doesn’t keep their right hand up, continuously eating left hooks.  

 

They had the “get me out of here look” not long after, and Alyssa Thomas injured her shoulder in the last minute of the first half, crashing into a Jewell Loyd’s illegal pick. She came back playing rugby, but it didn’t matter because the Aces are a class above them.

 

The Aces were surgical, registering zero turnovers by halftime with nine treys to Phoenix’s two. The second half was like watching a Volkswagen trying to catch up to a Ferrari, but only getting there when the other takes a pit stop. 

 

Nate Tibbets, in boneheaded fashion, yelled in referee Gina Cross’ face and got tossed at the end of the third. He complained about it like a sucker at the post-game presser, but he should know better than getting in a woman’s personal space. 

 

And Kahleah Copper earned herself a technical foul after fouling out with 90 seconds left, down 10.

 

A’ja Wilson was too good for any scheme, claiming her third title, plus second Finals MVP. Loyd and Gray combined for eight treys. And Jackie Young added 18 digits. 

 

The Aces were the more disciplined team emotionally and defensively, plus were superior at moving the ball. Their season changed soon after Loyd moved to the bench, and NaLyssa Smith was acquired, adding muscle to the front line. 

 

Coach Becky Hammon cemented herself as an all-time leader because she believed in them when they were written them off. If anyone were to have told you that the Aces would go on to win the title when they were 14-14, you would have thought they were insane.

 

All observers can do now is show respect.



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Mercury fell to a 3-0 hole in the WNBA Finals

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The Aces closed the Mercury’s coffin, and all they have left to do is shovel dirt over it to win the title. It was obvious that A’ja Wilson would get the ball on the last possession at five seconds left of a stalemate, and the hosts couldn’t stop her from burying a turnaround jumper. Just 0.3 seconds remained- only enough time for a lob- that DeWanna Bonner bricked. 

 

Tough scene for Phoenix. They couldn’t stop Wilson, who hasn’t failed to live up to her name in one series this postseason and had six of her 34 digits in the fourth quarter. And more of the same from Alyssa Thomas, who has not been dependable late in games of the Finals, starting with folding at the line with 24.6 seconds left of Game 1. The latter was a threat before intermission, but only had three points on 33% shooting in the second half.

 

The hosts went down double digits in the first half, partly because they gave up seven uncontested treys, then got bailed out by Satou Sabally, and were in trouble again in the fourth quarter.  A 17-7 Mercury run ensued that was capped with DeWanna Bonner’s vintage scoring to force another tie in the last minute.  But it wasn’t meant to be, and the public saw their emotions bleed onto the court as they awkwardly huddled into a circle, as the Aces did in celebration on the other side. 

 

Adding insult to injury, Sabally’s status is in question after getting smacked in the face by Kierstan Bell’s leg on a fall. She left Game 3 with four minutes left. 

 

Coach Nate Tibbetts mentioned “looking inside yourself” and competing, but it might as well have been the speech a chaplain gives a prisoner before execution. No sane person gives them a chance to win out, and I suspect they don’t even believe they can either.  

 

Thomas said it took Phoenix too long to wake up and guard. It’s taken her too long to notice that sometimes the right play is for herself and not others. 

 

Hopefully, commissioner Cathy Engelbert doesn’t show favoritism to the champs when it’s over by wearing a dress with their city on it, as she did last for New York.