The Miami Heat dropped back to .500 once again after another fourth-quarter collapse, losing 102-86 to the Brooklyn Nets inside Barclays Center Friday evening.
Brooklyn entered the night having won three of their last four games–but dropped 12 of their last 13 at home. The Heat were en route to send them home with yet another, until the final frame arrived.
Entered the fourth up six, they scored just nine points in the frame on a forgettable 2-of-21 shooting, including 1-of-14 from Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Miami went the final 7:01 without a field goal after Rozier’s 3-pointer cut their deficit to 87-84–his only points in the second half.
For the night, the Heat shot just 35.6 percent from the floor and 30.0 percent from 3-point range; Brooklyn shot 41.9 percent, but just 10-of-37 (27.0 percent) from beyond the arc. Rozier led the way in scoring with 20 points on 6-of-15 shooting, though he was far better in the second half than he was in the first 24.
Bam Adebayo had 18 points and eight rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting; Herro finished with an inefficient 15 points and six assists; Kel’el Ware had a 10-point, 14-rebound double-double while Duncan Robinson also had 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting.
While Miami consistently wasn’t generating good offense down the stretch, it was eaten up on the glass, finishing a minus-18 while surrendering 18 offensive rebounds and 14 second-chance points. The Heat may have lost the game, but that’s the difference–especially when Ware wasn’t in the game down the final 7:22.
The Nets scored 10 of their final 15 points in the paint and had a 63.2 REB% when Ware was off the floor, including a 63.6 REB% in the fourth quarter. A wise man once said, “no rebounds, no rings!” The Heat’s point-of-attack defense was a sieve and they were getting beat up in every facet of the interior–not a recipe for success!
The Heat have six fourth quarters where they scored less than 10 points since the start of the 2011-12 season. Two of them have come this season, both since Dec. 20. This also marks the second time this season that the Heat have been outscored by 20 points in the fourth. Only one team in franchise history–in 1989-90, the second year of their existence–has done that more than twice.
Friday’s loss drops the Heat back to an even 25-25. They’ve had a magnet attached to .500 all season, having not been two games above or below that threshold since Jan. 13.
They return home for a one-game set Monday against the reigning champion Boston Celtics before two straight against Oklahoma City and Dallas away from home before the All-Star break!
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WTF is Spo doing? The team is ice cold and he leaves Burks on the bench? Why isn’t he playing Keshad Johnson? They gave him a regular contract and brought him up from G League to sit on the bench? WTF! He plays very good defense and is better than Larsson. Spo should have just left him in Sioux Falls so he could get more playing time, confidence and experience. What about Stevens? Different player bringing the ball up every play. Trying to make point guards out of players who do not handle the ball very well. The Heat needs a calming influence/floor general to set up the offense. That’s why they look so out of control and have not been able to find consistency. They have no point guards other than Dru Smith (who is out for the season) and Stevens (who is stuck in purgatory). Davion Mitchell can’t get here soon enough! The team sure can also use more reliable scoring, which Wiggins will hopefully provide. I can see a starting unit of Mitchell, Herro, Wiggins, Bam and Ware.
totally out athletized .nets have little talent but lots athletes.those guys were jumping higher than our guys.quicker hands than our guys.this was a keshod johnson game dunc jjj even jovic cant hang with athletes.spobot was terrible tonight.best fc is bam ware jovic since the orlando win when they played alot together at the end they have hardly played togethertonight he had ware out in the 4th andhad dunc out there over ware wtf.monday our team will look different..
Highsmith had 0 points again. Johnson can do much better with a little playing time.