Heat rallies in 4th quarter to win second game in row
The Heat went 2-1 on a three-game trip and returns home Thursday with two-time All-Star guard Victor Oladipo expected to make his Heat debut.
It was a good night for the Heat.
The Heat (24-24) clinched a winning trip with a 92-87 victory over the Indiana Pacers (21-25) on Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and returns home to an All-Star talent waiting to make his debut. Miami won two straight to close the three-game trip at 2-1.
Newly acquired two-time All-Star guard Victor Oladipo is expected to make his Heat debut on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors at AmericanAirlines Arena.
But first, the Heat needed to rally from a 15-point third quarter deficit to earn the win in Indianapolis.
Miami closed the third period on a 22-9 run to cut the deficit to just two entering the fourth quarter.
The Heat then outscored the Pacers 27-20 in the final period to complete the comeback.
Duncan Robinson led the way for the Heat with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from deep, eight rebounds and four assists.
Miami’s leading duo of Bam Adebayo (16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists) and Jimmy Butler (18 points, five rebounds and four assists) combined for 34 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
Heat guard Tyler Herro
Western Conference Southwest
15 15 23 25 29
L
22 24 24 29 31
L
17 25 26 30 34
L
21 21 22 25 34
L
11 18 18 27 36
L
Phoenix 32 14 .696 — L.A. Clippers 32 17 .653 11⁄2 L.A. Lakers 30 17 .638 21⁄2 Golden State 23 24 .489 91⁄2 Sacramento 22 25 .468 101⁄2 For full standings and boxscores go to the e-Edition at MiamiHerald.com.
WEDNESDAY
Miami 92, Indiana 87
Portland 124, Detroit 101 Dallas 113, Boston 108
Brooklyn 120, Houston 108
New York at Minnesota, late Toronto at Oklahoma City, late Utah at Memphis, late Sacramento at San Antonio, late Chicago at Phoenix, late Milwaukee at L.A. Lakers, late
THURSDAY
Golden State at Miami, 8
Philadelphia at Cleveland, 7 Washington at Detroit, 7 Charlotte at Brooklyn, 7:30 Orlando at New Orleans, 8 Atlanta at San Antonio, 8:30 Denver at L.A. Clippers, 10
TUESDAY
Charlotte 114, Washington 104 Denver 104, Philadelphia 95 Orlando 103, L.A. Clippers 96 Phoenix 117, Atlanta 110
Miami Ariza Butler Adebayo Dragic Robinson Herro Iguodala Vincent Achiuwa Bjelica Totals
33 32 24 23 18 W
24 24 23 17 16 W
29 21 19 17 13
W
25 23 22 21 13 W
35 29 29 19 11 W
.688 .681 .511 .479 .383
Pct
.522 .500 .489 .370 .340
Pct
.630 .457 .422 .362 .277
Pct
.544 .523 .500 .457 .277
Pct
.761 .617 .617 .413 .234
Pct
—
81⁄2 10 141⁄2
GB
— 1 11⁄2
7 81⁄2 GB
— 8 91⁄2 121⁄2 161⁄2
GB
— 1 2 4 121⁄2
GB
— 61⁄2 61⁄2 16 241⁄2
GB
Min FG-A FT-A R A F Pt 26 1-7 0-2 311 2 37 6-14 6-7 541 18 35 4-10 8-12 872 16 24 5-10 0-0 322 12 33 7-12 0-0 843 20 32 6-13 3-5 320 17 23 1-4 0-0 7 2 1 2 17 1-6 1-2 001 3 8 1-2 0-0 402 2 6 0-0 0-0 101 0 240 32-78 18-28 42 22 14 92
Percentages: FG .410, FT .643. 3-Point Goals: 10-32, .313 (Robinson 6-11, Dragic 2-5, Herro 2-6, Iguodala 0-1, Butler 0-2, Ariza 0-3, Vincent 0-4). Team Rebounds: 12. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 4 (Adebayo 2, Butler, Herro). Turnovers: 11 (Robinson 3, Adebayo 2, Butler 2, Dragic 2, Ariza, Iguodala). Steals: 5 (Butler 2, Adebayo, Ariza, Iguodala).
Indiana J.Holiday Sabonis Turner Brogdon LeVert McConnell McDermtt Sumner A.Holiday Bitadze Totals
Min FG-A 26 2-11 35 4-8 28 6-9 31 2-12 33 5-12 25 5-12 23 5-6 15 1-5 14 1-4 11 3-6 240 34-85
FT-A R A F Pt 0-0 121 5 1-2 14 3 4 9 0-0 605 15 2-2 723 7 4-6 161 14 1-2 751 11 0-0 3 1 2 14 0-0 310 3 0-0 321 2 0-0 315 7 8-12 48 23 23 87
Percentages: FG .400, FT .667. 3-Point Goals: 11-37, .297 (McDermott 4-5,
Turner 3-6, Bitadze 1-1, Sumner 1-2, Brogdon 1-8, J.Holiday 1-8, Sabonis 0-1, A.Holiday 0-2, LeVert 0-4). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: 2. Blocked Shots: 4 (Turner 3, Sabonis). Turnovers: 13 (LeVert 3, Sabonis 3, Turner 2, A.Holiday, Brogdon, McConnell, McDermott, Sumner). Steals: 7 (LeVert 4, J.Holiday 2, Sabonis). finished with 17 points off the bench.
But it was really Miami’s defense that was the star of the night. The Heat’s top-10 defense limited the Pacers to 87 points on 40 percent shooting from the field and 11 of 37 shooting on threes.
The Heat now returns home to take on the Warriors on Thursday to complete its fourth back-toback set in the past three weeks.
ARIZA FITTING IN
Just two weeks ago, Trevor Ariza was anxious to play in his first NBA game in a little more than a year. But, unsurprisingly, it has not taken the veteran forward long to find a role with the Heat.
Ariza, 35, has settled into a starting role as the Heat’s small-ball power forward. After playing off the bench in his first three games with Miami, he has since made three consecutive starts in the frontcourt entering Wednesday night’s matchup against Indiana.
While the learning curve has been quick, that doesn’t mean it has been easy. The Heat has held just two practices since Ariza was acquired on March 17 in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, which has made shootarounds, behind-thescenes work and his experience that much more important in his transition.
“Just a lot of film,” Ariza said in advance of Wednesday’s game against the Pacers. “The guys have been great, the coaching staff has been great. Everybody has been great catching me up to what we do here. I’m still trying to figure out where I fit in offensively and trying to find my rhythm. Defensively, I’m playing with really good defensive players, so the communication part helps me through that.”
Despite the quick promotion to starter, it’s clear that Ariza is still working to catch a rhythm and find his footing offensively. He entered Wednesday averaging 6.2 points on 13of-43 (30.2 percent) shooting from the field and 5-of-23 (21.7 percent) shooting from three-point range in his first six games with the Heat.
“Knowing when to pull the trigger and shoot the ball,” Ariza said of the challenge he faces in adjusting to his role within Miami’s offense. “I think that’s the biggest thing.
I’m in between trying to run an offense and passing up open looks, which I would normally shoot if I understood or if I was comfortable in the mix of things.”
But Ariza has helped in other ways with 28 rebounds, 10 assists, four steals and five blocks in first six games with the Heat.
Ariza’s defensive versatility at 6-8 and 215 pounds, with a 7-2 wingspan, has been on full display, too. He switches almost every action and has already been used for extended stretches as the Heat’s primary defender on guards such as Portland’s Damian Lillard and Charlotte’s Terry Rozier and a center such as New York’s Nerlens Noel.
Is Ariza, now playing in the Heat’s frontcourt, planning to add weight to his frame to help him defend bigger players?
“This has been my weight my whole life,” he said. “This is my 17th season, and I don’t think it’s changing any time until probably I’m like 50 or whatever. But I think I’m comfortable where I’m at. I’m confident in my abilities to play at any position at any weight . ... To be honest with you, my whole career I’ve guarded players
his that have outweighed me by 30 pounds, period.
From [Carmelo Anthony] to LeBron [James], this is no different.”
Defensive versatility is an important part of what the Heat wants from its starting four alongside center Bam Adebayo. But three-point shooting is also important for Ariza and any player who is used in that spot because it helps create space for Adebayo, Jimmy Butler and Miami’s other attackers.
Heat veteran Andre Iguodala has played that small-ball four role this season, and Jae Crowder excelled in that position during last season’s playoff run before he left to sign with the Phoenix Suns in free agency.
The Heat expects Ariza to check both of those boxes as he grows more comfortable in the system.
“Just the things that I’ve done in the past,” Ariza said of what Heat coaches want from him at the small-ball four spot. “Getting comfortable with playing off of them, making cuts, making plays when the ball is in my hands, shooting the ball when I’m open.”
INJURY UPDATE
The Heat remained without guard Oladipo (head cold), and forwards Udonis Haslem (health and safety protocols) and KZ Okpala (health and safety protocols) on Wednesday against the Pacers. Heat guard Kendrick Nunn, who was listed as questionable, was also ruled out for the second straight game because of a sprained right ankle.