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.

 

Marlins OF Owen Caissie living up to the promise

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The Miami Marlins were promised a star in the making in Owen Caissie and so far it appears that promise is being kept.

Very few Marlins players have made the introduction Caissie has. Every hit he knocks carries significance. None more so than when he entered Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rockies late and won it on a two-run walk-off homer to put the Marlins on top 4-3.

“I kind of blacked out,” Caissie said. “It was awesome to get the W and to get the sweep was great.”

Caissie wasn’t in the starting lineup entering the game due to the Marlins playing the matchups against Rockies left-handed starting pitcher Jose Quintana. He entered the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and delivered when the Marlins were down to their last out.

“You kind of wish for those moments like this,” Caissie said. “I just want to keep putting good swings on the ball. I know that it’s not always going to be like this, but if I can continue to stick with my plan, I know good things are going to happen.”

While the first series of the season is a microscopic sample size, one has to also include his initial introduction to the Marlins organization, which was to play for Team Canada at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Caissie collected seven hits, led the team with five RBI, and helped propel Canada to its first quarterfinal round in the tournament’s 20-year history.

“He started off spring training a little slow. I think he was putting a little pressure on himself, obviously trying to make a good impression for the new organization. Then WBC he really kind of got those ABs every day,” said Marlins catcher Liam Hicks, who was also Caissie’s teammate with Canada. “It’s awesome to finally see him get the opportunity.“

Now compound that to his first three games where every time he reaches base, it leads to the Marlins scoring a run that proved to be the difference between 3-0 and 0-3. Similar numbers, as he went 5-for-10 with a home run, four RBI and a stolen base. 

“He’s been unbelievable for us,” Marlins second baseman Xavier Edwards said of Caissie, “swinging a really hot bat.”

With a left-handed stroke that generates swift bat speed and power, Caissie’s stated approach of hitting the ball down the middle has paid off early on. Especially Saturday when he hit for two doubles and a go-ahead RBI single.

“I’m gonna make mistakes, but today I felt like I did a good job at swinging at good pitches,” Caissie said after Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies.

The price for him was seemingly high. The Marlins had to send Edward Cabrera away after completing the best season of his young career (3.53 ERA, 150 SO, 137.2 IP). He is signed for $4.45M this year and is bound to be far pricier as he goes through more years of arbitration, so it was time for the Marlins to restart the clock on a player with just as much potential.

It wasn’t the first time Caissie was traded for a potent pitcher. After the San Diego Padres made Caissie the highest-drafted Canadian outfielder ever (45th overall) in 2020, he became the prized prospect in a seven-player trade for Yu Darvish that December.

Through one year in Double-A and two in Triple-A, Caissie averaged 21 home runs per season in his aged 20-22 seasons. His 22 homers last year with Triple-A Iowa came in 99 games, his lowest since 2021, and it came with a career high .937 OPS, which was third in the International League. That propelled him to the big leagues with the Cubs in mid-August, where he collected five hits in 12 games.

It’s evident early on that Caissie fits with this young Marlins team far more than with a Cubs squad filled with established veterans and deep postseason expectations. Who knows, maybe they’ll meet again in October.

”We have a lot of fun and we play loose and relaxed,” Caissie said. “We’re never out of the game so we really play with that intensity.”

Around the Diamond: Jake McCarthy relishing veteran role with young Rockies

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After five seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Jake McCarthy enters the 2026 season with a new team, a new shade of purple, and a new role.

The veteran outfielder for a young Colorado Rockies squad that is looking to build upward from a 43-119 2025 season.

“It reminds me a lot of when I got called up in 2021 and the young team I played on in 2022,” McCarthy said. “I think it’s fun to be a part of something ascending and I think we’re going in the right direction here.”

The 2021 Diamondbacks finished 52-110 but demonstrated the building blocks of what would be their run to the World Series two years later. Through the rubble of the previous season, Colorado saw Hunter Goodman emerge as a franchise cornerstone at catcher (31 HR, 91 RBI), Mickey Moniak (24 HR, .270 BA) finally emerge in his first season on his third team. McCarthy joins an outfield core that includes Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck, both solid hitters and elite defenders.

This year’s Rockies also feature the corner infield duo of TJ Rumfield, who homered off Marlins starting pitcher Eury Perez in Saturday’s 4-3 loss, and Kyle Karros, the son of Ex-big leaguer Eric Karros. There is also the potential of Ezequiel Tovar rebounding to his 2024 form, where he hit 26 home runs and earned a gold glove at shortstop. He hit a two-run home run off Perez in the fourth inning.

“I think there are a lot of young, really talented players here who are eager to prove themselves,” McCarthy said. “I think the more experience they get, the better overall club we’ll get.”

An athletic outfielder, McCarthy was no stranger to altitude prior to joining the Rockies. Aside from playing in Denver during his time as a division rival, he also spent his Triple-A years in Reno, NV, which has an elevation of 4,498 ft.

“You’ve got to just get more reps under your belt there,” McCarthy said. “I do think I have at least some experience in playing in elevations and sort of the bigger outfields with the ball carrying a little bit.”

At his best, McCarthy is a speed demon on the base paths. He averaged 24 stolen bases from 2022 to 2024. Coors Field is a ballpark that rewards speed on offense but requires it on defense.

“We want to use that park to our advantage,” McCarthy said.

Sebastian Fundora stops Keith Thurman in round six, retaining his WBC junior middleweight title

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Sebastian Fundora’s advantages in height (nine inches) and reach (11 inches) over Keith Thurman were too difficult a code to crack. The latter couldn’t get close enough, and referee Thomas Tyler stopped it before his face turned from bruised and cut to disfigured.

 

The challenger ate a straight left hand in the opening 10 seconds of the fight and that was a microcosm of how it would go. All he could do was try to tire out Fundora by moving around him, and then he suffered another left-handed laser that buckled his knees, almost causing a knockdown in round two.

 

The champion opened up his attack as the fight continued and his left uppercut landed to the head and body. Thurman subsequently connected on a combination up and downstairs to start the fifth round, but his slender and taller opponent remained disciplined, frustrating him further with pressure. 

 

According to CompuBox, Fundora landed 36 of 80 punches in round five, which is the most Thurman has been tagged in a three-minute burst in his career. A ringside doctor quickly inspected him at the start of the sixth and allowed the fight to continue, but he had no answers anyway. 

 

A right hook opened a cut on his left cheek, and then Taylor stepped in between them after getting sick of watching one man retreat while getting stung with cleaving shots from both sides. Thurman protested the stoppage, and left the ring while Fundora was giving a post-fight interview, but made sure to embrace him first. The former later said at the press conference not to hire Taylor for main events again. “He just jumped in like a white rabbit, man.” The only other loss Thurman had on his résumé was a split decision to Manny Pacquiao in July of 2019. 

 

Fundora said that he had watched tape on Thurman, and knew the overhand left would be a weapon. Additionally, when asked about unifying, he said, “I’m the best. They all have to come to me.”

 

The other champions at 154 pounds are Xander Zayas (WBO, WBA) and Josh Kelly (IBF).

 

Former undisputed junior middleweight champ Jermell Charlo attended the fight and after, said in an interview that he wanted to fight Fundora. 

 

Stock rises for junior middleweight contender

 

Yoenis Tellez had to take minutes of rest in the third round because of a nasty head butt that broke his nose, leaking a lake of blood on the canvas. He said the pain was a 10 out of 10, but that he is a warrior, and proceeded to take control with his jab, combinations and power shots. 

 

He couldn’t breathe through his nose, yet he recovered his confidence with the big straight right hands in the fourth round. 

 

Brian Mendoza was the bigger man, and he kept many rounds close, yet Tellez was more active and effective with his aggression. The former was also cut next to the left eye by a head clash, affecting his vision in round eight. 

 

The judges scored the co-main event 98-92, 97-93 and 97-93 after 10 rounds. 

 

The first thing Tellez did in the post-fight interview was give his support to his country (Cuba), which is facing tough times because of an oil blockade, and that has worsened the energy problems, and he thanked his team. He was asked how he survived the head butt and credited his team for that, too.

 

Marlins Opening Day the start of a crucial season for Sandy Alcantara

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No Miami Marlins pitcher has started on Opening Day as often as Sandy Alcantara.

The first prized prospect netted in the Bruce Sherman ownership era, Alcantara made his big league debut in 2018 and he has been the ace of the Fighting Fish ever since, with two playoff appearances and a Cy Young award to his name.

Alcantara started the all-so crucial 2026 season with a strikeout. He finished his sixth Opening Day start with a seven-inning gem allowing no earned runs on four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts in a Marlins 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies.

“We know this is a long season,” Alcantara said, “and it’s better when you start winning.”

It was the type of performance that had first baseman Connor Norby proclaiming it as “vintage Sandy” during his postgame interview.

“Everything was working today,” Alcantara said. “Put a lot of sweeper in today and we’ve got to see the result.”

That sweeper is what has the Marlins confident in the 30-year-old’s chances of returning to his peak form. After returning from Tommy John surgery and struggling through the first half of 2025, Alcantara went 7-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 13 starts, signaling a potential return to greatness this year.

“He’s building on that this year by adding a new pitch, adding a sweeper,” Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said. “His changeup is even better than before. It’s really the version of Sandy from a few years ago.”

Alcantara is in the final year of a five-year, $56M extension he signed in 2022, just before he won the 2022 Cy Young (2.28 ERA, 8.0 WAR, 228.2 IP, 207K). His contract also contains a team option for 2027, which has given the ace a lot of trade value.

However, Alcantara is more valuable to a Marlins team that is gearing up for a potential playoff push.

“Sandy’s really important to this organization,” Bendix said, “the things that he’s accomplished here, what he means to this organization. We know that and I think he’s proud of that. We’re proud of that.

Miami won 79 games last year with ascending talent and when the Marlins were at their best, so was Sandy. Should he and Eury Perez, who starts on Saturday, reach their potential this year, this young Marlins team could be positioned to compete for the postseason.

“I think this year could be maybe the best year yet for Sandy,” Bendix said.

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.”

   



Carlos Adames cruises to a unanimous decision against Austin “Ammo” Williams

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The WBC’s middleweight belt didn’t change hands. Carlos Adames’ trunks had “destroy” and “demolish” written on the front plus backside, and he lived up to that, being too strong for his challenger, who looked like he’d gone through oblivion inside Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. 

 

The strongest Austin “Ammo” Williams looked was in the first round as he opened up, but the champion was waiting like a cobra in the sand. Adames then dropped him with a thunderous, double right hand in the second round, yet he failed to close early. 

 

The challenger went from hunter to prey, getting stung with shots upstairs and below. His lips were busted as he retaliated and at moments, landed decent shots that would make many think twice. 

 

Adames is a different beast who took all of it, giving it back thrice to prove his manhood and that he was correct about the quality of fighter between him and Williams before the fight. His corner wanted a more disciplined attack, but he kept pursuing aggressively.

 

The sixth round was a brawl, and Williams walked back to his corner as the battered man, despite bravely standing up to Adames, the older man by two years. 

 

The straight right hand was a spear piercing armor that was so effective that Williams was only a threat early in rounds before tiring and shifting to survival. Adames later said in Spanish that he was a sniper who knew he could connect with the right hand when he wanted to. Additionally, Williams’ corner pleaded for him to press forward, and his failure was not for lack of trying. 

 

Adames subsequently knocked out his mouthpiece twice in the 11th and 12th rounds, cruising to the finish line, but it wasn’t all pretty. He was deducted a point in the 12th for another low blow; it gave Williams a brief spurt of energy with both of them trading venom until there was no more pop on the challenger’s punches.

 

The Dominican champ won unanimously on the cards 118-108, 117-109 and 117-109. He hadn’t fought since Feb. 22, 2025, which came to a draw against Hamzah Sheeraz in Riyadh. (Sheeraz has now moved up to super middleweight.)

 

He said in Spanish in his post-fight interview that, “I told him it would be easy work for me and it was easy work. I’m the best 160 (pounder) there will be in history.”

 

Other notable middleweights include Marvelous Marvin Hagler (63-3-2), who successfully made 12 defenses of his crown; Gennady Golovkin (42-2-1) was the unified champ of the WBA, WBC and IBF from 2015-18; Bernard Hopkins (55-8-2) who successfully defended his title 20 times.

 

Adames was also asked about Sheeraz, and he said he “took him apart in his own house” and that he’s ready for whoever is his next opponent, whether it be at 154, 160 or 168 pounds. For clarification: Sheeraz is an Englishman with Pakistani and Indian descent. 

 

Williams said, “It was certain shots I was trying to find, he was able to negate them. So, I mean, it was just a good performance from him. I can’t really say I was too shocked or surprised…”

 

The other titleists at 160 pounds are Erislandy Lara (WBA) and Janibek Alimkhanuly (WBO), who is suspended by the sanctioning body. The IBF belt is vacant after stripping Alimkhanuly for failure to complete a title defense requirement and a failed performance enhancing drug test.

 

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.