Miami Heat: Several factors point to a win for struggling Heat

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As the Miami Heat get set to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, they will be looking to bounce back from their difficult loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. The good news for Miami is that Jimmy Butler will return to the lineup.

Butler has been out for the past two games. His loss has certainly been felt. Butler is the leading scorer for the Miami Heat with 20.6 points per contest. The last game he played in was against Atlanta. In that game, he scored 17 points. His presence on the floor as well as the energy he brings to the entire team has been sorely missed.

Miami Heat need to capitalize on opportunity

Not only will Butler return, but Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns will be out for Wednesday’s game. Leading the team in scoring with 26.5 points per game and rebounds with 10.8, he does it all. His well-rounded game is certainly an asset for Minnesota.

With the Timberwolves coming into Wednesday night’s action at 16-40 , they need a win badly themselves. Minnesota has lost 18 of the last 19 games, and is currently on a five-game losing streak.

All of the stars are aligning for Miami to have a bounce-back game on Wednesday. Especially with Miami’s key player coming back and Minnesota losing one, this is a perfect chance to get back on the right track. Miami has struggled after the All- Star Break.

Thankfully, they are playing at home. They have had tremendous success in their friendly confines, posting a 23-3 record.

Miami should be able to count on solid production from Bam Adebayo and Butler against Minnesota. Adebayo in particular has been playing strongly. He will need to have a repeat performance from Monday. The Miami Heat need this win in order to keep pace in the Eastern Conference.

They have to take advantage of opportunities that they are given. No superstar for Minnesota is certainly opens the door for a victory. Butler coming back allows this offense to have more of a rhythm and flow to it. Hopefully, Butler’s return will lead to success, and more cohesiveness on the floor.

Miami Heat waste another strong effort from Bam Adebayo

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The Miami Heat fought hard, but on Monday night, they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime. Suffering defeat by a 125-119 score, the Heat wasted another strong effort from Bam Adebayo.

The power forward played in 41 minutes, and he made the most of every single one of them. He scored 22 points on nine-of-15 shooting. He also managed to grab 13 rebounds, 12 of which came on the defensive end.

It seemed like he was involved in every single play. Chipping in nine assists and four blocks, he brought energy defensively. The nine assists matched his total from Saturday. He also proved to be somewhat of a pick-pocket, recording three steals on the evening.

If there was one negative to his game Monday, it was the turnovers. He had six on the night. However, when you consider how many touches he had over the course of the game, that is not a horrible number. Even still, that is a number you would like to see on the lower side.

Monday night was a strong bounce-back game from Saturday night. Saturday, Adebayo managed to score 15 points in 26 minutes. However, he was lacking in the rebound department, only recording three on the evening.

Monday night, he was able to put it all together.

Adebayo surging for Miami Heat

Ever since the All-Star break Adebayo has played well. He scored 28 points against Atlanta on February 20, and follow that up with the decent showing against Cleveland on Saturday. This post-break surge bodes well for a Miami Heat team that needs all of their stars to start rounding into playoff form.

Adebayo needs to continue to play at a high level. Particularly in the rebounding department, he is the main source of boards for this team. His stock is definitely soaring right now, and he is proving he can be a reliable option game after game. This bodes well for the future.

Miami Heat: Team needs to win rebound battle on Monday

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As the Miami Heat get set to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night, they need to clean up one thing. Rebounds were a huge problem for them in Saturday’s game. Even though Miami won by a 124-105 score, Cleveland significantly beat Miami in the battle for the glass.

Larry Nance Jr. and Cedi Osman each had seven rebounds. Andre Drummond had six. Off the bench, Tristan Thompson had seven and point guard Dante Exum had eight . Cleveland cleaned up the offensive glass particularly well, holding an 11-4 advantage.

For their part, Miami did manage to do a decent job on the glass. Derrick Jones Jr. led all starters in rebounds with four. Off the bench, Udonis Haslem had five rebounds. He didn’t make much of an impact in the scoring department, missing all five field goals he attempted. However, he did a solid job on the glass, especially when you consider that he only played 10 minutes.

Cleveland and Miami are pretty even on the glass. Miami has recorded an average of 44.7 rebounds per contest. Cleveland has recorded an average of 44.4 rebounds per game.

Miami Heat need to watch Andre Drummond

As the Miami Heat get set to take on Cleveland Monday, Miami needs to watch out for Drummond in particular . He has been active on the boards sense he came to Cleveland.

The six rebounds he tallied on Saturday night were actually his fewest so far in four games with the Cavaliers. In his first game with the team on February 9, he recorded 14 rebounds. He followed that up with a 15-rebound performance against the Atlanta Hawks on February 12. Prior to the Miami game, he tallied 12 against Washington on February 21.

Drummond has quickly helped the Cavaliers become more of a force on the boards. Miami will have to be cognizant of that.

The Heat will have to watch out for Cleveland on the glass Monday. If they are able to contain the Cavaliers, then they should be able to come away with the victory on the glass.

After having only three rebounds in 26 minutes of play on Saturday, Bam Adebayo should be in line for a much bigger game. If he can bounce back, the Miami Heat should be able to offset Drummond and others. That matchup in the post is certainly one to watch for on Monday.

Miami Heat: Biscayne Boulevard renamed in Dwyane Wade’s honor

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 Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade is receiving another honor. According to a tweet from Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Miami is now designating the street fronting Biscayne Boulevard as Dwyane Wade Boulevard.

The push for Dwyane Wade Boulevard was started by Miami media personality Brendan Tobin. This campaign has been going on for a while.  Now, Tobin and Miami fans get to see their hard work come to fruition.

This  has been a great weekend for Wade. After the Miami Heat retired his jersey on Saturday, he received the key to the city and this honor on Monday.

Wade meant so much to Miami Heat organization

It is all well-deserved for a player who meant so much to the Miami Heat basketball team and the community. When you talk about Dwyane Wade, you are talking about someone that was the face of a struggling Miami franchise when he came into the league in 2003. From there, he was able to put Miami back on the map. Not only that, he did so in impressive fashion.

Drafted with the fifth overall pick in 2003, he put together quite a career. Winning the NBA championship three times, the LeBron James years were some of the biggest of Wade’s career as well. From there, he was able to solidify himself as a Miami sports legend.

Prior to that, he put Miami on his back in seasons prior,  playing in 79 games in 2008-2009.  Scoring 30.2 points per game that year, he  solidified himself as a gritty workhorse and someone who gave it his all every time he was on the court. His athleticism and ability to make tough shots were hallmarks of his playing career.

Now, he gets to be remembered forever. The Miami sports icon has cemented himself in Miami Heat and basketball history. He has certainly come a long way from Marquette.

Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler out against Cavaliers on Saturday

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A key member of the Miami Heat will not play tonight. Jimmy Butler is not going to be in the lineup against the Cavaliers for personal reasons. It is not injury related and it is not related to his newborn child.

Butler has been a workhorse for the Miami Heat this season. He has recorded 20.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He has also managed to be an apt playmaker. Recording 6.2 assists per contest, he had nine in Thursday night’s loss to Atlanta.

This is a tough break for a Miami Heat team that will be looking to bounce back from the loss to the Hawks. They are facing a Cavaliers team that has had a tough go of things. They are the 15th in the Eastern Conference with a 15-40 record. Most recently, they beat the Washington Wizards 113-108.

Miami Heat look to bounce back

This is a big game for Miami as they look to keep pace with the rest of the Eastern Conference. The leading scorer in Miami’s last game was Bam Adebayo. He had 28 points and 19 rebounds. The All-Star will look to continue stuffing the statsheet on Saturday night.

Saturday night is also a special evening as the Miami Heat will retire Dwayne Wade’s jersey. Wade is a Miami legend, and it is great to see him getting his due on Saturday. Saturday also marks the three-year anniversary of the trade that sent Wade from the Cleveland Cavaliers to Miami.

As you may recall, Wade’s tenure in Cleveland was an effort to get as many star possible players around Lebron James as possible. Unfortunately for both parties, it did not work out as expected.

Saturday should work out much better for Wade and the Miami Heat as it should be a fun celebration of an iconic figure in the Miami sports scene. Tipoff is set for 8 PM.

Dwyane Wade continues to add onto his HOF L3GACY! 

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Athlete. Father. Social Activist. Fashion Icon. Champion. Author. Documentarian. Rapper? 

Flash leads the Miami Heat in several categories: Field goals, points, games played, minutes played, free throws, and now BARS!

This weekend, Wade County will honor the historic career of Miami’s greatest athlete, with a 3-day celebration centered around his much-deserved jersey retirement. To kick-off the festivities, Wade and UD linked up with fellow local legend and hip-hop icon, Rick Ross, to shock the world with a new single titled “Season Ticket Holder.” 

The Port of Miami rapper has built a strong relationship with Dwyane and Udonis over the years. In fact, you can often spot him sitting courtside at the AAA (is it still called that?) wearing a custom pair of Li-Nings and dapping up players as he walks towards the Hyde Lounge for refreshments. So, it’s no surprise that Ricky Rozay would find a way to get involved in what will be, one of the most fun and nostalgic weekends in HEAT history. Make no mistake, Rick Ross does the heavy lifting on this track, whereas D.Wade is more of a featured guest. But just like they alluded in the teaser video released earlier this week, this is for Miami, for the culture, for the fans, and for fun. 

So let’s take a minute to breakdown how Flash holds up in what will now be regarded as the theme song for Wade’s L3GACY weekend! 

Intro … Right off the bat, Udonis sounds like he belongs in the booth, whereas Dwyane’s voice… catches you off guard a bit. They shout out their history together and a nod to the three rings on their fingers before the beat drops.

1st Verse … D.Wade hits us with a strong opening line to get the track started. I’m the son of a saint, still considered sinner reaks of Rick Ross’ finest creative greenery, but credit to Flash for nailing the delivery. He weaves through the 1st verse like it’s a classic pick-n-roll, making nods to his stats, fashion, and overall game. Always bet on your homies, then go buy the casino highlights how uplifting of a teammate Wade was. Much better than Dion Waiter’s selfish bet on yourself and then double-down, style of play. His energy really picks up when he gets to the topic of his wife. It’s almost as if you can hear the smile on his face after he mentions her. He then closes out the verse by mentioning his Lamborghini, sneakers, private jets, and money — the basics.

Rick Ross takes over the rest of the track doing what he does best. The lush production hits another level when the hook comes in, sung by Raphel Saadiq. It’s absolutely worth the listen and a cool way to jump-start a memorable weekend for the Miami Heat fans and franchise. Make sure you stick around till the end and catch D. Wade and UD once again resurfacing for the outro to remind us of how hard they worked for 16 seasons.

Three Championship banners in the rafters, three rings on their fingers, and one new single to go with it.

Miami Heat: Trae Young too much for Miami in Heat loss

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It was a tough first game back for the Miami Heat following the All Star break. Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks were able to defeat the Heat by a 129-124 score.

This was a classic trap game for the Miami Heat. It had all of the signs of a trap game: The first game back from the All-Star break against a Hawks team that has had their struggles this season. Ordinarily, this game would be no problem.

For a Miami Heat team that was looking to set the tone following the break, it was the Atlanta Hawks who made their presence known. Young showed exactly why he is one of the game’s top players. He didn’t have the most efficient night, but he was able to make things happen when he had the basketball in his hands.  He single-handedly led the Hawks to victory.

Miami Heat had trouble containing Young

Young was a pest all night. In 40 minutes of play, he scored 50 points. He was inefficient from the field, going 12-of-25. He made his money both from behind the arc and at the free-throw line. Young shot eight-of-15 from beyond the arc and 18-of-19 at the free-throw line. Getting to the line was his most effective way of scoring.

He showed on Thursday what a multi-faceted scorer he is. This was frustrating to watch for Miami fans. The amount of times he got to the line was noticeable. Even still, he was able to lead the Hawks to victory in multiple ways. It seemed like any time he got a little space or was able to get some room to move, he made something happen with the basketball. At the end of the day, Miami had no answer for him defensively. It seemed like he just would not go away.

This was the first 50-point game of  Young’s career. Perhaps the most scary part of the loss on Thursday was the realization that he is only 21 years old. He is only going to get better from here on out.

Next up for Miami is the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday at 8:00 PM. They need to rebound and get back on track to keep pace with the rest of the Eastern Conference.

Airplane Turbulence: Derrick Jones Jr. Dunk Contest Debate Rages

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He promised all 50s, no matter how many it took.

And while Derrick Jones Jr. didn’t deliver that, he did give the Heat their first Slam Dunk championship since Harold Minor in 1995, beating Aaron Gordon in the final round.

 

 

Even so, it’s clear many don’t want to give him the proper respect.

Including Gordon.

Nearly 24 hours after the completion of the contest, the dunk contest — and Jones Jr’s win — was still a top trending topic on Twitter, with many pointing to former teammate Dwyane Wade’s ruling as a judge as the reason Jones reigned. And many are saying Gordon nearly taking off the head of Celtics 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall warranted more than a 47 out of 50. Wade gave Gordon a 9 for it.

Still, Jones Jr. isn’t giving the trophy back, or giving an inch.

Here are some of the tweets that tell the story:

Whatever the NBA world thinks, Miami won 2 of the 3 titles on All-Star Saturday night, with Jones’ buddy Bam Adebayo capturing the Skills Competition.

As we’ve said, it’s safe to hate the Heat again.

They appear to enjoy it….

Still, the Magic fans who can’t jump over a coach’s resignation letter are sending slander to Jones on social media, calling him a “fraud” and a “bum.”

Maybe this is the reason for that…

Bam Adebayo’s Breakout Weekend Continues with Skills Win

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He’s not our big little secret anymore.

Bam Adebayo, the subject of a glowing profile by ESPN’s Zach Lowe this week, has been one of the breakout stars of All-Star weekend, as media members gravitate toward his story and his sunny personality.

And now, he’s about to become even more well known.’

Adebayo was the underdog (as much as +1200) among eight participants in the Skills Challenge — because many bettors aren’t familiar with his unusual versatility. But really, the only question was whether he could make the three-pointer at the end. The dribbling? The layup? The passing? Those are easy for him.

Well, now the world knows how gifted he is.

Adebayo beat Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie, Toronto’s Pascal Siakam and Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis, converting all 3 of the passes on the first try, which gave him a sprinter’s start into the final leg. And yes, he made 3-of-6 three-pointers.

Highlights from a remarkable performance…

First, Dinwiddie…

Next, Siakam…

Finally, Sabonis…

Then he let the world know how happy he was, and how wrong they were…

With a smile, of course…

Remember that bet where Jimmy Butler has to give Bam money for threes made?…

 

Jimmy Butler takes his new Heat culture to Chicago

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The media were waiting for Jimmy Butler in Chicago.

Butler, after all, make his name here — rising from 30th overall pick to Most Improved Player, All-Star, and maximum salary candidate player, even though he would have to go elsewhere to get that last reward.

Now Butler is back, as a member of the Miami Heat and of team Giannis in the 2020 All-Star Game.

He was a few minutes late getting to the podium Saturday for his scheduled availability but, once he did, he did not disappoint.

Here are a few of Butler’s more illuminating and/or amusing thoughts on his transition to the Heat and more.

First, the arrival….

Next, the deep thoughts on the changes to the All-Star Game.

He’s been, um, racking his brain about this one…

Then, on the Heat’s plan after the break…

His assimilation to the Miami culture…

What he has learned about Miami Heat president Pat Riley…

More on the Heat as they chase a home court seed…

How he feels about being a villain….

More praise for his All-Star and Heat teammate, Bam Adebayo…

And of course, the continued taunting of Philadelphia 76er fans..