South Florida Voices
Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat offense runs smoothly with Jović as the triggerman
Coach Erik Spoelstra is teasing the transition-starved fan base by using Nikola Jović as the playmaker during Jimmy Butler (toe injury) and Caleb Martin’s (ankle sprain) absence. The Serbian kid, who didn’t even have his high school diploma on draft night, is the best on the team at running the break and his tools create ...
Maybe it’s time to realize Tua isn’t enough
The Miami Dolphins lost Sunday Night to the Buffalo Bills 21-14, crushing their hopes to win the AFC East for the first time since 2008. And they learned something… They learned that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa may not be enough to go all the way this season. He may not be enough to go all the ...
Pressure Point: Heat’s on Tua, McDaniel as Dolphins face chilly prospects in playoffs
So, what’s the mood, Miami Dolphins fans, excited about the playoffs? Your team finished the regular season 11-6, its most wins in 15 years. It’s headed to the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time in more than two decades. And yet, anger and dejection is palpable throughout South Florida after watching a bevy ...
Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Suns outshine the touring Heat
Kevin Love carried the Heat early, supplying 15 points, firing behind the arc, facing up in the post and cutting to the basket on a perfect five attempts. Kyle Lowry splashed a pair of triples. Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored off three back door cuts. But the Suns, without Kevin Durant, devoured the Heat’s Jimmy Butler-less ...
Mateo’s Hoop Diary: HBO’s unanswered questions about Winning Time’s cancellation and the upset Lakers
HBO canceled its show Winning Time in September because of a 40% drop in viewership and has refused to answer who the intended audience was. Remember that the Lakers team shown in the program is between 45 and 40 years old (the show’s story ends in 1984). The network also didn't answer what made them ...
Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Catching up with the Heat
Through nearly 2/5s of the season, Jimmy Butler hasn’t been himself on the court despite the Heat having a 19-13 record and sitting at fourth in the East. A year ago, the squad had a .500 winning rate after the same number of matches, while JB was ripping defenses at a 53.2% clip but appeared ...
Pressure Point: Dolphins must regroup from painful loss to battle Bills for AFC East title
A crappy New Year’s Eve in Baltimore left the Miami Dolphins staggering with a throbbing hangover. The vision of the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC was swept away in a 56-19 embarrassment against the runaway Ravens. Granted, all was not lost for Miami. The division title is still there for the taking with ...
Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Kelly Olynyk and Jazz take down the Heat
After missing four games in a row with a calf strain, Jimmy Butler hurt his right foot in his return as the Heat dueled with the rebuilding Jazz in Utah, changing leads 25 times before defeat. No squad was ever ahead by more than eight points. Productive nights from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro couldn’t ...
Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Touring Heat trounce Warriors
Searching for its fourth win in a row, the Miami Heat started RJ Hampton at point guard next to Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith and Bam Adebayo, overpowering the Warriors at Chase Center. Jimmy Butler (calf), Kyle Lowry (soreness), Josh Richardson (back) and Caleb Martin (ankle) were all absent, but the group still ...
Panthers Prospect Marek Alscher Ready for Second Chance With Czechia at the World Juniors
Last January in Halifax, while Czechia played for World Junior gold, Marek Alscher cheered on his teammates from the crowd. Alscher, then 18, was part of the 2023 Czech World Junior team — but the Florida Panthers’ 2022 draft pick did not play in any of the games for the eventual silver medalists. One year ...
Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat hold off 76ers on Christmas Day
The NBA’s fourth-slotted XMAS day matchup of 76ers @ Miami was more eventful than anticipated considering the absences of MVP Joel Embiid- a no-go with a sprained ankle for the visitors- and Jimmy Butler- out for the hosts because of an illness and calf strain. It didn’t matter. The 76ers got within striking distance late ...
Pressure Point: Dolphins give S. Florida a Merry Christmas; New Year brings more challenges
How special was the Miami Dolphins’ last-second win on a walk-off field by Jason Sanders against the Dallas Cowboys? The last time the Dolphins gave their fans such a Christmas gift was the “Mare Christmas” win of 2000 — dubbed by my former colleague Harvey Fialkov — on Dec. 24, 2000 when Olindo Mare kicked ...
Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson lead the Heat over the Hawks
Jimmy Butler missed his second straight game (sixth total), but Jaime Jaquez Jr. got the start, and the Heat downed the visiting Hawks with 122 points on 43.6% shooting from long range. Tyler Herro scored from everywhere, and Duncan Robinson carried Miami toward the finish line. Early, Herro erupted for 14 points, easily blowing by ...
Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Spoelstra’s Spoilers upset the Mystical Ones
Up in central Florida in the palace of the Mystical Ones without Jimmy Butler, the touring Miami Heat crushed its hosts with 15 3-pointers on 51.7% shooting and severed Orlando’s long-range attack. The strongest push came in interval two as Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and Co. gorged the Magic’s defenses for 43 points on a ...
Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Hungry ‘Wolves takeover in second half
The Minnesota Timberwolves upstaged Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro’s return from two and five-week-long absences. In the second half, the Heat was shut down and couldn’t restrain Anthony Edwards from slicing the lane and spraying jumpers over defenders. It was a disappointing development for the hosts, who at one point led by 17 in the ...
Pressure Point: Dolphins’ defense dominates Jets, builds confidence for stretch run
The Miami Dolphins got exactly what they needed Sunday, a stifling performance by a revved up defense and big day receiving from Jaylen Waddle. That produced a had-to-have division win over the New York Jets before undertaking a season-ending three-game gauntlet against the Cowboys, Ravens and Bills. The 30-0 rout didn’t negate the effects of ...
