Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
IMPERFECT STRANGERS
They played without nametags, which might have been a mistake, considering they looked like perfect strangers.
For the Miami Heat, order has yet to be established this season, including Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena, where they fell 120-100 to the Detroit Pistons, an opponent that entered 2-9.
“We got to figure this out,” center Bam Adebayo said. “It’s sad that I keep saying it, but we’ve got to figure it out.
“We’ve got to figure out solutions. Next man up.”
While six players were back after nearly a week away due to pandemic protocols, three key components were out. Amid yet another reshuffle, the Heat loaded up on turnovers and lost their way on defense in the first of consecutive home games against the Pistons.
Back for the Heat were Adebayo, Goran Dragic, Moe Harkless, Udonis Haslem, Kendrick Nunn and KZ Okpala, after apparent contact tracing kept them away.
Still out due to pandemic protocols for the Heat were Avery Bradley and Jimmy Butler, who also left the team Monday. In addition the Heat also were without guard Tyler Herro, due to neck spasms.
Against that backdrop, and with reserve center Meyers Leonard missing a third consecutive game due to a shoulder strain, the Heat crumbled in a 38-19 third quarter on the way to dropping to 4-7.
“We’re in that classic moment right now,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, “where you’re not as bad as you think you are; you never are as good as you think you are, as well, when you’re playing well. We just have to continue to work, find solutions.”
After consecutive road losses to the Philadelphia 76ers with the NBA minimum of eight players available, the Heat this time seemingly had the luxury of 13.
No matter, with cohesion and continuity lacking.
“We’re not looking for excuses,” guard Goran Dragic said. “It was an awful game.”
Adebayo closed with a seasonhigh 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Heat, who also will host the Pistons at 3 p.m. Monday in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee. The Heat also got 22 points from Duncan Robinson, 16 from KZ Okpala and 12 points and 10 assists from Dragic.
The Pistons got 24 points from Jerami Grant, 23 from Derrick Rose and 15 from Blake Griffin.
Five Degrees of Heat from Saturday’s game:
1. The turnovers: They have been a bane of the Heat this season and they were back big time Saturday night, with 13 in the first half and 23 overall.
“Those turnovers really have been crippling,” Spoelstra said.
Detroit scored 27 points off the Heat miscues. It was the fifth time in 11 games the Heat have had at least 20.
“We just got to be smarter with the ball,” Adebayo said. “If we cut down our turnovers from 22, 23 to like 13, all our numbers go up.”
2. No rust: Adebayo looked very much like himself, even after five days away from the team due to those pandemic protocols.
He made his first five shots from the field, including his first four jumpers, and closed 12 of 12 from the foul line. All that after being away from the team for five days.
“I’m impatient,” he said of the missed time, “and I want to be out there with my team.”
He said he appreciated the need for contact tracing.
“You have no choice,” he said. “It’s either you’re playing, or, no, you’ve got to do protocol.”
3. Surprise start: With Herro out, Spoelstra tossed a curve into his rotation by starting Okpala, the first NBA start for the 2019 secondround pick out of Stanford.
Also, Gabe Vincent remained in the starting lineup, another example of Spoelstra’s commitment to play Dragic as a reserve.
Joining Okpala and Vincent in the first five were Adebayo, Robinson and Kelly Olynyk. That five had never played together as a unit prior to Saturday’s opening tip.
Okpala downplayed his first NBA start.
“I mean we didn’t get the win,” he said. “So personally, I made a couple of shots, but I think I could have done a lot of things better to help us get the win.”
Okpala shot 6 of 9 from the field, 4 of 5 on 3-pointers.
4. Getting back: As for Herro, it looks like a Monday return is likely.
“It just didn’t loosen up [Friday],” Spoelstra said. “That was kind of to be expected. He’s been dealing with it for about a week. I think another day will be good for him.”
5. Late notice: Because of the Heat protocol situation, the Pistons did not fly until Friday evening.
“We really didn’t know whether we were going to go on the plane to come down here yesterday,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “And Troy [Weaver, the Pistons’ general manager] was in touch with Miami and they weren’t sure about their protocol situation. So, uncertainty is part of the daily life.”