Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat failed to stop Brandon Ingram and got crushed in Toronto

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Part two of the miniseries in Toronto didn’t get ugly until the second quarter and then it was worse than a direct-to-video sequel. Brandon Ingram mercilessly sprayed jumpers, plus Collin Murray-Bowles, who finished with a perfect seven-for-seven from field, out-hustled every Heatle to extend plays and blow up sets. 

 

Bam Adebayo was so frustrated he uncharacteristically shoved Jakob Poeltl after getting tangled up, and the Raptors’ lead soon swelled to 26 points in the third quarter. They subsequently loosened up, and the Heat sliced the deficit to six before the hosts got serious about waxing them again. 

 

Scottie Barnes created the snowball effect with a trifecta and a fastbreak layup and the visitors soon yielded. 

 

The Heat lost 128-114, but it felt wider than that. Coach Erik Spoelstra said, “I don’t have the answers right now. We are searching…” 

 

Adebayo did all he could, totaling 14 of 24 points in the lane with 11 rebounds and eight assists. And Davion Mitchell had a double-double (15 points, 11 assists), too, but their impact was nullified by Toronto’s activity in the lane and superior outside shooting. 

 

Still, for as bad it looked, the Heat have somehow logged 22 worse defensive ratings this season. It wasn’t their game plan on most nights, but rather not being able to match the other team’s talent. 

 

There’s no way coach Erik Spoelstra can have any hope of finding “a way to overcome” when every game lately has been a struggle. Perhaps this time after the team has been finished off will it make management wise up, finally going in a different route. 

 

When looking back on this year, the biggest positives will be the development of Pelle Larsson, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakučionis. The heaviest negatives will be not enough consistency from Kel’el Ware, the Tyler Herro and Norman Powell backcourt being a failure, and wasting a season of Adebayo’s prime. 



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Another disappointing season for the Heat

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The Heat knew the build was dead in 2001 when they got smacked around by the Charlotte Hornets and were sent packing early in round one. One wonders if management realizes that it should be no different this time. 

 

They were drawn and quartered in Toronto on Tuesday to start their miniseries with the Raptors and it’s hard to keep track of what number of humiliation this is for them. It wasn’t because they sealed their fates going into the Play-In Tournament for the fourth straight year, but because they look a class below most of the decent and above teams. 

 

It’s a good thing that they are likely headed to the ninth and 10th-seeded Play-In game, instead of the seventh and eighth they’ve been accustomed to. This way they have a chance of getting put out of their misery early since losing would send them to the lottery. 

 

That’s right. The Heat’s one percent chance of getting the first pick is exponentially better than surviving the Play-In to get smoked in round one.

 

It’s come to this. 

 

Poor coach Erik Spoelstra has kept up this charade when he knows deep down they can’t hang — and they know it, too. The team will probably be hopeless against the Raptors on Thursday, giving up at some point in the second half. 

 

It’s around these times that a team quits on the season. In this case, it’s more about abandoning the mission than turning their back on Spoelstra. 

 

Two games remain after Thursday’s: Friday in Washington against the Wizards and the home finale on Sunday versus the Atlanta Hawks, which will be the final regular season game of Michael Baiamonte, the Heat’s PA announcer’s, career. He’s given them 35 years of service. The team would win that game if life were like a movie, but the Hawks already embarrassed them on the 2006 championship commemoration night. They could easily do it again because they have been a top nine team over the last two months (27-13).

 

Perhaps the closing to this season will make management reflect on what they had 20 years ago, when Dwyane Wade went beast mode in the Finals, delivering their first championship. Having a player like that is the only way to win. A collection of very good players winning a title doesn’t happen, save for the 2004 Detroit Pistons, and that team had arguably the greatest defense of all time.

 

The Heat had a real go-to when Jimmy Butler was around, but they couldn’t put a good enough team around him. The way he overdelivered with less in three great playoff runs that included two finals trips broke the Heat’s thinking. They’ve brought back teams that should have expired, thinking their way will surprise the public, but it wasn’t that — it was Butler being one of the greatest playoff risers in NBA history. They reached the wrong conclusion about how smart they are like Jerry Jones did when the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in 1995 with Barry Switzer instead of Jimmy Johnson, who already had won two championships with them.

 

And now the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets, two division rivals, have eclipsed them in potency and relevancy. The Hawks intelligently traded away an All-Star player (Trae Young) because they couldn’t win with his awful defense, which is something the Heat should have done with Tyler Herro since he is not that guy and next year is the last one on his contract. Plus the Hornets spent a long time in the cellar, something the Heat were never willing to do.

 

Nick Arison and the committee pride themselves on having an adaptable organization, but that is being put to the test. So far, they’ve been at the desk a while and are flunking.

 



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat make easy work of the touring Wizards

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Nothing like playing a team in the cellar to boost the numbers.

 

It was the first meeting since Bam Adebayo’s 83-point outburst on March 10, and the Heat’s bench crew got the extra time in the tune-up win. They scored 142.1 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 99th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

 

Still, the Wizards pressured Adebayo early, not wanting to allow a repeat or close to it of his career high. He said, “They did their jobs. I got six shot attempts.”

 

Tyler Herro was absent for personal reasons, so Simone Fontecchio started in his place, scoring eight points in 19 minutes. 

 

Jaime Jaquez Jr. set a season high of 32 points, slicing and pivoting through the lane. His best stretch was in the second quarter, helping the team separate themselves from the Wizards, making five of his 12 baskets. 

 

On top of that, the Heat missed all four 3-point attempts in the period and still scored 41 points on 68.2% shooting.

 

Kel’el Ware also made 10 shots in the restricted are and behind the 3-point line, with 19 rebounds and seven blocks. Coach Erik Spoelstra said, “I would say, we’ve had three practices in the last few days, I would venture to say these are the three best practices he’s had this year and those are coming out of some tough games with tough competition.”

   

They started the fourth quarter ahead by 31 points, and none of the starters had to come in. The team had shut off the paint for most of the game up to that point, while getting what they wanted.

 

Rookie Kasparas Jakučionis, who hadn’t played the last two games because of a coach’s decision, was one of four players to log all of the fourth-quarter minutes. Nikola Jović likely would have been the fifth, but he was fouled, catching a lob in mid-air with 36 seconds and came down hard on his left ankle. Jamir Watkins was given a flagrant foul penalty two, and Spoelstra later said that Jović’s ankle was sprained. Keep in mind that Jović had missed the last six games.

 

The Heat won 152-136, setting a new season high in points and it was one point shy of their all-time single game scoring record. The previous high (150) this season also came against Washington on March 10. 

 

–

The Heat are the 10th seed, with four games are left in the regular season: the next two are in Toronto against the Raptors, then Washington on April 10 and the finale on April 12, hosting the Atlanta Hawks.  





Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Celtics outclassed the desperate Heat

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The Celtics stained Pat Riley Court with an 18-point blowout. It was like watching a cyclist try to keep up with a Ferrari, only catching up within a mile when the driver pulled over for gas.

 

Jaylen Brown was unrestrainable as he sliced to the cup for layups and buried pull-up jumpers. The Celtics were shooting 75%, forcing coach Erik Spoelstra to call a timeout that did not help because the Heat kept bleeding, and surrendered 53 points before the first quarter ended. 

 

Spoelstra said, “This is going to sound crazy but this game was not like the other games. Our guys were locked in and competing. There was an exceptional level of shot-making from them to start the game.” 

 

It stayed ugly for the Heat as the Celtics kept pushing the pace, and they made nine shots in the lane. They had a 23-point lead at halftime with as many assists (18) as the Heat had field goals (18).

 

The Heat were powerless to stop Brown’s encore because he was too big, strong and fast for whoever challenged him. Still, they turned it around, subsequently draining 11 3-pointers, the most in any quarter of their season, in large part because the guests got comfortable, and cut the deficit to 10 points going into the fourth.  

 

They didn’t have much gas in the tank after that, and the Celtics pounced on them again. Jayson Tatum worked around screens for pull-up jumpers and dished to his cutting teammates, throwing cold water on the Heat’s comeback chances. He dissected the zone easily as well, while the Celtics kept separating themselves on the glass. 

 

The Heat lost 147-129.

 

Observations:

 

  • Norman Powell missed his third-straight game, yet the Heat’s offense scored in the 92nd percentile, so the problem is that they didn’t have the resources to hang with Boston’s attack or rebounding (48-37). There were moments the team overhelped, giving up treys, and no one was able to bother Brown and Tatum much on the dribble. Furthermore, the Heat only played six guys significant minutes because Spoelstra didn’t trust his reinforcements. Particularly, Kel’el Ware didn’t get much time because his screen-roll defense was weak and he bit on a fake.

 

  • Brown had 20 of his 43 points in the first quarter, the most by any Celtic player this season. Tatum also did some of the heavy lifting, setting up shooters and crashing the glass like a madman. He had a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds) by halftime, then picked up his shot creation and finished with a triple-double (25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists) against two turnovers.

 

  • The Heat allowed the Celtics to shoot 29% higher than the league average in the paint non-restricted area. Notably, Brown didn’t miss in that spot, going 11-for-11, and Tatum made five of seven baskets.

 

  • Boston’s 53 points in the first quarter ties the most this season with the Heat ( against the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 7). The Celtics made 11 3-pointers in that stretch, five of those belonging to Sam Hauser, who had 17 points in the period. Additionally, it was the third time the Celtics have scored at least 80 points in the first half.

 

  • Bam Adebayo, Jaime Jaquez and Pelle Larsson were the top options in the lane, combining for 14 of the team’s 19 field goals. The Heat also scored 45 points in the third quarter and it was their top shooting spurt of the season, yet they were outscored in every other period. 

 

  • The Heat are the 10th seed, being a half-game behind the Charlotte Hornets for the eighth seed, and 2.5 out of the sixth spot (Philadelphia 76ers). Regarding the Play-In Tournament, Adebayo said, “See if we can win all five and then figure out whatever happens after that. Take it one game at a time and whatever happens, happens, at this point.”



 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Herro of the fourth quarter delivered the win

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There wasn’t much separation through three quarters, and the teams were desperate to climb out of Play-In Tournament territory. Aside from some relief minutes given to Kel’el Ware, the team was playing six guys while their 3-point shooting was not a factor. 

 

Then Tyler Herro was the best player on the floor in the fourth. He had 18 points before it started, and played the rest of the minutes, making pull-up jumpers and dive-bys. He finished with 30 points, but no baskets were bigger than the consecutive 3-pointers that gave the Heat the late lead. It was his highest-scoring fourth period of the season, and he also had two critical blocks in crunch time. 

 

He said, “I mean I was open, both were great looks. I was able to knock them down, rely on my work. I shoot those same shots every day multiple times a day.”

 

It also helped the Heat that the other five players scored in the lane in the fourth, they were the nastier team on the boards, and they had their sharpest defensive spurt late. Bam Adebayo said, “You saw how we guarded, we’re capable of that. We can do that every night.”

 

Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid carried the visitors down the stretch, scoring 10 points on 50% shooting, but the effects were diluted as the Heat keyed in on everyone else. 

 

The Heat won 119-109 after three ties and 14 lead changes. 

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra said , “There were several moments where we were putting pedal to the metal, and it started defensively.” 

 

The team slowed the 76ers offense to 110.1 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 33rd percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. 

 

Additionally, the Heat are three games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the sixth seed, and would need to be almost perfect while their division rivals come apart the rest of the way. Keep in mind that the Orlando Magic and the 76ers want that spot just as badly as the Heat. 


Observations:

 

  • Embiid is not the same rebounder he used to be, perhaps to preserve the spring in his legs. Nonetheless, he is still a powerhouse inside the arc because of his brutish strength and soft tough. Tyrese Maxey is the perfect complimentary star next to him since he is so fast as a three-level scorer. Yet, Herro and Adebayo outplayed them by combining for more points and rebounds. To boot, Adebayo made 12 of 13 freebies, and it was his ninth time this year taking double-figure free throws.

 

  • It was the Heat’s worst 3-point shooting night of the season, making 27.5% of attempts. The previous worst was set in Friday’s loss in Cleveland, after logging only 32.6%.

 

  • Notably, the rookie Kasparas Jakučionis did not play because of the coach’s decision. It was the first game he missed since the Feb. 6 loss in Boston. Additionally, Philly’s V.J. Edgecombe has been one of the top rookies this year, and he was held to two points in the second half in almost 15 minutes.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat hit a roadblock in Indiana as desperation rises

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The Heat folded in Indiana, where the Pacers were on an 11-game home losing streak stretching back to Feb. 2. There was no bigger issue than the defense, which allowed the Pacers to score in the 88th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

 

Keep in mind that they struggled against the team trying to lose, again. It was discouraging for anyone affiliated with them or supporting their cause as it was no different than watching someone who is supposed to be a decent level fighter go the distance and lost a split decision against someone who was supposed to be a tuneup.

 

They were barely up two after the first quarter thanks to Micah Potter getting payback for getting waived by the Heat nearly five years ago, by making four 3-pointers and T.J. McConnell adding four baskets at short and long range.

 

If it wasn’t for Tyler Herro going beast mode in the first half, they would have been embarrassed sooner. Yet the Pacers’ ball movement around the arc and penetration through the middle exposed the visitors, putting them down four at intermission.

 

It was subsequently a shootout and a track meet. Herro’s flurry continued, nailing two extra treys and scoring at close range, and the rest of the starters each made multiple shots in the third quarter. Subsequently, the zone was prominent in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t as disruptive as they needed while the offense fell apart. 

 

The Heat lost 135-118 after 10 ties and 16 lead changes, the last one coming in the last nine minutes.

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra said, “We just haven’t been able to do it in these last several losses, but I know our guys want this. So we are going to take this L, take that last L against Cleveland. They are two disappointing losses, and we are going to back to Miami and figure out how to get this one tomorrow.”

 

Takeaways:

 

  • The Heat have the bad habit of not paying enough attention to detail on defense in games they need. Spoelstra even said that they cycled through all of their coverages, but that the team “needs to show that toughness right now.” Still, the Pacers have good pieces that helped them get to the 2025 Finals, yet they are without their star point guard Tyrese Haliburton while he recovers from torn achilles tendon that he suffered in Game 7 of that series. Even without him, the Pacers are the second-best passing team in the league behind the Golden State Warriors. Furthermore, the Heat’s 3-point protection was lacking as they permitted 13 in the first half (five in the second), six coming from the corner. The pace hurt them by tiring their legs by the time the fourth quarter started. 

 

  • The Heat’s schemes prioritize protecting the paint at all costs, but the Pacers shot 7.1% above the league average at 0-3 feet and 13.8 above it in the non restricted area (3-10 feet). The Pacers scored 54 points in the lane, most of it coming from Siakam (12) and Quenton Jackson (10).

 

  • The first game of the back-to-back set, which concludes against Philadelphia on Monday, was a disaster because the Heat are desperate to avoid the Play-In Tournament. The loss drops them three games out of the sixth seed, making their fourth-straight trip into the Play-In inevitable, with seven games remaining. 

 

  • Herro played poorly in the second half of the miniseries in Cleveland, so it was no surprise that he came out blazing. He was shooting 63.2% through three quarters before going cold in the final stretch.

 

  • Pascal Siakam is a matchup problem for everyone on the Heat not named Bam Adebayo. He’s smooth on the dribble plus can pull-up from distance. His scoring, Andrew Nembhard’s steady shot creation, and the 39 combined points from Potter plus T.J. McConnell did too much damage. Additionally, the Pacers had three players log multiple baskets in the fourth quarter.

 

  • The Pacers broadcast highlighted C.J. Miles, who works as a photographer for the digital marketing team. He was a guard for them from 2014-17.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat overwhelmed the short-handed Cavaliers

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The five-game losing streak ended in Cleveland in game one of the miniseries. The defense derailed one of the top attacks in the league, and they prevented the Cavaliers from having success on second opportunities.

 

The Heat’s seven three-pointers and a few slips into the lane sustained them in the first quarter, as they climbed to a nine-point lead, while the Cavaliers’ offense was stuck in the mud. Things kept going right for the Heat in the next frame as they slowed down James Harden’s shot creation plus Andrew Wiggins and Jaime Jaquez Jr. combined for five baskets at short and long range.

 

They went into intermission ahead by 17, but the Cavs subsequently got within reaching distance in the third quarter thanks to Donovan Mitchell turning into supernova, scoring 13 points in the period. Yet, they wasted fuel in their reserves trying to catch up, and the Heat had a second wind as they targeted the lane.  

 

The Heat won 120-103. It was their first road victory since March 6 in Charlotte.

 

Takeaways:

 

  • The Cavaliers were without Jarrett Allen and four other rotation players on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Orlando Magic at home on Tuesday. They are a contender and are going all in after trading their young two-time All-Star (Darius Garland) for 36-year-old James Harden. The Heat were able to hold Harden to 40% shooting and five turnovers.

 

  • The Heat’s bench outscored Cleveland’s by 28 points, and the defense held the Cavs to 9.9 points below the league average in the restricted area. Furthermore, the Heat’s run-and-stun offense and sharp deep shooting had 11 fastbreak points, and 13 triples by halftime. They only had six more points on the break and had five extra triples the rest of the game. The team had eight double-figure scores, and the offense logged 125.3 per 100 possessions, good enough for the 78th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. 

 

  • Mitchell was the top player in the game through three quarters, scoring 26 points in that span, but the fourth belonged to Jaquez, Kel’el Ware, Norman Powell and Tyler Herro. 

 

  • Bam Adebayo shot poorly (31.6), but he was a factor on the glass, picking up 10 boards and dishing seven assists against one turnover.



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat never stood a chance against the Spurs

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The quest to avoid the Play-In Tournament took its fifth-straight setback as the San Antonio Spurs sullied Kaseya Center. The visitors were too big, strong and fast for the Miami Heat at full force on primetime TV.

 

Both offenses were firing like machine guns and it took more than half of the first quarter for the coverages to tighten up. They combined for 11 3-pointers, yet the Spurs had the edge on the glass, and the Heat went into the next frame down seven. 

 

Victor Wembanyama proceeded to blow up actions in the lane, plus Stephon Castle sparkled from inside and out. The Spurs’ lead climbed to 18 going into halftime and they subsequently made it ugly in the third quarter as they outmatched schemes and pummeled the Heat on the glass.

 

The rest was all academic, and the Heat lost 136-111. Bam Adebayo then mentioned Myron Gardner for his tenacity, saying, “We need to play with that type of energy. All of us.”

 

Takeaways:

 

  • These teams hadn’t seen each other since Oct. 30 in San Antonio, which the Spurs won. The Heat naturally play fast, and it was their best bet for stretches, considering how Wembanyama is so potent as a deterrent in the half-court. Herro was effective dribbling into the lane for layups and drawing fouls; Andrew Wiggins experienced no rust early in his first game back from a toe injury; plus Norman Powell was on target with his jumper. Yet there wasn’t too much else working, and the offense scored 103.7 per 100 possessions, good enough for the 16th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. 

 

  • The Spurs are a contender, having won 22 of their last 24 outings, and they’ve won six in a row. It’s a collection of high-end talent around Wembanyama, who looked like he was dominating high schoolers, shooting 81.8% in the restricted area. He also had five blocks, which caused a significant intimidation factor as players rushed shots and didn’t attack with the same force. 

 

  • Castle’s head got clipped by Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s knee after falling. His brief absence didn’t affect the Spurs too much since they have a surplus of dependable bodies. Castle finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. 

 

  • The Heat allowed 76 first-half points off dribble penetration and permitting the Spurs to feast on second opportunities. Additionally, 136 is the third-most points they’ve given up this season, and they finished with four second-chance points, which is their third-lowest mark in that department.

 

  • Adebayo and Spoelstra had a disagreement over minutes. Spoelstra said he didn’t want to play him 24 straight minutes, and Adebayo said, “I get he’s trying to protect me from myself. But also, I don’t want to be in the [expletive] Play-In.”

 

  • Spurs coach Mitch Johnson spoke on Wemby’s MVP candidacy: “I think he’s close. All those guys you named are deserving. Couple of them obviously already have that award and I’m very biased. I get to see one of those guys every night, I get to see him on the practice court, I see what he does before the games.”

   



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Don Luka tattooed 60 points on Pat Riley Court as the Lakers handed the Heat their third loss in a row

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The Heat didn’t have enough horsepower to hang with Luka Dončić and LeBron James despite the close result. The former had the highest scoring game against the Miami Heat in history by an opponent, and the hosts were also significantly smaller, being unable to contain dribble penetration.

 

Dončić bent the defense to his liking with drive-by and pull-up 3-pointers. He didn’t slow down in the first quarter even after tripping hard on Austin Reaves’ foot coming down the court. Meanwhile, the Heat were scorching from short and long range and got a good chunk of their production from Davion Mitchell, Simone Fontecchio and Kel’el Ware combining for nine first-quarter baskets.. 

 

Then the Lakers soon turned the tables as LeBron James was immaculate, shooting at the nail and at close range, and Dončić caused damage in the same areas.   

 

Bam Adebayo subsequently got blasted by Dončić’s artillery strikes, plus the crew soon gave up the lead, being slow to recover and were down double digits. Miami’s offense was also ineffective from the outside, but Adebayo and Kel’el Ware got loose in the lane to buy them some time. 

 

Yet Donićić kept his foot on the accelerator, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter. The team managed to stay within single digits for the period thanks to Norman Powell and Tyler Herro’s seven combined baskets, but they couldn’t protect the arc or avoid late fouls. 

 

The Heat lost after five lead changes and two ties, 134-126. Despite scoring 70 in the lane, they couldn’t keep up with the Lakers’ shooting 43.8% from deep. 

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra gave Dončić props. “To start the half, he had three straight threes and that just ignited him,” Spoelstra said, snapping his fingers for emphasis. “From there, it became an incredible display of shot-making and drawing fouls, you know, etcetera.”

Takeaways:

 

  • The Lakers were on the second night of a back-to-back. The Lakers were a step slow to start, going behind by double digits within a few minutes. Their flight got into Miami at 3:59 AM, per the Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds. Nonetheless, they get stronger as the game went on, and James tied Robert Parrish for the most games played in NBA history. He was also a beast off-ball, and logged his second triple-double of the season (19 points, 10 assists and 15 rebounds).

 

  • The Heat deployed their 25th starting lineup and they were without their best bench scorer, Jaime Jaquez Jr., among their absences. The reserves still outscored LA’s by 25, and the team got what they wanted in the lane, even going a perfect 11-for-11 in the restricted area during the second half. The team went on to score 124.8 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 78th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. Yet even with scoring 42 points in the first quarter and 38 in the fourth, that wasn’t enough to outweigh getting outscored by 22 points in the second and third.

 

  • The team has lost three in a row after being at a season best 10 games over .500. They are a half-game outside of the sixth seed, which is claimed by the Atlanta Hawks, who are on an 11-game win streak.

 

  • Dončić heard MVP chants at Kaseya Center, finishing with 60 points on 60% shooting, with seven rebounds, three assists and five steals. Adebayo said, “He hit some tough shots out there. Like it is what it is. I know what it’s like to be in that mode.” Furthermore, Dončić and James’ played a part in slowing down the Heat in transition by making them check the ball in so often.

 

  • Adebayo finished with 28 points on 47.4% shooting, with 10 rebounds and two assists. After him, the team had five double-figure scorers log between 11 and 21 points.


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.