Florida Atlantic’s offensive chemistry paying off at the right time

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Quarterbacks transferring from one school to the next have become quite common in today’s college football.

Transferring with your receiver, however, is the unique circumstance that is finally paying off for Florida Atlantic.

After three seasons at Western Kentucky, redshirt junior quarterback Caden Veltkamp arrived in Boca Raton along with receiver Easton Messer intending to be the straw stirring the drink that is first-year head coach Zach Kittley’s offense.

For Messer, that chemistry paid off during the Owls’ 40-21 win over Tulsa on Nov. 8. The fourth-year receiver caught three touchdown passes for the first time in his career, two of which weren’t by design.

“A lot of times you know this should work if I run the right route, if I run it good,” Messer said. “I was pretty excited when he checked those two.”

Veltkamp checked out of a play after seeing a favorable matchup with the Tulsa defense and tossed a 44-yard deep pass to Messer in the second quarter, giving the Owls a 17-6 lead.

“They were playing man coverage, they had seven guys in the box,” Veltkamp said. “A slot fade is not a great check but I don’t care what leverage you are, I’m gonna take Easton to win it.”

Later in the second quarter, Veltkamp saw Tulsa playing man coverage again and chose to exploit their matchup with Messer for another touchdown.

“Right before I snapped it, I checked into a corner, just to make it easy for him,” Veltkamp said. “The second [touchdown] was based on leverage. Easton ran two great routes. I just threw him the ball.”

Messer even threw a pass to Veltkamp for a change. A trick play from receiver to quarterback resulted in seven yards and on the one-yard line. The next pass resulted in a loss and the Owls had to settle for a field goal.

“They’re fun but we got to score on the next one for sure,” Veltkamp said.

With 2,596 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions through nine games, Veltkamp is close to his offensive totals last year when he led WKU to eight wins and, ironically, the Boca Raton Bowl. While a majority of his yards have gone to Messer, Jayshon Platt, and Asaad Waseem, Veltkamp has thrown a touchdown pass to eight different receivers. After the game, he emphasized the importance of developing a rapport with the entire receiving room as the season progresses.

“It should always continue to progress and get better,” Veltkamp said. “It should never get worse.”

Veltkamp wasn’t the only quarterback to throw a touchdown pass to Messer last week. His third score came from veteran backup quarterback Zach Gibson on a nine-yard flea-flicker pass in the fourth quarter.

“That’s a crucial play right there,” Gibson said. “If we don’t get that, they’ve got all the momentum. I didn’t try to put too much pressure on myself but I knew the play was going to work. When you have trust in your guys, good things are going to happen.”

Gibson, a 25-year-old graduate student, is on his fourth team in six seasons. He spent the first three years at Akron, where he threw for 1,262 yards and 10 touchdowns without an interception in 2021.

“Zach has played a lot of football,” Messer said. “He’s gonna come in and spin it.”

Gibson came in for Veltkamp in the second half as a way to preserve the starting quarterback’s health. 

“Being a backup quarterback is a lot like being a bullpen pitcher,” Gibson said. “When your number is called, you’ve got to be ready to go.”

At 4-5 entering the final three games of the season, the Owls have a chance to finish with bowl eligibility. The Owls are 1-4 away from the nest and are entering their final road game of the season at Tulane on Saturday, Nov. 15, which is contending for an American Athletic Conference championship. The Owls are 3-1 at home and will finish the regular season by hosting UConn and East Carolina, another conference championship contender.

Florida Atlantic’s improving offense will be put to the test through the final stretch of the season.

De'Von Achane runs for one of his two touchdowns in the Dolphins' win against the Bills.

Pressure Point: Dolphins frustrate Bills’ Allen, show they have McDaniel’s back

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Well, well, well.

The Miami Dolphins’ 30-13 upset of Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium was like looking out and spotting a chartreuse unicorn in your backyard.

Seeing Allen frustrated by the Dolphins is something rarely if ever seen before. They went toe-to-toe with their long-time nemesis and prevailed, ending a seven-game skid against their division rival.

They made big plays on offense, led by De’Von Achane’s 225 yards from scrimmage (174 yards rushing) and two touchdowns.

The provided an eye-opening response following a humbling loss to the Ravens, the firing of long-time general manager Chris Grier and the trade of popular linebacker Jaelan Phillips.

Clearly all of that was a wakeup call for the Dolphins, who coach Mike McDaniel described as “quite honestly, a little salty.”

The Miami defense, especially, played pissed off and determined. Which begs the question why that mindset wasn’t more prevalent in many of the lackluster performances earlier in the season.

“It’s pretty obvious from their play they didn’t believe their season was over,” said McDaniel, whose job is in jeopardy due to the team’s ragged play the first half of the season. “They chose to believe, throughout the whole thing … They made that decision to continue to believe and continue to invest in each other.”

Win detrimental to Dolphins’ draft position

The one conclusion that can be drawn is that this team has not quit on its coach.

For Dolphins, now 3-7 amid a disappointing season, it’s something to build on, though it didn’t aid the larger rebuilding task ahead of them, in regards to draft position.
It was a surreal day for the Fins and their fans.

It began with a report by NFL insider Tom Pelissero made the best pitch of any team for Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle at the trade deadline last week. According to Pelissero, the Bills offered a first-round draft pick in 2027 and a third-rounder in 2026.

The Dolphins reportedly wanted the first-round pick in 2026, so no deal.

That brought mixed reaction from Dolfans, especially those who want the team to tank this season and accumulate as much draft capital for the future as possible.

Building through the draft is the way to go, but I’m not onboard with trading one of their best assets on offense to an opponent in their division that they must find a way to get past in the years ahead.

That was a mistake the franchise made in 2007 when they traded wide receiver Wes Welker to the Patriots for a couple of draft picks. It haunted the Dolphins for years, while Welker contributed significantly to the Patriots dynasty as a favorite target of Tom Brady.

Jaylen Waddle has big game after nearly being traded

Fitting that Waddle reiterated his value to the Dolphins with five receptions for 84 yards, including a spectacular 38-yard grab from Tua Tagovailoa for the game’s first touchdown while being covered so aggressively by Bills rookie Maxwell Hairston drew a flag for interference.

Keep in mind, if they trade Waddle, their best receiver in the absence of injured Tyreek Hill – who may never suit up for Miami again – that becomes a big hole to fill.

In addition, any draft picks that might have been acquired from the Super Bowl-contending Bills figure to be late-round.

While Tagovailoa (two touchdown passes, two interceptions) led the offense to four touchdowns and a field goal, it was the defense that stood out in throttling a dangerous opponent.

Allen, the Bills’ super-star quarterback, has owned them. Often he has humiliated them. He came in 14-2 against Miami.

Dolphins’ defense gives inspired effort

Sunday was altogether different. The Dolphins defense intercepted him in the endzone and forced him to fumble in the fourth quarter while a comeback was still within reach. They sacked him three times and had seven quarterback hits.

They also contained running back James Cook (53 yards, 4.1 per carry).

They played with resolve rarely seen this season, led by Jordyn Brooks, Bradley Chubb, Tyrel Dodson and Mikah Fitzpatrick. Zach Sieler finally got his first sack of the season and Ifeatu Melifonwu his first interception as a Dolphin.

With veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas out with an injury, they got strong play from young cornerbacks including Jack Jones (forced fumble), JuJu Brents (fumble recovery) and Jason Marshall Jr.

This game did nothing to alter the balance of power in the AFC East. It could be viewed as a trap game for the Bills, who were coming off an emotional win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the main obstacle for their Super Bowl ambition.

This reminded me of the “Wildcat game” in 2008 when the lowly Dolphins stunned the Patriots 38-13. The Patriots were on a 21-game regular-season winning streak and 12.5-point favorites. They were surprised by running back Ronnie Brown taking shotgun snaps in a college-style offense.

This one wasn’t built around a gimmick. Instead the Dolphins gave the sort of determined effort, on offense and defense, that they struggled to muster until this season wilted into a lost cause.

Dolphins remain an enigma despite win over Bills

“I’m proud of this team,” Tagovailoa said.

How much of what they exhibited in beating the Bills convincingly is who they really are?

The seven remaining games will provide a more definitive answer. As well as determine whether McDaniel remains as coach beyond this season and how much of the roster is worth retaining as a foundation.

It is said that a team is what its record says it is. By that measure, the Dolphins are a 3-7 team with numerous flaws. It remains to be seen who will be entrusted with improving the roster in the ongoing quest of the first playoff win in a quarter century.

But give them credit, against the Bills they played with the sort of conviction and competence it takes to achieve that objective. For one week, at least, they answered the charge that their coach and quarterback can’t win against playoff-caliber teams.

Even the embarrassed Fins  fan with a paper bag over his head had his arms up in celebration.

And for once, Josh Allen was left wearing a frown.

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

Vergil Ortiz Jr. makes emphatic statement, destroying Erickson Lubin

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It only took two rounds for Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s pressure and explosive power to wound Erickson Lubin badly enough for the referee to jump in between them. It was supposed to be a bout that challenged Ortiz, but he made it look as easy as a stroll through the park on Golden Boy’s fight card.

 

The challenger landed five shots in round one, but Ortiz probably didn’t feel more than a tingle. Lubin’s southpaw stance also did nothing to confuse or bother, and his misfiring jab couldn’t create separation, getting himself backed down around the ring, to the ropes and corner early. 

 

Before round two started, Ortiz’s trainer, Robert Garcia, instructed him to go to the body and not to get too confident. But he went for the kill, first connecting with the jab and a straight right hand, putting Lubin back on the ropes. From there, Ortiz unleashed as if he was facing someone who stole from him, hooking to the head and body with both hands to soften him up. One hammering right hand was so devastating that Lubin’s guard caught some of it, but his hands fell, and Ortiz launched a cannonball to his face, hurting him, and the ref instantly reacted.

 

Ortiz (24-0) kept his interim WBC junior middleweight belt, and then called out Jaron “Boots” Ennis, the WBA interim champ who was ringside and later entered for a face-off. They disputed the origins of their trash talk over previous failed fight discussions between them, but both said they wanted a piece of each other.

 

Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya subsequently said, “It was a phenomenal performance by Vergil Ortiz, and I’m actually surprised that Eddie Hearn (chairman of Matchroom Sport) and Boots Ennis [are] here. After watching Vergil Ortiz knock out Lubin, it’s going to be very difficult making this fight, but Vergil Ortiz wants it. So, let’s go, let’s do it.”

 

Ennis last fought on Oct. 11, wiping Uisima Lima, a lesser known and respected opponent, in a tune-up for his debut at 154 pounds in nearly two minutes. A fight between him and Ortiz would be a super showdown. 



Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Nikola Jović has career night as the Heat beat the Trail Blazers

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Despite 19 lead changes and 11 ties, the undermanned Heat took out the Trail Blazers on the second night of a back-to-back, improving to 6-4. Seven Heatles scored in double figures, and Nikola Jović had his best showing in a Heat uniform, setting a new career high of 29 points.

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra elaborated on some of the strategy post-game, saying,  “I’m managing the heck out of the spacing, to create those drives. But I’m not putting the brakes on anyone who is attacking.”

 

Portland’s length gave Miami trouble early, not permitting easy access into the lane and they forced Spoelstra to call the first timeout after taking a 15-3 lead. The Heat didn’t recalibrate until Jaime Jaquez Jr. and the bench crew came in, and they prevented the team from early embarrassment with multiple drive-bys and five steals, including a pick-6 in opposing territory, cutting the deficit to three going into the second quarter.

 

Rebounding out of the zone against bigger rivals was a struggle, and high-enough pick-up points weren’t set on shooters, but they made up for it, forcing six extra turnovers. The Heat also converted 77% of attempts in the period with near-immaculate shooting in the lane from punching the accelerator in transition and ripping up the half-court.

 

The Heatles went to intermission ahead 72-65 after making only one shot in their first 15 attempts. Nikola Jović led them in assists (6), and their double-digit scorers were Dru Smith (10), Andrew Wiggins (12) and Pelle Larsson (10).

 

Subsequently, Deni Avdija plus Jrue Holiday’s rim attacks sullied schemes, but Toumani Camara walking into triple forced the first stoppage of the half. Jaquez checked in, and the Heat regained control just like in the first half off transition strikes and setting up teammates, including a lob to Kel’el Ware.

 

The fourth quarter started with the Heat ahead 100-97, and 10 lead changes followed. Shaedon Sharpe sliced into lane thrice, and Avdija buried a trey. But Jović stepped up for the Heat, making two 3-pointers and two close-range baskets on the move. Jaquez joked in the locker room that Jović should have dropped 30.

 

In the latter stages of the fourth, Jerami Grant fouled out, and Clingan checked in, and the Heat’s strategy was briefly using Wiggins at the five before switching back to Jović at the next substitution. The Heat were then up five points with under a minute left, and got bailed out by Holiday missing a triple after Jaquez bit on his pump fake and they doubled at the arc. The final nail in Portland’s coffin was Avdija taking a shot at the rim instead of pulling up from deep.

 

The Heat won 136-131. They had an advantage in paint points (72-68) and were able to slow down the Trail Blazers in the half-court to 77.5 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the Cleaning the Glass.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat defeat the Hornets in the first Emirates Cup game of the season after a franchise-best 53-point first quarter

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The undermanned Heat’s 3-point shooting went cold after a team record 53-point first quarter, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. plus Simone Fontecchio had to bail them out against the Hornets in their first Emirates Cup game of the year. The defensive communication at first was abysmal without Bam Adebayo as they lost track of drive-bys, 3-pointers, and offensive rebounders, yet they found enough combinations in transition.

 

It was the first game since coach Erik Spoelstra’s home tragically burned. He said, “I had to be the buzzkill after the first quarter, saying they gave up 33 [points]. I’m sure they were rolling their eyes, but we thought it would be easy and then they started to go on a roll… we never established our defensive game to start. We just caught fire in that first quarter.” 

 

The Heat nailed 10 treys in the opening frame on 66.7% shooting and went up 22 points. Yet the script flipped instantly. It was as if the Heat had broken their own legs defensively after playing fast, and the Hornets then rattled off 18 points in a row deep in the second, causing a Spoelstra conniption. The Heat only went on a 6-5 run to close the half ahead by three.

 

The Heat subsequently were able to create some separation as they binged in the lane in the last six minutes of the third quarter. Jaquez took over the fourth, breaking down schemes with hard dribbles for four baskets at close range. His most consequential sequence was dropping Sion James and gashing the middle to take a 10-point lead with five minutes left. Spoelstra gave him props after the game because Charlotte was putting their best defenders on him. “He just continues to be an in-control, downhill, relentless guy. Now that he understands where his outlets are, he can be aggressive…”

 

The Heat won 126-108 and had an edge in two key areas: paint points (70-54) and fastbreak points (20-18). Their biggest weakness was allowing Charlotte to have a 16-point advantage in second-chance scoring. 

 

Despite only making two 3-pointers after the first quarter and suffering the second quarter drop off, the Heat’s half-court attack still logged 108.9 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 85th percentile per Cleaning the Glass. 

 

Pelle Larsson also scored a career-high 20 points on 72.7% shooting, which included an inaccurate four shots in the paint. After the game, he said, “We’re just glad Spo is still able to come spend time with us and that everyone is healthy and no one got hurt. We wanted to get a win for our coach today.”

 

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The wounded Heat came up short in Denver

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The Heat’s road trip through four cities concluded in Denver with a loss, and their losing streak against them climbed to 11 in a row. They stayed longer in the zone because Bam Adebayo left early with a left foot injury, resulting in the defense being unable to hang in the second half without its anchor, and they were massacred on the glass.

 

Coach Erik Spoelstra said that even without Adebayo, the team had a chance to win, but Denver’s cutting, rebounding and relief points were the difference.

 

The Heat’s horsepower had the Nuggets on a treadmill early, and Norman Powell kept getting to the line and splashing treys, but they trailed by three going into the second quarter. The Nuggets traded inside baskets on screen rolls and hard drives, plus loosened up Miami’s defense with five offensive rebounds that resulted in five second-chance points. The hosts also went to a zone multiple times, and the Heat broke out their own when Jonas Valančiūnas checked in. 

 

Bam Adebayo hurt himself, stepping on Cam Johnson’s foot on a handoff play, so Ware and Nikola Jović got extra time at the five. They were most vulnerable when the latter was the center, so Keshad Johnson guarded Jokić, but it looked like someone checking their overgrown brother. Jokić was able to get loose on tip-ins and close-range attacks in the half-court plus transition. Aaron Gordon also overpowered and maneuvered around his matchup on multiple rim strikes and nailed a trifecta for 17 points.

 

The Nuggets’ 3-point attack wasn’t a factor, yet their transition defense slowed down the Heat’s open-court attack, and their assault on the glass created a 40-19 advantage in the first half. 

 

The Heat were down 68-60 at halftime following eight ties and 11 lead changes. Jaime Jaquez Jr. gave them a shot in the arm with his drive-bys into the lane, but he was their only threat off the bench.

 

Even with Andrew Wiggins making five of his nine field goals in the second half, the Heat subsequently didn’t have enough firepower and had trouble guarding without their defensive anchor and the communication suffered as well, giving up multiple back door cuts. They fell behind by 12 and got as close as seven before going down another 14 points. Much of the sequence looked like a Camry trying to catch up to a Jaguar. 

 

Jokić broke through the schemes twice more and exposed openings with his passing. “Jokić manages every aspect of the game… he knows intuitively when those swing moments are when there’s an opportunity to take a six [to] eight point lead and push it to 12 and 14,” Spoelstra said.

 

Despite the Heat making three up-top triples and four shots in the restricted area in the fourth quarter, Denver kept them at arm’s length by getting what they wanted in the interior.

 

The Heat lost 122-112, while getting stomped in two key areas: paint points (62-42) and second chance points (22-8).  Regarding the challenge of guarding Jokić, Powell said, “It’s all about communication and limiting those relief point, like we call them. But it’s tough because we take away the cuts, and those guys cutting end up being offensive rebounders.”

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The Heat’s next four games are at home against the Charlotte Hornets (Friday), Portland Trail Blazers (Saturday) and twice against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a miniseries (Nov. 10, Nov. 12).

 

South Florida Basketball Reloads: Transfer Talent Shines in Miami, FAU and FIU Openers

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The men’s college basketball season tipped off in South Florida on Monday, with all three Division I programs hosting their season openers to various degrees. 

The region is only two seasons removed from seeing both the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Atlantic Owls in the Final Four, but both teams look so far away from returning to the sport’s biggest stage. 

Miami, FAU, and FIU all won their season openers on Monday, and each win told a different story about how a fan can feel about their individual season prospects. The top takeaway from Monday is how many players on all three teams were playing their first game in their new uniforms. 

Teams change more dramatically from season to season in modern-day college basketball. Everything you thought about these squads the season prior is unvalid today. 

Miami downs Jacksonville 

After three seasons at Indiana, senior guard Malik Reneau made his Miami debut with 20 points, all of which were from mid-range shots and attacking the rim. 

The Hurricanes defeated Jacksonville, a solid squad from the Atlantic Sun, 86-69, by attacking the paint and using their strength and size to their advantage. Senior Ernest Udeh Jr., who transferred from TCU, recorded a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds in his Hurricane debut. 

Jacksonville saw three-point shooting as its route to victory. The Dolphins made four three-pointers to take an early 12-8 lead. However, they shot 4-of-28 from behind the arc the rest of the game and couldn’t keep up with the Hurricanes. 

All five Miami starters registered double-digit points, and all five of them were making their Hurricane debut. Jai Lucas is not only a new head coach, but he also brought in a brand new team with him to Miami. 

The Hurricanes’ three-point shooting is still to be desired, but they’ll have home matchups against Bethune-Cookman on Thursday and Stetson on Nov. 10 to prove that. They should be 3-0 entering their matchup against Florida on Nov. 16 and BYU on Nov. 27, both of which are in neutral sites. 

Florida Atlantic wins overtime thriller

Florida Atlantic’s road back to March Madness began with a bang on Monday, as the Owls beat Boston College 83-78 in overtime for the program’s first win over a power conference team since upsetting Miami in 2002. 

The Owls finished John Jakus’ first season as head coach in the NIT. But a win over an ACC team, even one as mediocre as Boston College, in a packed fieldhouse sets the stage for a promising season. 

Junior guard Kanaan Carlyle established himself as a go-to scorer for the Owls. Carlyle started his career as a reserve role player at Stanford, with 11.5 points per game in 23 games as a freshman. He transferred to Indiana the next season but saw less time on the court as a sophomore with the Hoosiers. He scored 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-8 from the three-point line. 

The Owls also have some fresh faces from overseas. Freshman Yohann Sissoko from France scored 15 points with a perfect 3-for-3 outside shooting. Junior Xander Pintelon from Belgium dropped 14 points, with 12 coming from beyond the arc. 

FAU travels to take on Charleston and Liberty over the weekend in the Field of 68 showcase. 

FIU conquers the Conquistadors

Unlike Miami and FAU, FIU started the season with a game against a NAIA opponent. The Panthers are searching for their first winning season since 2019-20, so any win is not one to scoff at. 

The Panthers’ 101-49 win over the Florida National Conquistadors was a display of what they may be capable of. Larry Olayinka made his FIU debut with 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting with seven rebounds. Olayinka previously played for Utah Tech and Samford, mainly as a reserve player searching for more opportunity on the court. 

Zawdie Jackson is another Panther to keep an eye on. Jackson, who averaged 10.5 PPG at New Mexico State last season, scored 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and 3-of-3 from the three-point line in his Panther debut. 

Corey Stephenson spent the past two seasons at Cal State Bakersfield and averaged 11.4 points per game last year. He scored 16 points for the Panthers against FNU. Brit Harris has a similar resume from USC-Upstate and added 10 points for the Panthers. 

FIU’s new lineup will truly be tested against Nebraska and LSU in the coming week. 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat escape Intuit Dome with a close win against the Clippers

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The Heatles triple-teamed Kawhi Leonard’s last-second shot, taking out the Clippers late in the fourth quarter and narrowly escaping with a one-point win. 

 

Norman Powell returned from his three-game absence (groin strain) and mowed down coverages like he never left. Bam Adebayo dropped an efficient 25 points and 10 boards, outplaying Ivica Zubac. And Andrew Wiggins led the crew in fourth-quarter scoring. 

 

The start was the opposite of the previous night against the Lakers: Miami racked up a 10-point lead over LAC two minutes in and quickly were on the other end of the gun, courtesy of Kawhi Leonard’s pull-up shooting and an open-court gash by former Heatle Derrick Jones Jr..

 

The Heat went to a zone, and a stimulus by the bench- Simone Fontecchio, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Davion Mitchell and Kel’el Ware, who redeemed himself from the previous night- delivered a four-point edge to the starters after going up by seven. 

 

The Clippers’ main unit outplayed the Heat’s for the rest of the half, but despite a five-point deficit, the Heat had four double-digit scorers and devoured the restricted area, making 15 shots in 18 tries. 

 

The visitors subsequently sprayed schemes in the third quarter on 70% shooting on drive and kicks, slot cutting and pick-6s, which included seven shots without a miss. They entered the fourth quarter ahead by eight, but the Clippers erased that and four ties and two lead changes followed. 

 

The offense fell apart, but Adebayo’s pull-up jumper at the nail over Zubac with 91 seconds to go gave them the final lead.

 

The Heat won 120-119. They scored 111.7 points per 100 half-court plays, good enough for the 86th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass. They also led in two key areas: paint points (58-48) and points off turnovers (37-25).

 

After the game, coach Erik Spoelstra praised Ware. He said Kel’el gave us great minutes, really great minutes. It was great to see him respond like that.”

 

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.

 

Dolphins fans show their displeasure with their team's latest failure in a 28-6 loss to the Ravens.

Pressure Point: Dolphins’ season goes from bad to ugly; Grier first to take fall

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The Miami Dolphins are nothing if not exasperating.

They set you up just to let you down.

Every. Damn. Time.

It’s the constant in the flood of squandered opportunities amid a generation of failed seasons.

Four days after a surprising rout of the Falcons in Atlanta, the Dolphins confirmed the hint of a turnaround was a mirage in an embarrassing 28-6 flop at home in prime time Thursday against the Ravens.

Might we add, as expected?

There can be no doubt now, this latest regime under coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier and, yes, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, is over. Done. Kaput.

Grier was the first domino to fall with team owner Steve Ross announcing a “mutual” parting Friday morning. McDaniel will remain until the end of the season, but he’s the lamest of ducks.

Change was inevitable after to a national television audience witnessed utter disgust on the faces of Dolphins fans Thursday night. That is, except for the ones expressing their displeasure by sporting bags over their heads.

Dolphins squander many opportunities in loss to Ravens

Don’t say the Dolphins can’t beat anyone. They are masters at beating themselves.

It happened early and often Thursday night. The reaction went from gnashing of teeth to throwing hands up in despair to an increasing chorus of boos.

A lot of boos. And finally, storming for the exits early in the fourth quarter.

The maddening part was that the Dolphins, who fell to 2-7, were the better team on the field through the first half.

Miami outgained the Ravens 225 to 109 and held the ball for 19 of the opening 30 minutes — but trailed 14-6.

For the second game in a row, they showed positive signs on offense, defense and the return game. But they couldn’t get out of their own way.

Any hope that even the most optimistic Dolfans retained was swept away in a catastrophe of errors.

Here a blunder, there a stupid penalty, everywhere a mystifying mistake.

Coach Mike McDaniel summed it up in a sideline interview before the second half, saying, “You can’t play against two teams, we’ve got to play against one.”

It started with receiver Tahj Washington making his first NFL catch for first-down yardage, only to have the ball stripped from his grasp and the Ravens recover at the Miami 7. They cashed in with Lamar Jackson throwing his first of four touchdown passes, one of two to tight end Mark Andrews in the opening half.

Dolphins fail to finish scoring chances

Jackson and the Ravens offense were relatively quiet in the first half, recording only four first downs. They didn’t have to do a lot because the Dolphins were so busy sabotaging themselves.

Miami had three drives deep into Baltimore territory — reaching the 25, 17 and 13 — that netted only three points.

On one of those, McDaniel elected to go for it on fourth-and-1, only to have tackle Larry Borom false start. McDaniel was livid. He then sent in the field goal unit and Riley Patterson missed the 35-yard attempt.

Andrews was wide open for his second TD reception because two Dolphins defenders had a head-on collision while he ran past them on a crossing route.

Soon after, the Dolphins had a 36-yard completion to Jaylen Waddle called back because of a personal foul for tripping on rookie running back Ollie Gordon II. Gordon appeared to lose his footing and the pass rusher fell over him.

Bad call? Even the officiating expert said so on the broadcast.

But it paled in comparison to what the Dolphins were doing to themselves.

Late in the half, with third-and-2 at the Baltimore 13, the Dolphins elected to run with the Ravens defense stacked against the run. No gain for De’Von Achane.

On fourth down, Tagovailoa tried to throw a fade in the endzone to Achane, who was matched against much taller Kyle Hamilton, a Pro Bowl safety. Achane broke off the route and the pass sailed harmlessly away.

McDaniel explained it as “miscommunication, so to speak.”

Dolphins fans turn against team

All hope imploded imploded in the second half as Jackson took over with back-to-back touchdown passes in the third quarter.

Those were sandwiched around a Dolphins three-and-out which began with a sack of Tagaovailoa, followed by Achane thrown for a loss of 1 and Tua throwing incomplete behind Achane in the flat.

The fitting bookend to a self destructive performance came early in the fourth quarter when the Dolphins’ other receiver named Washington — Malik — had the ball stripped from his hands at the Baltimore 10.

All that remained was for the bagheads to render their verdict on the game, the season and the latest fruitless chapter in the history of a franchise that once achieved the only undefeated run to a Super Bowl championship.

By the end, fans on social media were punking Tua’s attempt to inspire his teammates in the tunnel.

“That sucks. All of that sucks,” McDaniel said afterward. “Fans enjoy winning. We have to go back to work to give them something to cheer about.”

Alas, that is somewhere over the rainbow with no yellow brick road leading there. The Dolphins’ future calls for painful rebuilding yet again.

It only gets worse next week with Josh Allen and the Big Bad Bills coming to town.

It remains to be seen who will make the trip to Spain the following week to face the Commodores. And whether they will bother to come back.

The first order of business for interim general manager Champ Kelly will be the trade deadline coming Tuesday. Whether or not wholesale housecleaning begins immediately, the remainder of the season must be used to assess who is worth retaining for the future. That should feature more playing time to young players like defensive lineman Jordan Phillips, cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., and yes, rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Whoever Ross chooses to lead this next rebuilding effort will need to know what they have to work with and what they need to address. Here’s hoping the owner makes better decisions on coach and front office than he has so far in his stewardship of the franchise. He owes it to long-suffering fans.

There is no quick fix for these Dolphins. And no coming back from what transpired Thursday night.

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