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MIAMI – Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 102-98 loss to the Houston Rockets:
– After nine consecutive losses, the Miami Heat need a jolt.
– Andrew Wiggins was that jolt.
– With his 20-point second period the highest-scoring quarter of his career.
– It was an affirmation that something good still might come from the Jimmy Butler trade.
– With the timing on cue, with Butler and the Warriors arriving on Tuesday.
– Wiggins was back after being sidelined the previous two games with a lower-leg contusion.
– “He’s a major part of what we try to do. It’s great to have him back,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’ll see how it goes and adjust accordingly.”
– It could not have gone better in that second period.
– The type of streak scoring needed on a night Tyler Herro struggled.
– It also wasn’t enough.
– Which says plenty about this Heat season, when even moments of individual dominance can be overshadowed.
– With Wiggins returning, the Heat opened with a lineup of Wiggins, Kel’el Ware, Bam Adebayo, Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
– It was the Heat’s 23rd lineup of the season.
– Yet another Heat lineup that had yet to play together before going out for the opening tip.
– The Rockets opened with a lineup of Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks and Alperen Sengun.
– Davion Michell was first off the Heat bench.
– Followed together by Duncan Robinson and Haywood Highsmith.
– Before Robinson was removed from the starting lineup after starting the previous four games, Spoelstra said pregame, “Particularly when him and Tyler are out there, there’s a lot of things that a defense has to negotiate.”
– Spoelstra added of Robinson, “Teams are scouting him. They’re lunging at him. So all of that is good for our offense.”
– Kevin Love followed later in the first period, making it nine deep and no Terry Rozier.
– At one point early, Alec Burks appeared to have checked in, but then was pulled in favor of Love once the Rockets went big.
– Burks eventually made his first appearance in the third period amid struggles for Robinson.
–Spoelstra again reflected on the losing streak before the game.
– “Emotion’s fine,” he said going in.
– “I just commend this group,” he said. “Every time we get knocked down, get up off the mat. The next time we’re together there’s a great spirit. I mentioned before, it’s like a college atmosphere with this team. It’s a resilient team, tough-minded team to be able to keep on coming and competing on a high level.”
– He added, “We all understand we need to do more, particularly in these moments of truth, but it’s not from a lack of competition or spirit, and that’s not going to change with this group.”
– Spoelstra insisted there has been growth all the while.
– “We’ve had some really good moments in the last six weeks, some good conversations, some themes that we can all rally around,” he said.
– So, no, he said the slide has not created a sense of backing down.
– “I’ve said it a couple of times: We’re being tested, and there’s nothing wrong with that. And it makes everybody uncomfortable,” he said. “It’s not the first time our organization has gone through adversity. And we lean into adversity and think that’s there’s great benefits, and you can power through and have breakthroughs.”
– Of the Rockets, Spoelstra said pregame of Ime Udoka’s team. “Ime got them playing a physical brand of basketball. It’s different than probably most teams play.”
– While the Heat are involved in the play-in race, the Rockets are playing for much higher stakes at the top of the Western Conference.
– “It’s very tight standings and can’t let anything slip away this late in the season,” Udoka said pregame. “So it’s great to have our depth back, but I think all young guys, for the first time, are hungry to reach the playoffs.”
– Udoka was referencing the return of Thompson, the Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest product.
– Adebayo’s second assist was the 2,000th of his career.
– Mitchell’s fourth rebound was the 500th of his career.
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– After nine consecutive losses, the Miami Heat need a jolt.
– Andrew Wiggins was that jolt.
– With his 20-point second period the highest-scoring quarter of his career.
– It was an affirmation that something good still might come from the Jimmy Butler trade.
– With the timing on cue, with Butler and the Warriors arriving on Tuesday.
– Wiggins was back after being sidelined the previous two games with a lower-leg contusion.
– “He’s a major part of what we try to do. It’s great to have him back,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’ll see how it goes and adjust accordingly.”
– It could not have gone better in that second period.
– The type of streak scoring needed on a night Tyler Herro struggled.
– It also wasn’t enough.
– Which says plenty about this Heat season, when even moments of individual dominance can be overshadowed.
– With Wiggins returning, the Heat opened with a lineup of Wiggins, Kel’el Ware, Bam Adebayo, Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
– It was the Heat’s 23rd lineup of the season.
– Yet another Heat lineup that had yet to play together before going out for the opening tip.
– The Rockets opened with a lineup of Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks and Alperen Sengun.
– Davion Michell was first off the Heat bench.
– Followed together by Duncan Robinson and Haywood Highsmith.
– Before Robinson was removed from the starting lineup after starting the previous four games, Spoelstra said pregame, “Particularly when him and Tyler are out there, there’s a lot of things that a defense has to negotiate.”
– Spoelstra added of Robinson, “Teams are scouting him. They’re lunging at him. So all of that is good for our offense.”
– Kevin Love followed later in the first period, making it nine deep and no Terry Rozier.
– At one point early, Alec Burks appeared to have checked in, but then was pulled in favor of Love once the Rockets went big.
– Burks eventually made his first appearance in the third period amid struggles for Robinson.
–Spoelstra again reflected on the losing streak before the game.
– “Emotion’s fine,” he said going in.
– “I just commend this group,” he said. “Every time we get knocked down, get up off the mat. The next time we’re together there’s a great spirit. I mentioned before, it’s like a college atmosphere with this team. It’s a resilient team, tough-minded team to be able to keep on coming and competing on a high level.”
– He added, “We all understand we need to do more, particularly in these moments of truth, but it’s not from a lack of competition or spirit, and that’s not going to change with this group.”
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– Spoelstra insisted there has been growth all the while.
– “We’ve had some really good moments in the last six weeks, some good conversations, some themes that we can all rally around,” he said.
– So, no, he said the slide has not created a sense of backing down.
– “I’ve said it a couple of times: We’re being tested, and there’s nothing wrong with that. And it makes everybody uncomfortable,” he said. “It’s not the first time our organization has gone through adversity. And we lean into adversity and think that’s there’s great benefits, and you can power through and have breakthroughs.”
– Of the Rockets, Spoelstra said pregame of Ime Udoka’s team. “Ime got them playing a physical brand of basketball. It’s different than probably most teams play.”
– While the Heat are involved in the play-in race, the Rockets are playing for much higher stakes at the top of the Western Conference.
– “It’s very tight standings and can’t let anything slip away this late in the season,” Udoka said pregame. “So it’s great to have our depth back, but I think all young guys, for the first time, are hungry to reach the playoffs.”
– Udoka was referencing the return of Thompson, the Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest product.
– Adebayo’s second assist was the 2,000th of his career.
– Mitchell’s fourth rebound was the 500th of his career.
Continue reading...
