Miami Heat’s Playoff Schedule Released

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It was finally made official yesterday that the Miami Heat would be facing the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. And today, they released the official days and times of these games.

The Heat were given most of the afternoon times for this first round match-up, which was kind of expected since the national outlets don’t like to showcase or talk about the Heat too much. They will kick off the playoffs with a game on Tuesday at 4pm, which will most likely be the most important game of the series. If the Heat get a hot start, it will be hard for this banged up Indiana team to bounce back.

They follow that game with a start time of 1pm, 3:30pm, and 6:30pm. And if games 5, 6, and 7 are needed, those times will be revealed later.

Although Miami wasn’t given the best game time of the day, this will definitely change if they make it to the second round. That’s when the national media will make sure to put it prime-time, to make sure their reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t get upset by this gritty Heat team.

These early times definitely are something that players will need to adjust to since they’ve never done this before. Most of these players are in such a routine in their daily lives, that they do everything at specific times. But in today’s circumstances, everyone must adjust.

It’s looking like Miami will be fully healthy by game 1 of the playoffs as well, with Kendrick Nunn returning and Jae Crowder’s injury not too serious.

Either way, playoff basketball is back.

Blaise Matuidi Officially Signs for Inter Miami

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Inter Miami CF have gone out and signed a World Cup winner in Blaise Matuidi.

The midfielder will depart Juventus for free, a year before his contract was set to expire. Juventus had recently won the Serie A, but were knocked out in the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final last week. Following the loss, eyes were on Juventus to make major changes at the club. It started with the firing of Maurizio Sarri, and the hiring of Italian legend Andrea Pirlo as manager. Matuidi is thought to be the first of a number of players on the roster set to leave Turin, as they look to restructure the squad.

The Announcement

Bringing in Matuidi was talked about and declared “official” days before Inter Miami officially announced it. When the words “Here we go” are in any tweet from Fabrizio Romano, that’s when you know a deal is done. Romano, a world renowned football journalist and reporter, broke the news suddenly on the morning of August 10th.

Questions were asked about how Inter Miami would bring him in under the MLS Salary Budget. For a player of Matuidi’s quality, it’d be expected that Paul McDonough would have to waste a Designated Player (DP) slot on him. However, McDonough has pulled off the unthinkable here by signing Matuidi as a TAM player. TAM, or Targeted Allocation Money, is defined by MLS as “funds strategically provided by the league to teams to add or retain players that will make an immediate impact on the field.” This leaves the club with one more DP slot available . In a simple sense, a DP is a player who’s salary does not take effect and can exceed the MLS Salary Budget. Therefore, Inter still have a massive opportunity to sign another big name player.

On the Morning of August 13th, Inter Miami posted this tweet to tease Miami fans, “Who controls the field?”:

It was quickly followed with the actual announcement of the clubs new Number 8.

Blaise Matuidi: The Player

At 33 years old, Matuidi contributed heavily to the Scudetto winners in 2019-2020. Of the 38 games this year, Matuidi started in 23 and was subbed on in 12. An important piece to such a top team, Matuidi’s move to MLS may come as a surprise as it doesn’t seem his career was dwindling just yet.

Blaise Matuidi has been on more title winning sides than someone can count on both hands. He’s won the Ligue 1 title five times with PSG, the Serie A three times with Juventus, 12 cup titles in France, and another cup in Italy. Matuidi’s greatest accomplishment however, is his World Cup win with France in 2018.

Normally a center defensive midfielder, and a solid one at that, Matuidi has also proven he can play as a left midfielder, or left back too. In every game Matuidi featured in at the 2018 World Cup for France, he was asked to play on the left side. As a player, Matuidi is a more defensive minded midfielder who excels at winning the ball. Inter Miami, an MLS Expansion Side who’s struggled so far to retain possession and protect its backline, may have found a match made in heaven.

Overall, this is a huge signing by the club. David Beckham has brought in his former teammate to help solidify his midfield and team as a whole. It should be noted that Matuidi likely won’t play in Miami’s first couple of 2020 regular season matches and it is not known exactly when he will be available.

With that said, Miami fans should still be excited to bring in a proven winner like Blaise Matuidi.

Inter Miami are set to host Orlando City at Lockhart Stadium on August 22nd as the 2020 MLS Regular Season returns.

Miami Dolphins: Five takeaways from Tua Tagovailoa’s press conference

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As football begins to get underway and we get a sense of the 2020 Miami Dolphins, one player in particular is on everybody’s mind. Tua Tagovailoa is ready to take over Miami.

Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little bit. Right now, he is not worried about taking over Miami. Right now, he just wants to play football.

That was evident when he met with South Florida media today. In an offseason unlike any other, the former Alabama star seems confident and ready to take the next step. That confidence and desire to play football bodes well for the franchise’s future.

How is he getting along with Ryan Fitzpatrick? Does he have confidence in the coaching staff?

Here are five takeaways from Tua Tagovailoa’s press conference .

Takeaway #1

What Tua said:

What I heard:

This may seem like a simple answer on Tua’s part, but to me, that tells me he is ready to go. He is focused on not only seeing the field in the 2020 season, but also winning the starting job. This is exactly what I would want to hear if I was a Dolphins fan. Right now, he is working hard to connect with his teammates and coaching staff. This sounds to me like he is ready to be a leader, and ready to start building that chemistry on the field already. For a player that is going to be counted on to be the franchise savior, these words should be comforting to say the least.

Takeaway #2

What Tua said:

“To be behind a professional like (Ryan Fitzpatrick) to me it’s kind of mind-boggling how down-to-earth he is. It’s one of those things where it’s, this guy gets it. I don’t know what it is, but he gets it and that saying goes true. It says ‘if you want to get somewhere fast, you go alone, but if you want to do it with purpose, then you bring people with you,’ and I think ‘Fitz’ has done a tremendous job in trying to help shape and mold me and Josh (Rosen) as well. So it’s been really cool to go through that process with him.”

What I heard:

Humbleness on the part of Tua. Although he may be the rookie sensation, he’s not acting like it. It seems like he is very appreciative of his opportunity to play for Miami, and it seems like the quarterback room is very supportive of each other. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been all over the National Football League. He’s carved out a long career, and he knows what it takes to be successful. Now, it seems like he is taking the Alabama star under his wing. He certainly is not a bad person for Tua to mentor from.

Takeaway #3

What I heard:

Tua will take any criticism in stride. This is needed to be a successful player in the National Football League, That’s exactly the type of approach you need to have. Particularly for a rookie, peaks and valleys are going to happen. That’s what happens over the course of a NFL season. If Tua can take it all in stride, than that will serve him well in facing the rigors of a National Football League season.

Takeaway #4

What Tua said:

“I think our coaches – I think they’re going to put the best 11 out there. Whether I’m in that lineup or not, I think they’ve done enough evaluation throughout the week, throughout the month and leadup to that game; so in that regard, I know they’re going to put the best out there.”

What I heard:

The quarterback trusts the coaching staff. To me, this is certainly a good sign because it indicates that all parties are on the same page. Tua trusts Brian Flores and his staff to be able to put the organization in the best positions to succeed. This level of trust could come in handy for both parties once Tua  takes over the starting job full-time.

Takeaway #5

What Tua said:

“I think the best way to handle (pressure) is really not pay attention to it, if that makes sense. Not being someone who just says, ‘oh I don’t like it, I don’t care about it.’ I understand that it’s there, but I just feel like the focus – the main focus – is just being able to get into my playbook, being able to – like I said – build relationships with the guys on the team and just focus on what we’ve got to do inside of the building. “

What I heard:

The quarterback understands that there are going to be high expectations placed on him. He is ready to handle the spotlight. He knows that he is going to be under a microscope, and he knows there is going to be a certain buzz around him. Right now, he just wants to play football. He is focused on learning the playbook and getting acclimated with his teammates. In short, he is focused on the Xs and Os and not the opinions of the masses.

5 Dynamic Duos on Current Miami Heat Team

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The Miami Heat are very different in a sense of their on court connections. Most teams have good lineups that they revolve their team around, but Miami has good duos. Each player on this team has their own running mate that they achieve the most offensive success with, which is why Coach Spo has begun to utilize these patterns. Here are 5 dynamic duos on this current Miami Heat team…

 

Duo #1: Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro

Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro seemed to hit it off the first day that they met. Tyler flew out to Chicago to hang out with Jimmy after he got drafted, and consequently earned Jimmy’s respect due to the amount of hard work he puts in. This has translated to their on-court connection as well, especially recently. Coach Spo has begun to bring Tyler off of the bench early, and leave Jimmy on the court to give them some run together. They seem to feed off of each other down the stretches of games as well. We saw this earlier in the season in a game against the Chicago Bulls, where Jimmy looked to Tyler Herro for a couple clutch three pointers down the stretch. And now that Tyler has improved his play-making abilities, they’ve been able to utilize this connection through back-door cuts, fast-breaks, and more. This duo has so much time to grow since they’ve only played together for half of a season. And with Tyler’s improving defense, this could be a scary duo for many years to come.

 

Duo #2: Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson

Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson have seemed to have a better connection than anybody else on the team, mostly because they are the sparks of their offense. They are the best in the league in dribble hand-offs, by far, mostly due to the lethal off balanced shooting of Duncan Robinson. Bam Adebayo needs credit as well, because he has really become better and better at good, hard screens. They’ve also been able to run some pick and roll stuff in these bubble games since Duncan is beginning to drive to the basket more and more, which only makes this combo more lethal. It also opens up their ability to run dribble hand-offs at a higher rate, since now they’ll have the option to run different things through it. These two know how deadly they are together as well, which is why you see them run the same hand-off four times in a row sometimes, just to get it right. If Bam can slowly develop his jump shot more and more, this could become one of the most unstoppable offensive plays.

 

Duo #3: Goran Dragic and Derrick Jones Jr

Now, this duo is beginning to develop right in front of our eyes. Goran Dragic and Derrick Jones Jr have become quite the combination during these last few games, mostly due to Goran’s intelligent passing and Derrick’s vertical spacing. Derrick has never been much of a scorer, but when Goran is in with him, he’s an absolute offensive threat. And when Goran utilizes his play-making ability, it translate to wins. The Heat are 8-0 this season when Goran has 8 or more assists, which clearly proves the previous statement. Derrick has also helped Goran’s scoring, since teams drop back off of the pick and roll with DJJ rolling, which gave Goran the ability to utilized his floater much more. Goran may have just secured DJJ a spot in the rotation as the playoffs get closer and closer.

 

Duo #4: Jae Crowder and Kelly Olynyk

This is yet another duo that Coach Spo has tried to play together as much as possible. Kelly Olynyk and Jae Crowder played together in Boston for three years, which is what sparked their on court connection. Jae Crowder has told media many times that Kelly’s versatility is what truly helps them work together, and when they put the ball in his hands with the second unit, it can trigger a lot of different sets. It seems to be pretty easy to work well together when you’re both lengthy and able to shoot, but this isn’t the best part of their chemistry. They both are on-court leaders, who are unselfish to make the right plays. Kelly Olynyk’s off ball movement down low is something that Jae always keeps track of in games. Although Jae is now in the starting lineup without Kelly, be prepared for a lot of extended stretches with them playing the 4 and the 5, since they are both players who can spark an offense with their shooting.

 

Duo #5: Erik Spoelstra and Andre Iguodala

The duo of Erik Spoelstra and Andre Iguodala obviously impacts the team in a much different way. They’ve also been together for a much shorter time than all of the others on this list. But, this hiatus has helped these two more than anybody else. It’s given them a chance to learn each other, and find the right fits for Andre on this team. The bubble is also another mechanism that has added to their off-court connection. And all of the off-court connections translate to on-court connections. Erik Spoelstra has always been a coach that rolls with guys that he trusts in tough situations, and Andre Iguodala is one of those guys. Andre obviously isn’t the most natural scorer, but he does everything else for your team that doesn’t show up in a stat sheet. He hasn’t gotten as much minutes over these last few regular season games as others, but that will change in the playoffs. Erik Spoelstra trusts Andre in these situations and Heat fans should too.

Marlins beat Blue Jays

Marlins Finish Road Trip with Thriller, Beat Blue Jays 14-11

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The Miami Marlins escaped Buffalo, NY, with a series split after a thrilling win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Miami built an 8-0 lead before Toronto stormed back thanks to seven home runs. But after dropping the game in extra innings on Tuesday night, the Marlins put three runs on the board in the 10th and held on to beat the Blue Jays 14-11.

Thanks to 10th inning heroics from Magneuris Sierra and Jesus Aguilar, the Marlins return to Miami with an 8-4 record. The team’s 6-day road trip morphed into a 23-day odyssey that saw them lose 20 teammates along the way. And, improbably, Miami sits atop the NL East.

“Obviously, that was a crazy game,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said on the postgame Zoom call. “Seems like a perfect game to end this trip with. Just out of the ordinary, every bit of it.”

Marlins pitchers served up a franchise single-game high seven home runs in this one. The Blue Jays connected on homers in six consecutive innings to tie the game after their early deficit.

This game mirrored the rollercoaster road trip. There was a thrilling, unexpected start, considerable difficulty in the middle and a team-oriented response in the end to help the Marlins beat the Blue Jays.

Wild Ride as Marlins Beat Blue Jays

Brian Anderson connected on his fourth home run of the season to open the scoring. Then in the third inning, the Marlins put five more runs on the board with three singles, three walks, an error and an inexplicable pick-off attempt by Toronto’s catcher.

From there, though, Marlins pitchers allowed the Blue Jays back into the game. Starter Jordan Yamamoto couldn’t make it through four innings, surrendering up seven hits, four earned runs, two walks and two home runs. But the Blue Jay’s home run binge didn’t stop there. Miami’s bullpen gave up five homers and seven earned runs.

But one night after a frustrating extra innings loss, the Marlins rallied in the 10th inning.

Another Shot at Extras

On Tuesday, the Marlins played for the big inning, and were inches away from it, but they couldn’t push a run across. With the new extra innings rule, if the road team doesn’t score first, the odds tilt almost insurmountably in favor of the home team.

Mattingly played last night’s game for one in extras.

“I wanted to try and get a run,” Mattingly said. “The analytics tell me not to do that [bunt]. It ended up being big. You don’t get an out on the bunt, it usually causes you multiple runs.”

That was the case for the Blue Jays. With Eddy Alvarez placed at second base to start the inning, Jon Berti stepped up to move him over. But his bunt snuck pass the mound on the left side and Berti reached base safely, putting runners on the corners with no outs. After a wild pitch moved Berti to second, Sierra followed with a two-run single.

Sierra took second on a failed pickoff attempt, then made it to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jonathan Villar. Aguilar then drove in Sierra with a single, his fourth RBI of the game.

Josh A. Smith entered in bottom of the 10th as Miami’s ninth pitcher of the night. Despite the placed runner at second and starting the inning with a walk, Smith navigated the 10th with a pair of strikeouts to record the save. It was Smith’s second career save and his first with the Marlins.

“We’re competitors,” Smith said after the Marlins beat the Blue Jays. “It says a lot about this organization. It says a lot about the guys that we have down there. We come to work every day, blue collar. Whenever our name is called, we try to get it done. Whoever doesn’t get it done, then the other guys just pick them up.”

Up Next: Atlanta Braves

The Marlins return home after this rollercoaster road trip 8-4 and in first place. The Atlanta Braves (11-9) come in for a three-game set for control of the NL East. Pablo Lopez (1-1, 1.80 ERA, 11 K) takes the hill for the Marlins. The Braves counter with RHP Kyle Wright (0-2, 6.75 ERA, 11 K).

5 Post-Game Comments from Spoelstra, Robinson, Butler, Herro

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The Miami Heat suffered a late loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a three point shot from Mike Muscala for the win. The Miami Heat still seemed in good spirits since their starters didn’t play in the second half. Afterward, some players talked with local media about the game. Here’s what was said…

Post-Game Comment #1:

Jimmy Butler clearly wasn’t happy with Chris Paul’s actions early in the game, when he threw the ball at Duncan Robinson. Jimmy said, “You’re not gonna throw the ball at my teammate like that. Yeah I got a turnover, got an offensive foul.” It was pretty evident Jimmy charged Chris with a purpose after this altercation. Even though this play wasn’t a big deal, it shows the rest of the team his leadership. He wanted to show Duncan that he has his back no matter what, and also show Chris that he’s messing with the wrong team. Jimmy concludes the discussion with “You mess with one of my guys, then you gotta deal with me,” which further shows not to mess with Jimmy and this Heat team.

Post-Game Comment #2:

Duncan Robinson also touched on this Chris Paul incident, which media thought they’d get a clearer idea of what his reasoning was. Duncan responded, “I’m not exactly sure.” He says that he told himself he should’ve shot it in the corner when he shot faked, which caused a back and forth between the two. It’s evident that Duncan won’t back down from anything either. He may be thought of as the quiet shooter, but he will let you know when he gets his jumper going. He told Heat star Jimmy Butler to “never go under the screen” in their first practice together before the season after hitting a three pointer. If Duncan wasn’t afraid of his teammate Jimmy Butler before the season, he definitely won’t back down from any other opponent that’s thrown his way.

Post-Game Comment #3:

Jimmy Butler also got to talking about the topic of the night, Tyler Herro. Jimmy said, “I love that guy.” He continued to praise Tyler for the growth in his game that has especially been shown in these bubble games. His play-making, ball handling, and defense has continued to grow, which has caused Spo to show even more trust in him than usual. Jimmy has clearly taken Tyler under his wing from the start. He was talking to Tyler before the final shot of the game, which made it clear that it was a Herro jumper coming. When you earn Jimmy’s trust, you can earn anyone’s trust. He will be taking another big leap in the post-season after he gets some playoff experience under his belt, and will give the team an even clearer view of his future.

Post-Game Comment #4:

Jae Crowder had a rough injury occur in the first quarter, where he bumped knees with Luguentz Dort. He limped off the floor without putting pressure on it, but ended up on the sideline with the team soon after. Coach Spo said everything came back clean after the game, which may ultimately mean that Jae Crowder sits out in their final game against the Indiana Pacers to heal up. He should be ready by game 1 of the first round, which will be much needed since he’s been a huge piece to this Heat team on both sides of the ball this year.

Post-Game Comment #5:

And finally the money quote. It seems as if all of these guys continually talk about winning, and it’s because that is their ultimate goal. Jimmy said that Herro is always watching film and just clearly wants to be great. You can tell he wants to be great just by his on court improvements that were talked about previously. These other skill sets don’t just appear out of nowhere. Jimmy also said, “He wants to bring a championship to Miami and I think we’re going to do that.” The trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro have all mentioned their goal of winning a championship over the last week, which is a great sign of the state of mind these guys are in.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Late Loss to OKC

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The Miami Heat fell short to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 116-115. This game did not carry much importance for Miami, which is why Miami sat their star players in the second half. Here are 5 takeaways from this game…

#1: Duncan Robinson needs much more than a hand in his face to be stopped.

Duncan Robinson put on another three point shooting display on Wednesday night, which is definitely nothing new. Duncan scored 19 points in the first half with 5 threes. He was such an issue for the Thunder’s defense that Chris Paul began to try and get under Duncan’s skin. It’s hard to disrupt a focused Duncan Robinson, especially when you have a leader like Jimmy Butler on the floor who has your back. This was the first game of the bubble that the opposite team didn’t totally key on Duncan, which is why he flourished tonight. Teams are going to have to continue to blanket Duncan in order to have a chance, and that’s when he will need to display his on-ball skills that he showcased against Phoenix.

#2: Bam Adebayo’s early foul trouble may become problematic.

Bam Adebayo had three quick first quarter fouls to start today’s game, which also occurred a few games against the Milwaukee Bucks. Bam Adebayo talked about what he thinks Spo should do in these circumstances and said if the offense is flowing leave him out, but if not then put him in. And well, this is what happened tonight when Bam got his third foul. The offense was clicking as good as it has all season, which is why they kept him on the bench. This is something to keep an eye on as we approach the playoffs, since Miami can’t risk having Bam out of the game for extended minutes. This is the type of thing that could change a playoff game, but fouls are going to come up with an aggressive defender like Bam.

#3: Goran Dragic still rolling offensively.

Goran Dragic got the start yet again with Kendrick Nunn out, and continued to be lethal. Goran entering the starting lineup seemed to hurt the bench unit a bit last game, since there was no floor general to take control of the offense. But, this problem definitely didn’t occur with the starting lineup. The starting lineup with Goran at the point seems to flow much smoother, due to the offensive connection of Jimmy and Goran. They both have a winning mentality and trust each other with the ball in their hands, which is why Spo has continued to try and play them together. Goran scored 16 points in 20 minutes of play, along with six assists. He’s the type of guy that can do the small things offensively, and consequently win you some playoff games.

#4. Miami’s ball movement seemed smooth throughout.

Miami’s shooting has continued to be lethal from the outside, but it’s because of the play-making set ups. The ball movement in the first half was what put the Heat in such great position. Pick and rolls, fast-breaks, swinging around the key for a three. It was all on display tonight. Goran was at the forefront of this passing display, but even guys like Duncan Robinson were making passes that they usually don’t make. It may be a match-up that they like on defense which forced them to make quick passes. But, it seems as if it’s just an increase in comfortability. This team contains some of the most unselfish players in the league, which is the biggest proponent of solid ball movement. This will be essential in a first round match-up with the Indiana Pacers, who seem to be a bit banged up.

#5: Tyler Herro forming more and more into a fluid scorer.

All of the pure scorers in the league score in the same way. With ease. Tyler was scoring with ease tonight, just as he has been in his last three games, which he scored 30 points on 56% shooting. After entering the league with the expectation of being a catch and shoot guy, he’s doing the exact opposite. He has plenty of star level moves in his bag, and has been showcasing great touch around the rim, especially when using the backboard. He seems to be getting back the confidence that he had in the beginning of the season, which is what this team needs from him in the postseason. There’s not many guys on this roster that you trust more when creating your own shot. Which is why we may see some late game Tyler Herro clutch shots since he will be looked to in these situations, as we saw tonight.

Marlins extra innings

Marlins Lose In Extra Innings

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The Marlins first experience with MLB’s new extra innings rule left the team with a bitter taste in their mouth. Miami dropped the 10-inning affair 5-4 and have lost three straight after a six-game winning streak and 7-1 start overall.

Elieser Hernandez went 5.1 innings and surrendered three earned runs. He made one mistake pitch in the sixth to Bo Bichette, which went for a 3-run home run, but otherwise looked good. He finished with five strikeouts, four hits and one walk.

Despite Two Home Runs, Marlins Offense Continues to Struggle

The Marlins offense slumbered through most of this extra innings game. Miami’s offense seemed to sleep-walk through this one, outside of Brian Anderson’s second inning homer and Francisco Cervelli’s 2-out, game-tying 3-run shot in the bottom of the ninth.

“The home run, I saw the ball and I hit the ball. That’s it,” Cervelli said. “I saw the situation and I looked at who was behind me, and I said, ‘I’ve got to swing here.’ That was my plan.”

Lewis Brinson followed Cervelli in the batting order and he’s yet to register a hit with the club since his recent call up. Heading into the game, Brinson was 0-for-8. On Tuesday night, Brinson’s struggles with the bat continued as he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.

All in all, the Marlins couldn’t muster the big hit. The team, which went 4-for-17 with runners-in-scoring-position in their weekend loses to the Mets, was 1-for-8 with runners-in-scoring-position. Marlins batters struck out nine times, including the key first out in extra innings.

Logan Forsythe nearly gave the Marlins a 2-run lead in the top of the 10th inning, but his hit, initially ruled as a home run, was ultimately overturned to a foul ball. Forsythe then struck out.

“Obviously, Cervy’s homer is big,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “It gives us an opportunity. For a brief second there, it looks like Logan’s got a homer. Then, just weren’t able to make a pitch there in that last inning.”

Marlins Loss: Extra Innings Rule Favors Home Team Considerably

The new extra inning rules tilt the odds of the game dramatically in favor of the home team. Each club gets a runner at second base to start the inning, but if the road team doesn’t score, strategy dictates the home team move the runner over with a sacrifice bunt then try to put the ball in play to score the runner from third.

For the Marlins, Stephen Tarpley faced these long odds and couldn’t wiggle out of the trouble. After the Blue Jays bunted Anthony Alford over, Tarpley seemed to have Cavan Biggio on the ropes, but a pitch that clearly seemed in the strike zone was called a ball by home plate umpire James Hoye.

The call elicited an expletive from Mattingly, who barked his displeasure toward the plate. Marlins batters remained frustrated with the zone throughout the night, as they have been for the better part of the last two series.

“The strike zone again,” Mattingly said after the game. “We’ve had this crew and they’re gonna go back to Miami with us. You can’t complain, just live with it.”

Mattingly made defensive adjustments in the 10th inning, including going to five infielders, then moving Brinson from right to left field in the middle of Biggio’s at-bat. But Tarpley’s inability to get the strikeout led to Biggio’s walk, then an intentional walk to Bo Bichette to load the bases. Travis Shaw looped a game-winning single to right five pitches later.

“This is not softball,” Cervelli said of the new extra innings rule after the Marlins game. “This is not the Olympic Games, this is baseball. But this is what it is. I’ve got to adapt to this. I believe if we’re the home team, and we have success, we’re going to be happy.”

Harrison Pulled in 8th Inning

Monte Harrison’s struggles at the plate continued. He struck out twice before being replaced by Eddy Alvarez in the eighth inning. He’s now struck out in six consecutive at-bats.

The Marlins have one more game in what has turned out to me an epic opening road trip. When the Marlins finally return home, it’ll be 23 days after having left for what was originally supposed to be a six-day trip.

 

Miami Heat Secure 4 or 5 Seed in Eastern Conference

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The Miami Heat have had their fair share of ups and downs during their time in the bubble. But finally secured a 4 or 5 seed, due to a Philadeplia 76ers loss to the hot Phoenix Suns.

This means that the Miami Heat will match-up with either the Indiana Pacers or Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, which seems to look more and more like Indiana due to the 76ers superstar inuries. This also means that the Miami Heat will be avoiding a Boston Celtics first round match-up, which is obviously a huge positive for this Heat team.

Consequently, Miami will most likely have to face the number one team in the league, the Milwaukee Bucks, in a possible second round match-up. And the Heat will feel much better than the Bucks do heading into that match-up. Miami is 2-1 against the Bucks this year, and the one loss occurred this week in a game without Jimmy Butler, and the Heat lead by 17 at the half.

This seems to be best case scenario for this Heat team, since they can face a banged up Indiana team, and avoid a second round Boston or Toronto match-up, which would be much tougher for Miami than the Milwaukee match-up.

Miami needs either one win or one Indiana loss to secure the 4 seed, which doesn’t matter much since there’s no home court advantage. We may see some of Miami’s veteran players sit out during these games, or will definitely get limited minutes.

If the Heat face off against the Indiana Pacers in the first round, it will be expected that Miami brings the same energy that they brought last night. Especially since there are so many intriguing match-ups on the floor, including Jimmy Butler and TJ Warren.

 

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Take-Down over Indiana Pacers

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The Miami Heat played a much anticipated game against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night, and got the win 114-92. After a tie game at the half, Miami came out sharp in the second half on both sides of the ball. Here’s five takeaways from this big win…

#1: Jae Crowder continues to be Heat’s most consistent player.

Due to the amount of lethal shooters on this roster, including Duncan Robinson, Jae Crowder seems to get left out of the conversation. But, he continues to be the Heat’s most consistent player on both sides of the floor, and is shooting 60% from three in the bubble. Jae Crowder is also one of those guys that does the dirty work for you, which obviously fits well into this system. This is why Jae made his way into the starting lineup and replaced Meyers Leonard, since versatility matters on this current team more than ever due to their depth in wings.

#2: Bench unit struggles with Goran Dragic moving to the starting lineup.

Goran Dragic got the surprising start in tonight’s game against the Pacers, but consequently caused a problem. Goran had such a groove with the second unit, which was one of Miami’s biggest strengths this season. When most teams had bench drop offs, Miami didn’t. But today, it was evident they did. When Goran exited the game, it wasn’t the same bench unit we’ve seen all season, which caused Indiana to comeback early. Goran came back into the game with the second unit in the second quarter, which seemed to settle Miami down on offense, and led to Miami’s second half display. Although there’s been questions about taking Kendrick Nunn out of the starting lineup all together, it may be better to continue this rotation and let Goran and Tyler run the offense smoothly with the bench unit.

#3: Derrick Jones Jr tries to lock up a spot in the rotation.

Derrick Jones Jr has been in and out of the Heat’s rotation this season, but this may be Derrick’s time to lock up his spot. He has proved that he can guard every team’s best player, but his offense has been in question. But today, he showed he can use his vertical spacing to his advantage. And he’s beginning to improve his shooting from beyond the arc, which if he can hit one to two threes in a playoff game, that can change a game. There also seemed to be a special connection between Derrick and Goran Dragic tonight, since about 80% of his points came from a Goran lob. Derrick has said time and time again that he wants to be here, but he will need to prove his impact during this last stretch before he goes into free agency.

#4: Bam Adebayo comes out aggressive out of the gate, which is essential.

Bam Adebayo started the first quarter with fire in his eyes when he had the ball in his hands. And with Myles Turner basically daring Bam to take a mid range jump shot, he took it with no hesitation, but it wasn’t falling. The thing is with Bam though, it doesn’t need to fall to help the offense. There are plenty of guys on the court who can hit these jumpers on offense, but they can’t open up the floor like Bam does. He also had a defensive motor tonight, which he brings every night, but it seemed to have a little more energy behind it, due to the Myles Turner match-up. Myles got the spot on the USA team over Bam, which obviously didn’t sit right with him. If Bam can bring this energy and aggressiveness every night, it benefits this team’s offensive versatilities even more.

#5: TJ Warren truly isn’t in Jimmy Butler’s league.

Everybody has been waiting for the TJ Warren-Jimmy Butler match-up since their scuffle back in January. Fast forward eight months later and Jimmy Butler still hasn’t forgotten. TJ Warren has been going on an absolute scoring tear in the bubble. Emphasis on scoring. Someone in Jimmy Butler’s league would have to be able to score, rebound, play-make, defend, and lead the way Jimmy does. Jimmy showcased this today scoring 19 points, along with 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. Jimmy also mentioned after their game in January that “I can guard him and he can’t guard me.” Jimmy guarded TJ to start the game, while TJ guarded Jae Crowder, which definitely raises an eyebrow. This was also far from a meaningless game since Miami is trying to secure the four seed, which may ultimately mean a first round match-up against TJ Warren and the Indiana Pacers.