Plans for Tyler Herro and Norman Powell starting together were conceived ages ago, and it finally got its first real test run in Emirates Cup play as the Heat squeaked by the Bucks for their sixth straight win. The visitors sans Giannis Antetokounmpo torched the small-ball lineup, but were contained to 37.9% shooting late.

 

“We played some bad basketball today,” Bam Adebayo said in his on-court interview. “We need to fix that before it gets too late, but for the most part, it came down to stops, and we did that.”

 

It’s no surprise Milwaukee was able to hang because someone usually steps up in these situations, and it was Myles Turner for them. He turned into vintage Kareem Abdul-Jabbar until the fourth quarter, tallying 24 digits on 60% accuracy. 

 

Norman Powell never got going, and neither did the transition offense as the crew even had its second-straight low-scoring first half despite six Heatles tallying multiple baskets (53-47). Adebayo and Kel’el Ware led them with four field goals apiece, but one of the crew’s biggest problems was making only 21% of their 3-point attempts.

 

Their three trifectas, inside pressure leading to four baskets at close range and getting to the line for eight attempts, making seven, prevented the Heat from letting control slip away in the third quarter.

 

Herro subsequently surged in the fourth quarter, scoring in transition, ripping a triple behind Ware’s down screen and slashing the half-court lane for two floaters. Then Adebayo made a jumper at the nail and a floater in the lane, giving them a five-point lead with under a minute left. They offset Ryan Rollins and Bobby Portis’ six paint baskets in the period.

 

The Heat (13-6) won 106-103, and it was the first time they’ve had a full roster healthy this season. Additionally it was their sixth game decided by five points or fewer. Their record in those games is 5-1.

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra now has 800 regular-season wins as the man in charge. He said, “It’s fitting that it comes on the eve of Thanksgiving. I just feel incredible gratitude for this organization and all of these years.”

 

He also said he’s looking forward to the team practicing on Friday to “fine-tune some things.”

 

Game Notes

 

• The Heat’s starters were ahead 22-20 at the first substitution. They showed why they could be dangerous as a small unit, but size killed them. Spoelstra was not pleased with the Heat’s multiple efforts against post-ups. “I think we could have made those a lot more difficult.”

 

• Six Heatles logged between four and nine baskets yet the offense wasn’t flowing like it was pre-Herro’s return. He’s a major addition to something that was working, so getting everyone in sync will take some time. Aside, in spite of their transition frequency (20.2%) being in the 85th percentile, they only scored 115.8 points per play, good enough for the 39th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

 

• This was the 11th time the Heat (32) have had at least 30 assists (10-1). Most of the playmaking came from Davion Mitchell, who recorded nine assists against three turnovers, and Herro, who had seven assists and two giveaways. 

 

 

• They used all 10 players in the first quarter. Nikola Jović never got any minutes, and Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s were cut to 17 despite a decent night. Keshad Johnson was shelved, too, since Andrew Wiggins returned from his hip flexor injury.

 

 

• Ware wasn’t looked to for points in the second half, but he still hit the boards (4) and came away with a steal and block.

In an era of college basketball teams reloading through the transfer portal and changing both their identity and postseason prospects year after year, it is refreshing to see that the player currently leading the Florida Atlantic Owls in every major statistical category is one who was recruited and developed.

Sophomore guard Devin Vanterpool leads the Owls in points (16.2), rebounds (6.4), and assists per game (3.2). He is also averaging 1.2 blocks and 1.8 steals per game.

“It all starts with the defense end, caring that much to guard so much, and that hard to get a stop on defense,” Vanterpool said. “It definitely creates offense.”

A year ago, Vanterpool played 30 games off the bench as a freshman, averaging only a bucket and a board in eight minutes per game on an FAU team that finished the season in the NIT. His emergence has coincided with the Owls’ 4-1 start to the season.

FAU second-year head coach John Jukas said Vanterpool has transformed from a defensive specialist to a two-way player.

“A lot of people focus on his offense and his growth,” Jukas said. “I would hope the very first thing you say about that man, besides him loves the FAU Owls, he’s very coachable and a wonderful kid, besides him being a great human, he’s a two-way player, not an offensive guy.”

In the Owls’ first-ever meeting with Pacific to start the Sunshine Slam on Nov. 20, Vanterpool scored 12 points with five rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. During that game turned out to be an 82-59 landslide victory for FAU, who as a team recorded nine steals and eight blocks.

“We all just play defense and stack stops,” Vanterpool said. “It helps me play my offense from there.”

The block party against Pacific was shared by forward Devin Williams, who had three of his own, as well as Euro centers Maxim Logue from France and Vincent Neugebauer from Germany, who each had a block. Vanterpool said “knowing and trusting that our bigs are going to come over and make a play” has also been instrumental in helping his defensive game.

“I was fortunate to wall up and get a couple blocks,” Vanterpool said. “Nico was able to wall up and set me up for a block. So just walling up and trusting our bigs.”

FAU takes on undefeated Loyola Marymount in the Sunshine Slam at Daytona Beach on Monday night. The Lions (6-0) are led by Myron Amey Jr., a fifth-year senior guard who, despite not starting in any of the first six games, has averaged 17.5 points and 4 rebounds per game. He most recently scored a season high 29 points in a 78-74 overtime win over UC Santa Barbara.

FAU’s next home game will be against St. Bonaventure on Sunday, Nov. 30.

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Game Notes

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo watched in street clothes as the Heat came up short against the Knicks in New York in Emirates Cup group play. The hosts were without Jalen Brunson, but Karl-Anthony Towns got the extra touches, rampaging for a half, until Landry Shamet, of all people, clobbered coverages.

 

Towns fried schemes in the first quarter for 18 digits. But the Heat countered, making seven 3-pointers in 11 tries, multiple belonging to Norman Powell. The reserves also picked up the slack when he rested as the half-court and transition attack thrived, pushing the crew to a 35-32 lead.

 

Knicks forward OG Anunoby couldn’t continue after straining his hamstring in five first-quarter minutes, yet his team continued to shred Miami’s half-court defense without him. They took a 78-68 lead going into halftime, mostly because Towns had no conscience, even extending his output to 31, including six 3-pointers. Jordan Clarkson added 13 points off the bench, too.

 

The Heat saw some resistance from New York’s zone, but they finessed their way to the line and got to the heart of the defense eight times, plus nailed three 3-pointers. Seven of them logged multiple field goals by intermission, but Powell (5) and Kel’el Ware (4) led the unit. 

 

They subsequently traded baskets and free throws, unable to close the gap until Pelle Larson made two corner treys and Davion Mitchell three extra free throws. Josh Hart picked up his fourth foul, bringing Mikal Bridges back in, and New York’s defense started to show signs of wear and tear. Mitchell Robinson picked up his fifth penalty, and they flashed more of their zone.

 

The fourth quarter’s start was a disaster for the Heat, giving up multiple offensive rebounds, fouling Shamet on a 3-point attempt, and giving up a Bridges pick-6 as they went cold, going down 14 points with nine-and-a-half minutes left. The visitors were never able to get back within striking distance despite Powell, making floaters and deep shots.

 

The Heat lost 142-130. Powell had 38 points, including eight 3-pointers, and Jaquez logged 23 digit on 45% shooting.

 

New York tallied 113.3 points per 100 half-court, good enough for the 90th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

Coach Erik Spolestra said, “We just have to collectively do better. We understand what it is. So now we’re going to get to work. We know what we have to correct. Is it easy? No.”

 

Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said before the match that it wasn’t the same team his Cavaliers wiped out by a combined 122 points through four playoff games, and the Heatles proved his point by pantsing them minus their two All-Stars (Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro). Miami’s streak at home extended to 5-0

 

Cleveland boat raced the hosts in the first five minutes, forcing coach Erik Spoelstra to call a timeout after a 15-5 hole. Subsequently, the Jaime Jaquez Jr. show began, igniting the crew with drive-bys and kick-outs in the half-court, helping them cut the deficit down to five.

 

The defense then neutralized the Cavs to 32% shooting by staying at the hip on drives and helping promptly. Meanwhile, they kept attacking in sixth gear, racing down the court for shots to the body and from 3-point range. Norman Powell also added seven free throws, assisting in cutting off the flow for the Cavs by stopping the clock and making them check the ball in.

 

They went to halftime ahead 62-53. Powell led all scorers with 18 digits while Jaquez (7) and Kel’el Ware racked up the most rebounds.

 

Donovan Mitchell finally erupted in the third quarter, slicing through schemes, and the Heat’s transition defense slipped, giving up multiple treys as the Cavs only cut it to six. The Heat also broke out a zone, and on the other side, Ware blasted the interior thrice, and they triggered the bonus for the last seven minutes and change, taking 18 more free throws, making 17. On top of that, Wiggins added a transition strike and buried an up top 3-pointer.

 

The Heat went into the fourth quarter ahead by nine, while the Cavs were without Atkinson because he was ejected after receiving his second technical foul while Mitchell was at the line with 32 seconds left of the third.

 

Despite Mitchell making one shot in seven tries, the Heat’s pressure faltered down the stretch as the Cavaliers had them on the back foot after nailing seven 3-pointers, four of them belonging to Sam Merrill. Jaquez had to bail the out with a spin through the lane, making a floater to force over time.

 

It took the Heat putting them in a scramble with an elevator set design by assistant coach Chris Quinn. He set up Nikola Jović on a sideline out of bounds for a lob to Wiggins cutting through the middle unchallenged to win the game. He got loose by the screen that Davion Mitchell set for De’Andre Hunter. Later Spoelstra said “I’ve had that play on my card listed as CQ for four years. When it got to that point, Quinny said we should run that. I said, you know what, there’s no better person to diagram it than the one who came up with the thing.”

 

The final score was 140-138. The Heat had seven double-digit scores and took 41 free throws, making 36. Notably, Jaquez had a Herculean impact off the bench, dropping 22 points on 58.3% shooting, with 12 rebounds and seven dimes. Additionally, their half-court attack wasn’t as strong, but they were able to put up 104 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 74th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass, and they improved to 7-4.

 

Powell joked after the game, “Wiggs turned back the clock a little bit,” and Spoelstra said Ware had the best night of his career.

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The Heat will play the Cavaliers again on Wednesday.