South Florida Voices

Bam Adebayo Dominates and Delivers Game-Winner as Heat Outlast Spurs
The Miami Heat narrowly escaped with a 105-103 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, overcoming a tough shooting night and an uncharacteristically sloppy performance. Playing against a Spurs team missing star Victor Wembanyama, the Heat struggled to find consistency but were ultimately saved by Bam Adebayo, who dominated throughout the game and ...

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Nuggets couldn’t hang with the Knicks and lost their third game in a row
The Nuggets fell apart late in New York and squandered an opportunity for a quality win. Jamal Murray carried the team on Nikola Jokić’s down night, but the defense's failure to cover screen rolls and getting clobbered in transition outweighed his impact. After the game, coach Michael Malone said, “The big stat for me tonight ...

Anthony Weaver’s Impact and His Future as a Head Coach
The NFL head coaching carousel is almost complete as just one job remains, one that many Dolphins fans should keep their eye on. The New Orleans Saints are the last remaining job and have had their eye on Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Weaver brought the Dolphins depleted defense to one of the best ...

Miami Heat Outlast Magic in Double Overtime, 125-119
The Miami Heat’s 125-119 overtime win against the Orlando Magic on Monday night was a testament to their grit, depth, and ability to step up in the face of adversity. With Jimmy Butler suspended again, the Heat showed that they are not just a one-man team, as several players rose to the occasion. The victory ...

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Nuggets folded late in Chicago
The Nuggets were slain by the Bulls on tour because of their inability to defend the three-point line and could barely hit any treys of their own. After the game, coach Michael Malone blasted his team, saying. “Once again, it was us just messing with the game, thinking we can just show up and score ...

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat Notes heading into week 16
Coach Erik Spoelstra should find a way to put Alec Burks into the rotation. He’s a quality veteran and the team needs bodies since it can’t count on Jimmy Butler. Burks is the guy Spoelstra has forgotten about while Terry Rozier logs a good game as often as Pat Riley makes a public appearance. Perhaps ...

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Nuggets’ disaster on prime-time TV against Timberwolves
The Nuggets got schooled by their division foes in Minnesota and were always behind. They let the Timberwolves invade their paint for 72 points, the second-most digits given up to an opponent in that spot all year. They showed little resistance on defense and were on their back foot early. It took Nikola Jokić scoring ...

Should Jimmy Butler’s Jersey be Retired by the Miami Heat?
Jimmy Butler has brought the Miami Heat their most memorable basketball of the last decade. Jimmy was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers in a sign and trade back in the Summer of 2019. Thus, beginning an amazing five year run with the team in an era that brought joy back to all of Miami basketball ...

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Nikola Jokić’s 20th triple-double propels Nuggets to win over Kings
The Nuggets played well for three quarters, then let the Kings, who were playing on a second-straight night, back in the game late because of poor defense before closing the deal. Nikola Jokić recorded his 20th triple-double of the year and 14th before the fourth quarter. “Not every win is going to be where you ...

Panthers Road Trip Updates: Tkachuk Named Ambassador, Bennett Snaps Goal Drought, Ekblad Remains Out
After splitting the first half of a four-game west coast road trip with a win 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday and 2-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Kings the following night, the Florida Panthers sit three points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for first in the Atlantic Division. The team will ...

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat soiled themselves and stained Pat Riley Court in the loss to the Trail Blazers
Joe Cronin’s Trail Blazers embarrassed the Heat at Kaseya Center. A late spurt in the fourth quarter made sure the box score wasn’t as ugly as it could’ve been, but for most stretches, the hosts looked like the team that came in 14 games below .500. And Deandre Ayton was twice the center Bam Adebayo ...

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat destroy the Spurs, ending three-game losing streak in style
The Heat disemboweled the Spurs, taking control in the second quarter and delivering the fatal blows in the third. The Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware frontcourt pairing blew up actions. And five Heatles downed multiple 3-pointers. In the first quarter, Jimmy Butker had six early points on freebies, a cutting dunk and a drive-by into ...

It’s Time to Move on From Jimmy Butler
The Denver Nuggets continue to stand as an insurmountable challenge for the Miami Heat, exposing glaring weaknesses that cannot be ignored (The Nuggets have won 10 regular season matchups in a row vs Miami and also beat Miami 4-1 in the 2023 NBA Finals). From their superior size and depth to their relentless efficiency, Denver ...

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Nuggets overwhelmed the Heat in Miami
The Nuggets vanquished the Heat in Jimmy Butler’s return from a seven-game suspension. Jamal Murray lit up everything in front of him. And Nikola Jokić had his 17th triple-double of the season. “I thought our guards did a hell of a job on [Tyler] Herro and [Duncan] Robinson, especially,” coach Michael Malone said after the ...

Will Carson Beck Fill the Void Left by Cam Ward?
Miami Turns to Carson Beck to Lead in 2025 With Cam Ward leaving for the NFL Draft, the Miami Hurricanes looked to the transfer portal to fill a massive void at quarterback. Ward’s departure comes after a record-breaking season that saw him elevate Miami to a 10-2 regular-season record. Despite the accolades, the Hurricanes fell ...

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Turnovers and poor defense caused the Nuggets’ downfall against the Rockets
The undermanned Nuggets got pushed around at home by the Rockets. The latter took 19 extra shots as a result of forcing 18 turnovers plus recovering four more rebounds. And Jalen Green’s jumper was like a cannon with bottomless rounds. The Nuggets were without Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon. “When you’re without your starting power ...