Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks continued their torrid play Wednesday evening inside Kaseya Center, blasting the Miami Heat 111-92.
The Mavericks, winners of now 16 of their last 18, were spearheaded by their two stars Wednesday. Doncic and Irving combined for 54 points on 19-of-48 shooting. Doncic led the way with 29 points on 9-of-23 shooting with nine rebounds and eight assists; Irving tallied 25 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals on 10-of-15 shooting and 5-of-8 from 3-point range.
Dallas’ dynamic continued completely outmanning Miami’s star duo of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, who combined to tally 20 points on just 8-of-21 shooting; Butler had just eight shot attempts–the sixth-most on the team (!)–with 12 points and four rebounds.
Tyler Herro posted a Heat-high 21 points with seven rebounds and six assists on 6-of-15 shooting; Kevin Love showed as much fight as any Miami player did Wednesday, tallying 16 points and 11 rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting and 4-of-5 from deep. Caleb Martin, their only other double-figure scorer, added 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
Derrick Jones Jr., P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford were the Mavericks’ only other players who tallied double-digit points, all adding 12 points apiece. Dallas shot 49.4 percent from the floor and 34.1 percent from 3-point range; Miami shot just 40.7 percent, but went 13-of-30 (43.3 percent) from 3-point range.
The Heat ultimately needed more from their two stars tonight–especially after falling into a 20-point first-half hole. Adebayo’s touch was nonexistent, as were Butler’s attempts.
Wednesday’s loss drops the Heat to 44-36–one game back of the Philadelphia 76ers and two games back of the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic, who are tied for the No. 5 and 6 seeds. The only way the Heat can make the playoffs is if Philadelphia loses one of their two final games with Orlando or Indiana losing both.
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GO SIXERS!!!
With Miami and Orlando both losing on Wednesday, Sixers winning out would push them to 6. They already have H2H tiebreaker outright vs. Orlando, and Miami would be one back in the loss column. However, a 3-team tie between the 76ers, Pacers, and Magic would land the Sixers in the Play-In Tournament given how 3-team tiebreak scenarios work.
Given that information, what we do know is that if the 76ers win their remaining 2 games (Magic, Nets) and the Pacers win or lose their 2 remaining games (Cavaliers, Hawks), the Sixers will find themselves safe from the Play-In Tournament.
Why the Miami Heat’s Loss to the Mavericks Could Have Signaled the End of the Jimmy Butler Era
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7KA7pLrd8s
That could happen. Unless Jimmy was not adverse to playing an extra tense playoff type game, playoff Jimmy did not show up against Dallas. I know, that’s exactly what happened last year, so we got them right where we want them. But, that was a bad loss. And I think we are often a little surprised by how much better the western conference teams are.
The Western Conference has been much better than the Eastern for several years.
I followed Goran Dragic and the Suns before he was traded to Miami in 2014-2015. In his last full season in Phoenix, 2013-2014, the Suns finished in a tie with Chicago and Toronto at 48-34 for the 11th best record in the NBA. Only two Eastern teams (Indiana at 56-26 and Miami at 54-28) finished with better records than Phoenix. However, since 8 of the top 10 NBA records that year were in the Western Conference, Phoennix did not make the playoffs, having finished 9th in the West.
In addition to Indiana, Miami, Chicago and Toronto, four other Eastern Conference teams with worse records than Phoenix playing against inferior competition made the Eastern Playoffs (Washington and Brooklyn at 44-38, Charlotte at 43-39 and Atlanta at 38-44). Miami lost in the Finals to San Antonio in 5 games that season.
Lighten up guys. It could be worse. If Miami was in the Western Conference, it would be in 11th place. Also, more good news, Jimmy has another new commercial out. I wonder where he finds the time. Oh, wait.
dont forget our division how weak it is
Our division and our conference are weak. Five of the top six teams are in the Western Conference, despite playing tougher competition (each other).
at this point, ill be happy if we dont get swept by the celtics in the 1st rd lol
If we make it to the first round.
whatever the team is next year must be taller more athletic and younger.name me one team we are taller or more athletic then.just one sun man cant think of one
Washington Generals?
i said nba
heat for life
3 hours ago
“whatever the team is next year must be taller more athletic and younger.name me one team we are taller or more athletic then.just one sun man cant think of one”
seriously name a team in nba we are bigger than .jimmy covered up alot of flaws.w/o ss jimmy flaws are more evident
The Golden State Warriors are collectively the smallest team in the NBA.
That is true. Jimmy shouldered far more of the load with a little less support from the rest of the team than is typical of most nba championship game teams. This team is actually better than last years except so far Jimmy has not carried us as much. But, the playoffs are upon us, can lightning ever strike twice?
Bam needed help this year in the paint and on the boards, which never came.
k love t bryant maybe if bam was better he wouldnt need as much help,whos joel playing with
You and I both know that Bam is a natural Power Forward. Don’t pretend he is suddenly able to go toe-to-toe with Embiid, Jovic, Wemby and others. Don’t blame him for the sins of his…godfather.
Be patient. The end is not far, just a few more weeks and we shall come to decided what the Heat needs to do or not..
From Dave Hyde SS:
”They’re 0-13 against the top six teams in the NBA after Wednesday’s 111-92 drubbing by Dallas. That eye-popping winless record needs no qualifiers or modifiers. So, they didn’t so much shrink on the national stage against Dallas as regress to their identity and confirm why mistrust for this team is warranted”
”If they regroup and avoid Boston in the playoffs, they could win a series or even two against the rest of the subpar East. Someone has to win those series, after all. Why not them?
But the Heat haven’t shown any sign of being special through the 80th game on Wednesday. You have to hold the flicker of faith close to think they will. And when this season ends, it’s time to swap out anyone but Adebayo on this roster for a new start, qualifiers and modifiers be damned.”
Here’s my preliminary list of players to keep, re-sign, trade and move on from for what it is worth. This list is subject to change, without notice.
KEEPERS
Bam: 2 years – $72M
Herro 3 years – $93M (unless good trade opportunity arises)
Rozier: 2 years – $51.5M (unless good trade opportunity arises)
Jovic: 2 years – $6.9M
Jaquez: 3 years – $13.5M
ORobinson: 1 year – $2.12M (Partially Guaranteed)
RE-SIGN
Highsmith: Free Agent
RE-SIGN G LEAGUE
Swider: Free Agent
Williams: Free Agent
Cain: Free Agent
ENCOURAGE TO EXERCISE PLAYER OPTION
Love: $4.03M (Player Option)
Richardson: $3.05M (Player Option)
Martin: 1 year $7.1M (Player Option)
TRADE (Butler for starter, Duncan for rotation player, Bryant for ?)
Butler: 2 years – $101.2M (second year player option)
Duncan: 2 years – $39.3M (second year partially guaranteed)
Bryant: 1 year $2.84M
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
Mills: Free Agent
Wright: Free Agent
I have been in touch with the front office and they should be contacting you to work with Andy, under Riley, to execute this plan. The only clarification I’d add is the player we get for Butler must be no older than 28-29 and hopefully younger (coincidentally, this fellow from Cleveland who plays sg falls into this category).
The devil is in the details. Heat could get a very good haul with Butler, Herro and Duncan. Cleveland, Utah and a few other teams might be very interested. In addition to veteran players, several teams in “win now” mode have young players with great potential and tons of draft picks to trade. A lot of ways to go with this.
Good choices. I would go a little different, which I hope we discuss after the season.
Riles will likely pull a move we have not thought of as it is often in these seemingly transitional years where he gets most creative. After what we have been thru with whales, it’s hard to have much confidence a Mitchell trade will come our way.
I will say, if we bow out early, I am not adverse to using a dirty word around here, semi-rebuild, keeping Bam and HH, Caleb (if he will sign), Terry, and maybe JRich, trading almost all the rest. Accumulate players or first rounders however you can. That’s my idea.
Bam is the future of the team.Too early to give up on Jovic and Jaquez, since both are rotation players on cheap rookie contracts. Caleb will probably opt out for greener pastures, ala Vincent and Strus.Love is valuable on court and in locker room and is on a cheap contract. JRich proved his value, on both sides of the ball and is on cheap contract.Rozier adds an element Heat have lacked, speed. I think Heat should be a running team, but has been unable to do that because Butler wants to slow the game down and kill the clock. Herro’s defense is the problem and he shoots more than he should. He could have been a great point guard but he doesn’t have the right mentality.ORob has potential.G Leaguers are cheap and have potential.Butler’s time has come and gone. Time to trade him while he still has value.Bryant hasn’t been used by Spo enough to make it worth keeping him.Duncan can still be effective off the bench, when healthy. Tradeable if right opportunity comes along.Highsmith is worth keeping on a cheap contract if he doesn’t also move on to greener pastures.
I would have responded exactly the same on Jaquez and Jovic – you can’t give up on young talent. You need them. Besides the contracts, both will continue to get better.
Yes, Jovic and JJJ were the hardest ones to plan on. I guess you and RC are right about keeping at least one of them, maybe both. But, if there was a trade that made sense with one of them as part of it, I would consider it.
The funny thing is, is that if you look the first half of the season, you keep Jaquez. The second half, Jovic. But you’re right, if we get an offer we can’t refuse, we part with at least one.
Someone has to win those series, why not them?
Exactly. Heat are far from elite teams, which is 1 in the east and about 5 in the west. Technically, they can win it all, if somebody else knock out Boston before been knocked out by Heat, and Lakers would beat all west big teams, before Lebron heading to the cemetery, and Davis to hospital.
So there is a chance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMRrNY0pxfM
cant wait til tuesday dont play jimmy.play bam he needs practice
does jimmy have another gear if not short run .if he has something left in the tank it will be like the previous butler playoff years
If Miami doesn’t trade him this summer they must extend him for a buttload ($150M+) or lose him to free agency in 2025-26 when he opts out of current contract and pursues free agency.
Yup
I’m trying to be like Manila, whatever smidgeon of hope there is, hang onto it. It makes you feel better. But, I am a man of science, always had trouble with blind faith, although I did love the group Blindfaith, even had their album with the little girl with the airplane on the cover which was banned and supposed to be worth something. Go Heat go!
Props to these Mavs team. They improved their defense with good pickups. They already got the firepower. Lets see how far they go in po. Heat staggering like a drunk going to play-in and wishing they get that 7th seed. Hope is not that high but there is hope, no matter how small it is. I’ll take it.
That was an embarrassment again, but not for the Heat, for Bam and Butler.
If they need a rest, then rest them. Right now the Heat would be better without them playing.
Be patient. The end is not far, just a few more weeks.
Weeks? They can get bounced out of play-in round next week. Jus sayin…
I gotta be honest, I stopped watching after they lost to the Sixers and the Pacers. This team is going to stagger into the play-in game. They’re just getting healthy, and just not playing their best basketball.
At this point, the only hope is to get through the play-in game and hope for some playoff magic. This team has given it to us many times before.
Be patient, the end is not far.
https://tenor.com/view/the-simpsons-homer-simpson-the-end-is-near-apocalypse-gif-7204975
This team needs an enema!
Be patient.
If they don’t make a commitment to play hardcore defense every game, they can’t go very far. Their offense can’t compete with any of the playoff teams.
guys like kyrie doncic joker steph etc u dont stop them there to good.u have to lockdown on the scrubolas.
It’s called “team defense.” Can’t win otherwise. Heat not built for “shootouts.”
our cach has never put a kick ass d on the ct (bam jim hh cain caleb)theres always a bad defender or 2 on the ct with spobot
They are #5 rated defensive team in the NBA. https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defense?dir=A&sort=DEF_RATING