Miami Takes Down Dallas in Bounce Back Game

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The Miami Heat needed a win desperately, and they got one, looking like their early season form in a 126-118 victory against the Dallas Mavericks.

Some of the highlights…

Dallas was 13 games over .500 coming into this game and Miami needed to defend the three at a high level if they wanted to win this game. Miami was once again without Tyler Herro and Meyers Leonard who could be out for a couple more weeks at least. The Heat were hoping to find one of the bench role pieces to accept a new role, and take a more prominent role in the offense to make up for those guys not being out there.

The guys in the Heat locker room know that Jimmy Butler should be a little selfish at times and take over on the offensive side of the ball from the start of the game. Well, that’s what he did in the first quarter, leading the way with eleven first quarter points. Kendrick Nunn also began the game with confidence shooting the ball, going 2 for 2 from beyond the arc in the first quarter. The troubles in the first came by Dallas’ Tim Hardaway Jr who started the game with 8 straight points. The Heat were tied with the Mavericks 31-31 at the end of the first.

The second quarter was lead by Dragić and Olynyk off of the bench, who combined for 15 second quarter points. Derrick Jones Jr replaced Olynyk in the starting lineup tonight and it seemed to pay off. Olynyk played well with the bench group and got his three point shooting going early. Duncan Robinson also helped the Heat in the second quarter with 9 points while hitting two threes and an And 1, which gave Miami great momentum after a tough layup on Porzingis. The Heat lead at the half 63-55.

The third quarter was a bit of a turnaround for the Heat after Dallas started to make a big run. This run was made behind Dallas’ Seth Curry and Luka Doncic who combined for 25 points in the third alone. Miami kept looking for somebody to give them momentum, but with every player having a negative plus/minus in the third quarter, it was tough. If the Heat could adjust their perimeter defensive struggles in the third then Miami could win, but the Heat trailed 93-88.

Duncan Robinson led the way in the fourth quarter as well, scoring 9 points and hitting two threes. He finished the game with a very efficient 24 points with six threes. Miami, needing to make a fourth quarter run, decided the best way to do it would be spreading the ball around. Every player scored in the fourth quarter except Jones Jr, who was making himself a problem on the defensive side of the ball instead. Miami hit some big shots down the stretch of this game and won it 126-118.

This game was a much needed win due to the fact that this Heat locker room needs to bring the fun back to these games like Bam Adebayo said yesterday in practice. The Heat play with a different fire at home when they play off of the intensity of the crowd. The home crowd seems to affect their defensive intensities more than their offense at times, which is always a great thing. Butler finished the game with 26 points on 8-14 shooting from the field, which getting him back to 100% is all Miami needs. Now Miami needs to prepare for another game tomorrow night against Brooklyn for a tough back to back. A win against the Nets will give the Heat the momentum they’ve needed after a very tough stretch.

 

Miami Heat: Tyler Herro expected to miss additional time

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It appears that Miami Heat rookie sensation Tyler Herro may be out for quite some time. According to multiple sources, it is expected that Herro will be out multiple more weeks.

This is an unfortunate development for a Miami Heat team that can desperately use his scoring right now. Even as a rookie, there is no denying the impact he has made. He is averaging 13.1 points per contest, and has recorded a 41.4 field goal percentage.

The last game he played in was on February 3 against Philadelphia. In that game, he went down with his injury. He has not seen the court since.

An unfortunate blow to Miami Heat

This is a difficult loss for Miami Heat team that is struggling at the moment. Even though he is a rookie, he undoubtedly brings an energy to the team. There is a certain swagger that he plays with that energizes the entire team when he is on the floor. Hopefully, he will be able to heal up soon. He should undoubtedly be a crucial part of a Miami Heat playoff run.

At the time of this writing, the Miami Heat were engaged in a contest with the Dallas Mavericks. They have struggled a bit lately losing four out of their last five games. A win against a Talented Mavericks team could definitely provide the organization with some momentum.

Losing Herro for extended time will undoubtedly be a big blow to this organization. There is no doubt that players are going to have to step up. As an organization, the Heat will have to have a “next man up” type of mentality.

In particular,  I would look for the likes of Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler to continue stepping up. They have helped the Heat succeed this season. It sounds as if they are going to be needed now more than ever.

Florida Panthers are own worst enemy in loss to Toronto

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This is a game that the Florida Panthers should have won. Furthermore, it was inexcusable loss. After being up 3-1, the Toronto Maple Leafs scored four straight goals.

Kasperi Kapanen scored a goal with 2:17 in the first period on the power play to make it a 3-2 game. Defensively, the Florida Panthers looked discombobulated, as Kapanen’s shot deflected off Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers could never clear out of the zone and that resulted in a goal. Things got tighter, but the Panthers had ample opportunities to close the door.

Austin Matthews made the game a bit tighter as he was able to find the puck out of traffic in front of the net and put it home to make it a 3-3 game. That was scored with 18:58 left in the first period.

From there, it was a complete collapse for the Florida Panthers. After a scoreless second period for both clubs, Toronto managed to score two goals in the third.

William Nylander’s go-ahead goal was thanks to a turnover in the Florida zone  from Frank Vatrano. Again, it was more of the same for Florida. They just could not seem to clear it out of their own zone, and Toronto capitalized. This is exactly what I was afraid of. The goal by Nylander made it a 4-3 game.

The final goal was an empty-netter scored by Justin Holt. That just added more salt to the wound.

The Florida Panthers were their own worst enemy

Overall, it was another frustrating game where the defense could just not keep it together. Not only that, Florida kept shooting themselves in the foot. Turnovers in their own zone, combined with sloppy puck control led to a mess.

It would be easy to blame Sergei Bobrovsky. He did the best he could with the difficult situation Thursday. He had 24 saves on the evening.

This is exactly what I was afraid of. The Florida Panthers have been their own worst enemy many times this season. Toronto is a team with talent that can capitalize. They did that Thursday . Florida is a team that is very talented. However, if they keep making the same mistakes defensively, they will not get very far. This is a young team for sure. However, the Panthers don’t have much room to play with. They shot themselves in the foot tonight in a game that was a crucial one.

I hate to say this, but kudos to Toronto. They kept playing hard throughout the course of the game, and forced Florida to make untimely errors. They kept attacking, and it worked.

Florida needs to fix their mistakes quickly, particularly defensively. Puck management in their own zone should be a focal point practice before they take the ice against Chicago on Saturday.

Florida Panthers: Defense will need to be on their toes against Toronto

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The Florida Panthers have a tough contest ahead of them as the Toronto Maple Leafs are next up on the schedule Thursday. After losing to a Zamboni driver on Saturday, the Maple Leafs fared much better in their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. Beating Tampa Bay 4-3, they had into Thursday’s action with a couple of hot goal scorers.

For starters, look no further than John Tavares. He had two goals on Tuesday, showing just how explosive he is and how consistent he has been over the past couple of years.  He has recorded five points in his last five games.

In the month of February, Mitch Marner has had a fantastic time finding the goal-scorers. He has recorded two goals and 10 assists so far in the month. He had an assist on Tuesday night against Tampa Bay. With the assist, he has now recorded three points in his last five games.

Although the Toronto Maple Leafs may struggle with consistency, they are still a team full of potent scorers. The real question is to whether they will show up each and every night.

Florida Panthers need to play strong defense to counter speed

Even with the inconsistencies, the Florida Panthers have to play better defense on Thursday. Defense has not been a strong suit for them this year. As result, Bobrovsky  he has struggled. He had a great game on Tuesday however, giving up one goal to the Arizona Coyotes in what was a 2-1 win. In 60 minutes of play, he made 37 saves. This was certainly an improvement from some of his past starts.

This Toronto team skates fast and shoots often. Borovsky is going to need to be on top his game, and I don’t trust the Florida defense to get back in time. This is a very balanced Toronto team who will need to capitalize on mistakes.

The Florida Panthers will need to be on their toes all game. This will be a crucial  game for the defense, and a win on Thursday could do wonders in boosting the conference. As long as Florida plays back and focuses  on staying in front of their man, they should be able to have a chance at success.

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: Zach Dykstra leaves football team

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The Miami Hurricanes are going to be down an offensive lineman. According to a report from Andrew Ivins, Zach Dykstra has left the football team.

Dykstra did not play at all this season. He appeared in one game back in 2018 playing against Savannah State.

Whether or not Dykstra will transfer to another school is unknown. According to the report, his name was not in the transfer portal late Wednesday, so  whether he decides to transfer or not is unclear.

This is a blow to the offensive line depth for the Hurricanes. He was the nation’s No. 61 overall offensive tackle prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He signed with Miami in 2017.

Normally, losing a depth player would not be an issue. However, the Miami hurricanes really need a good season from their line. They are coming off the year in which they give up a ton of sacks. Giving up 50 sacks overall, that was the largest amount out of any Power Five school. There are some returners in the fold, as well as help on the way.

Looking at the 2020 recruiting class, Miami does have some line prospects at their disposal. Jaelyn Rivers and Chris Washington are two enrollees who could find their way onto the playing field. Rivers was a four-star prospect while Washington was a three-star prospect. Both of them have potential to make an impact on the line.

This hurts Miami from a depth perspective. Nevertheless, they should be able to make up for it on the line. Six returning players played in at least one game on the line last season. They are going to need to have a big season if Miami wants to succeed.

Especially with a revamped quarterback position, good production could lead to success offensively. In a crowded ACC, things need to be firing on all cylinders.

Miami Heat Fall To Another Bottom Tier Team

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Well, it happened again.

Another big late lead against a bad team.

Another loss, this one 129-126 to Minnesota, which was without Karl Anthony Towns.

The Miami Heat came into this game after a horrific loss against Cleveland on Monday night, during which they squandered a 19-point lead entering the fourth quarter. So you figured they’d learned some lessons. Plus, the Heat got Jimmy Butler back after he missed the last two games due to personal reasons. And Miami was back home, where it has been dominant this season, to start a five-game stretch.

Kelly Olynyk tried to set the tone early with back to back triples to start the first. He also added 5 rebounds in the first and started to establish his role in the offense. Dragić added 7 points off the bench to spark Miami to a late push to end the first. The Heat still trailed at the end of the first quarter 29-28.

The Heat had trouble in the second quarter defending the three, which has been the problem over this tough stretch of games. Minnesota hit 11 threes in the first half compared to Miami’s 5 first half threes and still led at the half 60-57. Bam led the way in the second quarter for the Heat, scoring 9 points and adding 4 rebounds. The Heat still needed a defensive change for the second half if they were going to keep this lead.

The third quarter was lead by Butler and Nunn who combined for 17 third quarter points. While scoring wasn’t the problem, Miami had made a defensive change to begin defending the three. This caused Minnesota to start attacking the paint, which actually worked in their favor. The Heat couldn’t stop the Timberwolves from getting to the rim. The Heat only trailed one at the end of the third, 95-94.

The Heat seemed to pull away at the end of the fourth when they took an eleven point lead with 3:30 left in the game. The Timberwolves defense stepped up and forced a couple turnovers which led to many fast break points. The Heat had the lead with 14 seconds left, and Timberwolves undrafted rookie, Jordan McLaughlin, drove by Bam for what would be the game winning layup. The Timberwolves beat the Heat 129-126.

The Miami Heat’s continued problems occurred on both sides of the ball, whether turnovers or closeouts. Miami also seems as if they are lost at end of games and no one wants to shoot the ball. The ball continues to move until about 5 seconds on the shot clock, then that person has to take a contested shot. These problems are definitely fixable and it’s much better to have these problems in February than have them come playoff time. This loss will definitely test the Heat’s mental strength and hopefully can focus on the next game on Friday against Dallas.

 

Marlins roster

Predicting the Marlins Opening Day Rotation

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The Marlins rotation enters the 2020 Spring Training with an abundance of starting pitching options. However, there are only five spots up for grabs, maybe even six if Don Mattingly sees fit. Nonetheless, spots in the rotation are limited but, who would take those spots? Let’s start off with who SHOULDN’T be in the rotation on opening day.

Who Shouldn’t be in The Rotation

First is Jose Ureña. Ureña does have decent numbers as a starter but I don’t think he should even be with the Marlins on Opening Day. He would just be taking a spot from a more deserving prospect such as Sixto Sanchez. A trade would be preferable before the start of the season but if not, another move to the bullpen would be sufficient.

Second would be Elieser Hernandez. Don’t get me wrong, Hernandez was one of our best pitchers last year and when he was called upon to be a starter, he didn’t disappoint. However, I think he should be moved to the bullpen. With his experience as a starter, he could be used in a long-relief type of position while refraining from taking a starter spot from a promising prospect.

 Who Should be in The Rotation (In Order)

Sandy Alcantara should definitely be the Opening Day starter for the Marlins after his All-Star season in 2019. He was electric, exciting to watch, and the fans loved to watch him pitch because more times than not he gave them a performance worth watching. He was the Marlins’ only representative at the 2019 All-Star game in Cleveland.  He finished the season with 3.88 ERA while logging 197.1 innings pitched, 151 strikeouts, and batters hit for a .241 average against him. Not too shabby for his rookie year. A look at Alcantara below. (via @Marlins)

The second spot in the rotation should go to Caleb Smith. Smith had a promising first-half for the Marlins during the 2019 season. In 13 starts he accumulated a 3.50 ERA, 88 strikeouts and hitters were only hitting for a .201 average against him. He was receiving national media attention for the success he was having as the Marlins’ ace before he went down with an injury in early June. After spending a month on the injured list, he wasn’t the same when he came back. Smith finished the season with a 10-11 record, a 4.52 ERA while logging 153.1 innings pitched with 168 strikeouts. Video of Smith below. (via @Marlins)

The third rotation spot should go to Pablo Lopez. Pablo has great stuff and has showed promise when he is on the field. Lopez was placed on the injured list on June 19th and didn’t return to the rotation until August 26th. Before going on the injured list, Pablo was 6-5 with a 4.23 ERA with 73 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched, he was doing quite well was showing much promise before going down with a shoulder injury yet again. A look at the movement of Pablo’s pitches below.               (via @AugustineMLB)

The fourth rotation spot should be where Jordan Yamamoto will end up. Yamamoto shined during his first six starts he started with a 4-0 record with a 1.59 ERA in 34 innings pitched with 34 strikeouts. He was also receiving national media attention because of the hot streak he was on during his first six career starts. Towards the end of July, he started to have command issues and his numbers began to spiral downhill which was expected to come from a rookie starting pitcher. Nobody expected his hot streak to last the rest of the season. A look at Yamamoto attached below. (via @MLBPipeline)

The fifth rotation spot in my honest opinion should go to Marlins top prospect Sixto Sanchez. Sixto is ranked as the 5th best starting pitching prospect in all of baseball and is ranked 22nd in MLBPipeline’s top 100. He spent his 2019 season in the minor leagues and he was impressive. In 103 innings pitched, he accumulated an 8-4 record with a 2.53 ERA while striking out 97 hitters. He is a ground-ball producing machine but his ability to control all of his pitches including his offspeed such as a changeup and breaking balls while having plus movement on his fastball that constantly reaches triple digits. Sanchez will be placed on an innings plan and where better place to monitor that the innings plan is being followed than in the major league rotation.

A look at Sixto is below. (via @Jasenelpartido)

Related:

Pressure Point: Are rebuilding Marlins ready to take step to relevance?

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.

Florida Panthers: Team needs to test Darcy Kuemper early and often

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As the Florida Panthers get set to take on the Arizona Coyotes  they have a golden chance to pick up a victory. Arizona will be sending out goalie Darcy Kuemper. If I’m Florida, I am licking my chops.

Kuemper has not played in a game in more than two months due to a lower-body injury. He was called up from AHL Tucson on Sunday. Prior to his injury, he was playing extremely well. He recorded a 15-8  mark and had a 2.17 goals-against average. He tallied a .929 save percentage in 25 starts.

This is a golden opportunity for Florida to make an impact and get the lead early. As good as Kuemper was prior to his injury, he hasn’t seen NHL action in a while. The Panthers need to make sure to get pucks on him early.

Florida is only seven points out of a playoff spot. Columbus currently holds the second wild-card spot with 76 points. Florida currently has 70 on the season. They come into Tuesday’s action having lost two games in a row. Arizona is sitting comfortably in the second wild-card spot, having beaten Tampa Bay 7-3 on Saturday.

Florida Panthers need to test Arizona Coyotes goalie

The Florida Panthers need to make sure they test Kuemper early. Creating traffic in front of the net will be key. Screens  will be crucial offensively.  Shielding his vision via screens and moving in front of the net will be paramount for Florida.

Driving towards the net instead of taking simple shots from the point should be a focus. That will put more pressure on Kuemper Injury or not, Kuemper has proven to be a solid goaltender. He is not going to be beaten  easily.

The offensive output for Florida is going to need to be strong. Here they have a golden opportunity to face a goalie who is trying to get his game going again. They need to be active and shoot frequently. Getting pucks towards the net and creating traffic should  lead to success.

The Florida Panthers need this win, and they have an opportunity to make it happen.

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.