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MIAMI – Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 103-91 loss to the Boston Celtics:
– Erik Spoelstra offered the breadcrumbs during his pregame media session.
–”I think for us, we’re simplifying,” the Heat coach said. “It really does become about us. You say that a lot, and sometimes that’s a cliche in this league. We have to take care of what we’re doing. We have to get to our identity. We have to really try to impact the game on our terms.”
– Identity, as in the known.
– As in experimentation on hold.
– So the big lineup?
– Kel’el Ware back to playing off the bench.
– The newcomers getting their shot?
– Davion Mitchell out of the starting lineup.
– Instead, the familiar.
– So a starting role again for Duncan Robinson.
– And Jaime Jaquez Jr. also with a starting role.
– Exploring possibilities is all well and good when there is time for exploring possibilities.
– This is not that time.
– This is play-in desperation.
– Arguably the NBA’s ultimate desperation.
– So learning curve on hold.
– If they can help, they play.
– But experimentation to be saved for another day.
– “Everything that we’ve gone through right now,” Spoelstra said, “we’re trying to get our house in order.”
– So an opening lineup of Robinson, Jaquez Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wigginsand Tyler Herro.
– It was the 20th Heat lineup of the season.
– A quintet that had yet to play together this season.
– The previous lineup of Ware, Adebayo, Wiggins, Mitchell and Herro had gone 2-6.
– Mitchell played as the Heat’s first reserve.
– Followed by Haywood Highsmith.
– Ware initially went to the scorers’ table to check in with 3:34 left in the opening period but then was pulled back to the bench, before entering two minutes later.
– Ware eventually made it nine deep.
– With Pelle Larsson getting the call over Terry Rozier for nine deep.
– The game opened the 14th of the Heat’s 15 back-to-back sets this season, to conclude with Saturday night’s game in Memphis. The Heat are 7-6 on the second night of such pairings.
– The Heat’s final back-to-back set of the season will feature the same pairing in the same order, with an April 2 game in Boston and an April 3 home game against Memphis.
– The Celtics are now 20-6 in their last 26 games in Miami, when including a 7-2 playoff record.
– Through all of his team’s adversity, Spoelstra spoke pregame of the leadership of Adebayo and Herro.
– “With everything that’s been going on,” Spoelstra said, “that part I’ve enjoyed watching, to see them grow into these roles. If you want to lead, these are the times. You have to be able to do it when the seas are a little bit rough, a little and a little bit choppy. Anybody can lead when things are going great. Anybody can be a frontrunner in those type of situations.”
– Spoelstra added, “But these guys, they’re about the right things. They want it so bad. They want everybody to get this breakthrough. It starts with that. And then everybody else filling in as well.”
– He concluded. “I think everybody is just kind of turning to them naturally.”
– Herro extended his streak of games scoring in double figures to 88.
– Robinson converted a 3-pointer in a 16th consecutive game, breaking his previous longest such streak of the season.
– Herro is now five 3-pointers shy of joining Robinson, Wayne Ellington and Damon Jones as the only Heat players to convert at least 225 in a season.
– Herro’s eighth 3-point attempt was the 2,500th of his career.
Continue reading...
– Erik Spoelstra offered the breadcrumbs during his pregame media session.
–”I think for us, we’re simplifying,” the Heat coach said. “It really does become about us. You say that a lot, and sometimes that’s a cliche in this league. We have to take care of what we’re doing. We have to get to our identity. We have to really try to impact the game on our terms.”
– Identity, as in the known.
– As in experimentation on hold.
– So the big lineup?
– Kel’el Ware back to playing off the bench.
– The newcomers getting their shot?
– Davion Mitchell out of the starting lineup.
– Instead, the familiar.
– So a starting role again for Duncan Robinson.
– And Jaime Jaquez Jr. also with a starting role.
– Exploring possibilities is all well and good when there is time for exploring possibilities.
– This is not that time.
– This is play-in desperation.
– Arguably the NBA’s ultimate desperation.
– So learning curve on hold.
– If they can help, they play.
– But experimentation to be saved for another day.
– “Everything that we’ve gone through right now,” Spoelstra said, “we’re trying to get our house in order.”
– So an opening lineup of Robinson, Jaquez Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wigginsand Tyler Herro.
– It was the 20th Heat lineup of the season.
– A quintet that had yet to play together this season.
– The previous lineup of Ware, Adebayo, Wiggins, Mitchell and Herro had gone 2-6.
– Mitchell played as the Heat’s first reserve.
– Followed by Haywood Highsmith.
– Ware initially went to the scorers’ table to check in with 3:34 left in the opening period but then was pulled back to the bench, before entering two minutes later.
– Ware eventually made it nine deep.
– With Pelle Larsson getting the call over Terry Rozier for nine deep.
– The game opened the 14th of the Heat’s 15 back-to-back sets this season, to conclude with Saturday night’s game in Memphis. The Heat are 7-6 on the second night of such pairings.
– The Heat’s final back-to-back set of the season will feature the same pairing in the same order, with an April 2 game in Boston and an April 3 home game against Memphis.
– The Celtics are now 20-6 in their last 26 games in Miami, when including a 7-2 playoff record.
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– Through all of his team’s adversity, Spoelstra spoke pregame of the leadership of Adebayo and Herro.
– “With everything that’s been going on,” Spoelstra said, “that part I’ve enjoyed watching, to see them grow into these roles. If you want to lead, these are the times. You have to be able to do it when the seas are a little bit rough, a little and a little bit choppy. Anybody can lead when things are going great. Anybody can be a frontrunner in those type of situations.”
– Spoelstra added, “But these guys, they’re about the right things. They want it so bad. They want everybody to get this breakthrough. It starts with that. And then everybody else filling in as well.”
– He concluded. “I think everybody is just kind of turning to them naturally.”
– Herro extended his streak of games scoring in double figures to 88.
– Robinson converted a 3-pointer in a 16th consecutive game, breaking his previous longest such streak of the season.
– Herro is now five 3-pointers shy of joining Robinson, Wayne Ellington and Damon Jones as the only Heat players to convert at least 225 in a season.
– Herro’s eighth 3-point attempt was the 2,500th of his career.
Continue reading...
