Nunn rampages vs. Raptors
With Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro again out, the Miami Heat had to flip the script Wednesday night in what turned into a 111-102 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Tampa.
So Kendrick Nunn again flicked the switch with his offense, Kelly Olynyk filled unexpected columns in the box score and Andre Iguodala turned back the clock with several decisive late defensive sequences.
“It’s about not making any excuses about everything that’s going on, and [instead] focusing on improvement,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.
While not quite must-win just 13 games into the season, the Heat opened a daunting four-game trip with a solid step forward, now with their first winning streak of the season.
“These are your opportunities for your team to grow, to get better, dealing with adversity, without making excuses,” Spoelstra said. “There were a lot of guys who put their fingerprints on this game.”
With Nunn keeping the Heat afloat on the way to a season-high 28 points on 9-of-12 shooting, the Heat got a solid closing effort from Goran Dragic in his 17-point performance. There also was a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double from Bam Adebayo, who also had seven assists, and 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists from Olynyk.
The Heat’s depth of scoring was rounded out by 14 points from Duncan Robinson and 13 from Iguodala.
“This is the way we’re built,” Spoelstra said, “and this is the way the season is right now.”
At 6-7, the Heat return to Amalie Arena in Tampa to again play the Raptors on Friday night, before Saturday and Monday games against James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets.
The Heat again were shorthanded, with Butler and Avery Bradley away from the team for a fifth consecutive game due to pandemic protocols, Meyers Leonard out for his fifth consecutive game due to a shoulder strain and Herro sidelined for the third consecutive game by neck spasms.
Of those four, only Herro traveled.
Five degrees of Heat from Wednesday’s game:
1. Nunn sense: Nunn followed up Monday’s 18-point performance with something even better. Until Monday, Nunn had scored in double figures only once this season.
Nunn scored 13 points in the second quarter and 10 in the third.
“Just getting our team going,” said Nunn, who played 35 minutes. “It’s the minutes for me, just getting in the game and getting the flow of the game.”
Last season’s runner-up for Rookie of the Year appears to be creating decisions for Spoelstra once Butler, Bradley and Herro are back.
“We really needed it today,” Spoelstra said, with Nunn also closing with eight rebounds and five rebounds. “We needed his playmaking. We needed his scoring.”
2. Power play: For extended stretches, Olynyk was the Heat’s most impactful big man.
The Raptors, in fact, often went with smaller defenders against Adebayo, who most of the game was limited in his aggression.
With Butler and Herro out, the Raptors seemingly prioritized containing Adebayo, whose lone free-throw attempt through three quarters was on a technical foul on Aron Baynes.
Ad eba yo then stepped up to round out his double-double in the fourth quarter.
“I really thought Bam brought this great competitive spirit to this game,” Spoelstra said of Adebayo’s closing act. “It was almost as if he was willing it.”
The Heat finished with a 46-41 rebounding advantage.
“You got to finish possessions,” Adebayo said. “I feel like a lot of that has been holding us back. I put that responsibility on myself.”
3. Another twist: The Heat made it an NBA-high 10 starting lineups this season in their 13 games, this time with Gabe Vincent opening in the backcourt alongside Dragic.
Those two joined Adebayo, Robinson and Olynyk in the first five.
It was the second start of the season for Dragic, fourth for Vincent.
“It’s different,” Dragic said of so many opening alignments. “But everybody’s contributing.”
4. Robinson rolls early: Robinson went 4 of 4 on 3-pointers in the first quarter, to push past Tyler Johnson for 13th place on the Heat’s all-time list for 3-pointers.
Robinson appeared to make a fifth straight in the second period, but that conversion was removed by the official scorer and changed to a turnover, with video showing his left heel was out of bounds.
Those four 3-pointers proved to be his only baskets, closing out his scoring with a pair of fourth-quarter free throws.
5. Iguodala contributes: Spoelstra saved Iguodala’s minutes for closing time and the move paid off with several solid defensive possessions by the veteran forward, who was particularly active at the top of the Heat’s zone defense.
“Andre played 21 minutes,” Spoelstra said, “but it felt like he played 38 minutes.
“His impact in the fourth quarter defensively, and he just gives you another ballhandler.”