In the midst of a four-game losing streak, the Miami Heat needed a jolt of life outside of the demonstratively red court featured for the first inaugural in-season tournament.
They got that Friday night, picking up a 121-114 win over the Washington Wizards, picking up their second win of the season. It did not come without a sweat, as a once-25-point lead trickled down to 10 points in a 2:38 span late in the final quarter, but Miami’s aforementioned cushion–in addition to key plays from Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler–helped it fend off Washington late.
Miami featured six double-figure scorers, led by Herro, who posted 24 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and two steals on 9-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Butler had 20 points with seven rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting. Bam Adebayo finished with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
It got an incredibly productive evening from its bench with 48 bench points on a combined 20-of-29 shooting. Duncan Robinson tallied 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 4-of-8 from deep, while Thomas Bryant and Josh Richardson scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Friday marked Miami’s most efficient shooting output of the season, knocking down 60 percent of its attempts, including 13-of-27 (48.1 percent) from 3-point range. Washington also shot 56.8 percent after beginning 10-of-11, canning 13-of-28 from deep. Miami connected on 13 of 27 from deep.
The Heat had 58 points to the Wizards’ 64; they also outrebounded Washington by seven (37-30) and finished with one fewer turnover (20-19).
The Heat begin Group B play 1-0 and will not have another in-season tournament game against the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 14. They close out their road trip on Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers in Gabe Vincent’s return to Miami.
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The Heat are in a good place. I still believe that this team will achieve above most teams in the East. Perhaps their recent unexpected successes have raised our expectations.Let us not forget that in the past 4 seasons they have not looked like a winning team at least on paper yet they achieved far beyond expectations. A starting 5 of Buttler, Bam, Tyler, Lowry + Martin or HH or Love will hold their against the best in the East e.g, The Sixers, Bucks, Celtics, etc. The Heat needs Richardson, Duncan, Bryant, JJJ + HH/Martin/Love to join the rotation. If the Heat can consistently get 10 to 14 points in each game from at least 3 of these players 9not to mention of the occasional game when one of them will go off with a 20+ points game), then I see the Heat in the ECF again this season. The Heat needs the rotation players to round up the rotation consistently in offense and defense, then the sky is the limit for how far the Heat will go. Check on me again at the end of this season.
Go Heat, Go.
the only teams we have beaten so far are washington and detroit. doesnt really inspire confidence, i know
True. We are undermanned. If not addressed, this looks like a boutthirty win team. I know there are those who will always believe, and I respect and appreciate their loyalty and optimism. But, Pat was really ineffective this offseason. He let several good players get away while waiting on Dame. If he does nothing more now than his one good move, Bryant, he is officially, after being a great GM for years, an albatross.
bout 30 maybe.depends on jimmys level and desire
Oy vey
in the nba u gms can whiff most of the time but if u pick up a lebron bosh butler type player or draft a wade all is forgotten only problem is now butler is aging bam and ty are nice players but not elite
I just looked at offseason trades. Which players did he miss on? Beale hasn’t played yet. Maybe John Collins? Holmes? CP3? Trading Herro, Jaquez, Jovic, possibly Martin and/or Duncan plus 2-3 first round picks for the $200 million man would have been a questionable move, particularly in a year or 2. Of course, getting Lillard definitely would have given the team a better shot at contending this season. I don’t blame Riley for trying to make a reasonable trade for him. The Portland gm was spiteful due to the trade demand.
I’m an optimist but also a realist. Do I see this team as top 3 in the East? No. They’ve been pretty raggedy so far. But this team, without a true superstar, has found a way to compete/contend 3 of the last 4 years.
if they get, or develop, a solid pg, they could be there again.
porzingis jrue dame van fleet .hes been standing pat (riley) last few off seasons waiting for the whale.dont need a whale need some better players.we have 3 good players(aboveavg) thats it.no top 10 15 type player.jim in playoffs been top 10
First of all, I think a lot of people here, including you, didn’t want Porzingis due to his injury history and questionable defense. Lillard and Holiday were due to Cronin refusing to do business with the Heat. VanVleet? That happened June 30, when all media outlets and most people here believed Lillard was on his way here.
How about Kelly Oubre, Christian Wood?
I agree on both. But neither is a very big difference maker or a pg. I lobbied for both, along with Beverly.
good one 30.u have oubre and wood u are def better.prob not champ better but def better
porzingis def injury prone id still take him though.him and bam next to each other might have given us a ring.riley again waited to long on dame there were b moves to be made that would have improved us
“Prob not champ better but def better.” So, who else? Porzingis? For who?
milw boston mia thats way i see it need a motivated healthy jim and caleb back .whos better than us other than milw bost.need fn butler to ball and we’re good
With an upgrade at pg, I would agree.
Herro, Doncic and Jokic are the only players to have at least 130 points, 30 rebounds, and 30 assists to open the 2023-24 NBA season.
Hmmm?
ty off to great start
NBA Power Rankings (Fansided): #20. Miami Heat
“…So far, Herro has looked good for the Heat but the inconsistent play of every other player on the team not named Bam has not helped the team shake off the slow start to the season. Even though the Heat’s defense has been stellar this season, their offense has been downright putrid. Miami ranks 25th in offensive rating and considering they’re the sixth-best 3-point shooting team in the league, that’s not ideal.
Watching the Heat play so far this season, it’s clear that something is off. They look like a team that has little-to-no interest in playing with one another.”
Miami is one good point guard away from being a very good team.
true.
ty?
He’s not a PG. Heat tried that once in 2021. He’s a SG. I like the second round rookie with Detroit, Marcus Sasser. Good scorer and good assist man. I don’t know how well he plays defense. He and Killian Hayes are getting playing time now because of injuries to Monte Morris, Jaden Ivey and Alex Burkes. Once those players are back, both Sasser and Hayes will see limited roles.
From Ira. While I definitely want to see Jovic get some minutes, there are reasons we don’t see him as much as we’d like.
“How can Nikola Jovic improve his defense if he doesn’t get game minutes? Practice is not game-time experience. – Michael, Boynton Beach.
A: But practice also doesn’t come at the expense of losses. Nikola Jovic really struggled defensively last week in his start in Minnesota. Really struggled. You have to get up to at least a certain level of proficiency defensively on this team to play in more than emergency situations.”
That’s what G League is for. Get playing time, build skills, build confidence. Hard to do that on the bench with few practices between games. First Skyforce game is next Saturday, November 11th. Maybe RJ or Cain get some minutes with the Heat during the interim. https://basketball.realgm.com/gleague/teams/Sioux-Falls-Skyforce/6/schedule
I absolutely expect that, yes.
I dont get the narrative that Arison with his top dog Riley doesn’t want to spend. He can. But at what expense? This is already an old storyline and sports “experts” are predetermined to go with the trend of selling the farm to make way for a preconceived “better” build for at least a top 10 star. Again at what expense? The deals just did not materialize. Sad. But you have to live with it. Make the most of what we have which I think the Miami Heat is among the best in doing exactly that. That’s why I’m a fan. Go Heat!
This may be the best comment I’ve ever read by you, and you write a lot of good comments. Bravo!!
im a heat fan cause i/ve lived in miami area practically my whole life .whether there good or bad always will root for them.but when they do something wrong i will voice.when they do good voice.thats what sports talk is all about
Salamat! That’s thank you in Tagalog hehe. But for me the best post will always be your patented LET’S GO HEAT!! Never gets old 😁😆
I don’t know how many of you watched Riley give his one press conference at the end of the regular season. But the season has played out exactly as he said it would. It was in before the Dame situation was out in the open, but his only comment is that he’s not allowed to talk about it. It’s before the Herro rumors or the Jaquez pick. But he told you his plan that day and he’s stuck to it.
He said that he thought this team was good enough to win a championship with improvements around the edges. He also repeatedly mentioned that new salary cap rules, and that they didn’t want to make a major move before they understood the new cap rules. In spite of all the Lillard rumors, Riley and Spo have held the line that they’re happy with their team and looking forward to the new season.
Does that mean they wouldn’t have traded for Dame if the price was right? Of course not. Does that mean they won’t make a trade at the deadline? It probably depends on how the season is going and who’s available.
But this has never been about Dame or the salary cap or however old Jimmy Butler is. The Heat think they have a good team, they are going to try their best to win as much as they can, and as long as they put up a good fight, they’ll live with the result. Let the other team execute brilliant tank, draft, and rebuild plans that take ten years to lose in the playoffs. The Heat are going to try to win every year with whoever is on the roster. You can criticize the approach, but you can’t argue with the results.
Because Heat’s got a good system and it’s been tried and tested as you’ve said…you can’t argue with the results. Its not always pretty lots of bumps along the journey still they grind it out and look for ways to compete.
Thats all truth, but there is an impression, that the wrong edges were fixed… or there is the wrong tool to fix certain edges.
Interesting article on FanSided. Something to think about. https://sircharlesincharge.com/2023/11/04/nba-trade-rumors-surprising-stars-trade-block/8/
“The Heat’s forgettable offseason has carried over into the regular season. In the standings, the Heat is one of the worst teams in the league. They’re playing well below their talent and if they’re not careful, there’s one ticking timebomb on the roster that could explode.
Knowing Jimmy Butler’s recent history, would it be all that surprising if he all of a sudden came to the conclusion that he wants out of Miami?”
What exactly is Butler s recent history?
For me is 2 finals and east final, and an arguing with Spo.
I think it has more to do with Jimmy’s championship window closing and Arison’s unwillingness to spend money to bring in a difference maker. Please note that Boston, Milwaukee, Golden State, Phoenix and Los Angeles (Clippers) all have higher payrolls this year and in next couple of years. Miami’s payroll will be dropping. If Arison is going to wait another year to start spending money, Jimmy will be another year older and that much further away from a championship. I think it is this year or never for JImmy in Miami. If Arison does not want to spend the money, I’m sure he can pull off a trade to fill both Miami’s needs for a quality two-way PG and a SF. Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland would work, for starters.
Per the article: “It’s been a rough last six months for the Miami Heat. It’s amazing how quickly things can change in the NBA for a team. At the end of last season, the Heat was one of the best stories in the league as they made another unlikely run to the NBA Finals as an eighth seed. Fast forward to the start of the offseason, the Heat has done nothing but taken L after L since. It started with missing out on Bradley Beal, losing Gabe Vincent and Max Strus in free agency, and their offseason misfortunes ended with Damian Lillard being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.”
Miami Heat is just the other name for Phoenix bird. It will rise again from the dust.
My only concern this year is, that team is not constructed as it should be. Obviously Lillard would fit well with this rooster, but enough of that, it was the right decision not to trade for him.
Generally, I believe, this team is more talented than last years team. I think sooner or later will be some talent from backcourt replaced with some talent in frontcourt. After 20 games :).
theres no doubt jimmy is pissed about not getting dame.but unless hes injured he has lost a step.gabe and max loss no biggies.talk is beale is damaged goods.but yeah look what bost milw did and we did nothing(jrich bryant).jimmy will not win champ down here with current squad so he might start to yap in a few months.i can see him going to a champ contender and would have no problem with that.failure of the front office to help jimmy out is a bummer
Jimmy has already played for 3 other teams in a 30 team league, and hated all of them. That dude is a competitor, and he hates losing, but that guy appreciates what he has in Miami
Yeah the “no doubt Jimmy is pissed” is HFL pulling things from his culo.
Insider information? JB3 closest friend?
did u see his video when he heard dame signed with milw i filmed it my man was visibly shook
To add to that excellent comment about Butler’s recent history, what was his playoff history before he came to the Heat and made the Finals twice and the ECF three times in four years?
He had been to the second round twice. Once when he flamed out with the “trust the process” Sixers. And once when he played for a really good Chicago Bulls team with Derrick Rose and Jakim Noah. But I don’t remember what happened with that team in the playoffs…
At the beggining of the season, every team is playing hard. So its not easy to win.
Miami was able to get to 20 points lead, which is positive, but this is the third game, when relatively big lead was lost.
Tylers best game in his career.Because of defence , rebounding, assisting.
When i watched this game. I notice that in the first 3 quarters.Tyler,Jimmy and bam were sharing with each other and the ball was moving from side to side to get open shots. In the fourth with Lowry and Jrich, the offense stagnated.
I will say it again. I have never seen a guard that has a better feel in rebounding than his playmaking. But each year,his total asisst keeps increasing and his playmaking keeps getting better.
Good win. Let’s stack a few together now & get back on track.
Let’s Go Heat!
Two guys have to be praised for the way they are playing to start the season.
Tyler Herro has a chip on his shoulder. He’s playing with an intensity that is noticeable.
25ppg and higher and I will not mention defense. Other talented scorers don’t get the lack of defense scrutiny that Tyler gets. So let’s be fair.
Duncan Robinson. This guy has really improved his game and is not just a 3 point specialist anymore. The regular rotation minutes helps to settle down a player.
Kudos to both.
Testify on Duncan! He’s earning that salary right now.
Passing, driving, reverses – he’s doing very well. Contributing to team success.
definitely more rounded game .problem is on the defensive side.when u have him ty and jjj on the ct oh well.lets hope for the best
Jaquez is a good defensive player. The other two are improving little by little, while improving their offensive games. Lowry is the weak link. 3 points in 26 minutes ain’t gonna cut it. Turnovers and defensive lapses are killing them!
Good points. They both are doing well. Let’s hope Highsmith, Cain, and maybe even one of the GLeague guards and O Robinson can help out too. That’s our best case scenario, without getting help from outside, seems to me. We need Richardson and Lowry to give their all too. Love should not be part of the rotation.
Definitely agree with everything you said, also both of them played their best game of the year so far.
yeah, i think Tyler is getting credit for playing well, but Duncan has flown under the radar. He’s still shooting flames from three, and he’s now getting to the basket with ease. His defense is still the concern, but it’s not terrible, and otherwise he’s playing great
well, that was a get-right game against the worst team in the league. That said, the rotation looked better. Tyler looked great, Highsmith played well. Lowery played well. J-Rich stinks.
I still think the first 6 games in the season can be summed up as simply as ‘Spo is treating the first few weeks of the regular season as a glorified preseason”. That said, I would like the Heat to keep pace with the rest of the league so they’re not in 12th place twenty games into the season.
I think there is a lot of talent on this team. I am a really big fan of Hi-May Hay. If he can start shooting the 3, he’ll be a stud in this league. Bryant is also a great addition. I would like to see more minutes for Cain and Dru, although I expect that to come over the course of the season.
j rich stinks disagree.he had a beautiful left handed layup to the rim and is starting to find his shot.just for his defense he should be in there over turtle who really stinks.kyle knows he stinks so he just passes the ball now.lets see him make a drive to the rim or guard anybody .hes basically a 3pt guy now whos not good at that
Richardson was much more aggressive yesterday after he was called for the flop. From that point on, he looked much better.
Lowry barely even shoots the 3, he supposed to be spacing the floor, but can’t even do that for us, and probably only has 3 fg attempts per game. I wanna trade him and pieces for brogdon if possible.
At this point, I’m looking at Kyle Lowry the same way I look at Kevin Love.
Just be the vet that makes everyone else feel good about themselves, and give us a couple big playoff games in May. By himself he’s overpriced. But if you call Lowry/Love $30million, that’s a fair price for two vets with championship rings on expiring contracts.
So when you look at him from that perspective, he played fine. Didn’t turn the ball over, didn’t shoot too much, wasn’t a weakness on defense. If you want a pitbull, play Dru Smith More. But Dru will turn the ball over and take dumb shots. Lowry is looking like a steady hand.
3 points in 26 minutes for a starting Point Guard won’t cut it. Not in today’s NBA! Dude is tied for 10th in scoring with Orlando Robinson, just ahead of Jaquez, Smith and Swider! WTF!!! https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MIA/2024.html
The shots look good coming off Sweet baby J’s hands. Now they just need to start falling.
It seems like he has had a ton of open corner 3s which might be an underappreciated part of the start of the year for the offense. Might indicate some things, might not too?
Yey we got 2 wins! Celebrate small progress 😆😜