An evening after the sky was falling, the Miami Heat regained their footing Saturday, with a wanted 117-109 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Miami-Dade Arena.
Of course, in typical 2022-23 Heat vogue, nothing got here simple, with it changing into the Heat’s league-leading forty fifth clutch recreation of the season (one inside 5 factors at any level inside the remaining 5 minutes).
But with Bam Adebayo stabilizing issues with high-percentage paint play and with Tyler Herro creating offense when wanted, the Heat averted falling to the No. 8 seed within the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The victory moved the Heat to a 2-1 lead within the season sequence, with the groups to fulfill once more Monday night time on the Heat’s courtroom.
Adebayo led the Heat with 30 factors and 11 rebounds, supported by 20 factors from Tyler Herro, with Jimmy Butler filling the field rating with 15 factors, 11 rebounds and 7 assists.
The Heat protection additionally had its moments, stifling Hawks’ scoring chief Trae Young to eight factors on 2-of-13 capturing.
Five Degrees of Heat from Saturday’s recreation:
1. Closing time: The Heat led 29-26 on the finish of the opening interval, regardless of committing eight first-quarter turnovers after which pushed their result in 66-49 on the intermission.
But after pushing to a 21-point benefit within the third interval, the Heat’s lead was all the way down to 87-75, as Butler took his customary relaxation at the beginning of the fourth.
Butler then returned with 7:05 to play, with the Heat’s lead all the way down to 99-94. A Caleb Martin 3-pointer and an Adebayo dunk moved the Heat to a 104-94 lead from there.
Eventually the Hawks acquired inside the 5 factors wanted to make it a “clutch” recreation, however this by no means acquired too clutch, the Heat as much as a 12-point lead with 2:44 remaining.,
2. Bam again: After an uneven recreation in opposition to the Knicks, Adebayo was aggressive and environment friendly, which was wanted with Hawks heart Clint Capela additionally filling the field rating.
After ready for the third quarter to make his transfer Friday in opposition to the Knicks, Adebayo this time scored 13 factors within the second interval, additionally scoring in double figures within the fourth.
Adebayo’s first rebound of the fourth quarter gave him a double-double.
He closed 10 of 12 from each the sector and foul line, greater than offsetting the 16 factors and 13 rebounds from Capela.
3. Trae stoppers: Having developed a swarming and synchronized recreation plan in opposition to Young, together with throughout final season’s 4-1 opening-round playoff win, the Heat once more stifled the Hawks guard within the first half, limiting him to a few factors on 1-of-4 capturing.
Young then fell to 1 of 9 going into the fourth quarter, later dipping to 1 of 12.
To his credit score, he compensated with a game-high 10 assists.
4. Zeller time: Amid a season when aid has been considerably restricted within the center when Adebayo has gone to the bench, Cody Zeller purchased the Heat loads of time in a 13-point first half that noticed him go 4 of 4 from the sector and 5 of 6 from the road in his 9:58.
Not solely has Zeller offered an improve on lately dealt Dewayne Dedmon, however Omer Yurtseven put collectively a second consecutive double-double Saturday night time in his rehab project with the G League.
5. Support system: With Martin placing collectively a second consecutive stable effort, this time with 15 factors, the Heat bench proved a basic fact, that the Heat can win if it even is merely purposeful.
With Victor Oladipo contributing six assists, there was sufficient there to maintain the starters contemporary on the second night time of the back-to-back.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com