This was what the Miami Heat wanted once they wanted it, Sunday’s 115-91 victory at FTX Arena.
Not to essentially set a tone on this best-of-seven opening-round NBA playoff collection towards the Atlanta Hawks.
Not to essentially stomp on an opponent that had survived the play-in spherical simply 39 hours earlier.
And to not essentially validate the offseason makeover that introduced in Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker amongst others.
But to easily take away the stench of being swept out of the playoffs in final season’s first spherical by the Milwaukee Bucks and remind once more of the chances of a franchise that superior to the 2020 NBA Finals.
And what the assertion it was, by no means permitting Trae Young to seek out his manner in a sport successfully determined within the first half.
So on to Tuesday’s Game 2 it’s, after getting 27 factors from Duncan Robinson, 21 from Jimmy Butler, 16 from Tucker, in addition to 9 assists from Lowry and strong inside play from Bam Adebayo.
For Young? Pure distress created by a Heat protection that restricted him to 1-of-12 taking pictures and eight factors, his lowest output of the season.
Five Degrees of Heat from Sunday’s sport:
1. Attack mode: After a depressing 2021 postseason led to a humbling offseason, Butler got here out in assault mode.
In his case, the numbers advised solely part of the story.
Instead, it was an aggressive bent from the outset, filling the field rating whereas additionally organising teammates.
He closed 9 of 15 from the sphere, with six rebounds, 4 assists and three steals.
2. Robinson in reserve: When it involves the NBA’s Sixth Man Award, that continues to be the Heat province of Tyler Herro.
But relating to the postseason, Robinson seems poised for his personal bench assertion.
Having been changed within the beginning lineup a month in the past in favor of Max Strus, Robinson closed 9 of 10 from the sphere, together with 8 of 9 on 3-pointers.
The eight 3-pointers set a franchise file, breaking the file of seven he beforehand shared with Mike Miller and Damon Jones.
Robinson’s fourth basket moved him previous Dan Majerle for twenty first on the Heat all-time playoff checklist. That additionally allowed him to cross P.J. Brown for nineteenth on the Heat all-time playoff scoring checklist.
Then, within the fourth quarter, he handed Shane Battier for fifth on the Heat all-time playoff 3- pointers and handed Voshon Lenard for seventeenth on the Heat playoffs scoring checklist.
3. His time: Having been a part of the Bucks’ roster that ousted the Heat in final season’s first spherical of the playoffs on the best way to Milwaukee’s championship, Tucker supplied a reminder of his postseason worth.
This time it meant 11 third-quarter factors, when he shot 4 of 5 from the sphere, all whereas preserve his lockdown protection.
He closed 6 of 8 from the sphere, with 5 rebounds.
4. True to type: Just as Erik Spoelstra performed it on the finish of the common season, he remained true to that rotation within the playoff opener.
That had Strus within the beginning lineup, alongside Butler, Adebayo, Lowry and Tucker.
It additionally had Herro, Dewayne Dedmon, Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent as the primary spherical out of the bench.
As was the case when the Heat have been entire on the finish of the common season, that meant Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris being out of the playoff combine.
It additionally had Caleb Martin out of the preliminary 9.
5. Tone set: The tone was set early, even earlier than the Hawks closed the opening interval with simply 17 factors.
With 6:13 to play within the opening interval, Butler and Young have been known as for a double technical foul, after Young tried to cease Butler in transition with a harder-the-typical take foul and Butler responded in variety with a return shove.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com