Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Triple-doubles cause trouble
Butler, Adebayo both produce them to spark Heat to road victory
The Miami Heat weren’t going to allow it to happen again, couldn’t afford to let it happen again.
A night after blowing a 19-point lead in a crushing overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Heat found themselves teetering again Thursday night.
This time there was a 23-point lead midway through the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings, a lead whittled to 10 by the end of the period.
This time, the Heat pushed back, going back up by 20 midway through the fourth quarter on the way to a much-needed 118-110 victory at Golden 1 Center.
“That can’t happen two nights in a row,” center Bam Adebayo said. “I mentioned that in the huddle, we can’t have that happen. Dudes responded.”
With LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers looming Saturday night on the sixth stop of this seven-game trip, the Heat snapped a three-game losing streak.
“We just really had to push through,” Heat guard Tyler Herro said.
Jimmy Butler and Adebayo filled the box score to secure the victory, each posting triple-doubles.
Butler recorded his third consecutive triple-double, with 13 points, 10 rebounds and a seasonhigh 13 assists.
Adebayo did it with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
“They have to shoulder big-time responsibilities for us, and that’s not only on the court, but from a leadership standpoint,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And they have to make a lot of plays. That’s what they signed up. That’s what they earn their check for, is to be complete, two-way basketball players, impact the game on both sides of the floor and with leadership.”
For the Heat, there also were 27 points from Herro, 20 from Duncan Robinson and 16 from Kendrick Nunn.
Still, Butler said it wasn’t everything that it should have been.
“I mean, it’s the same thing over and over for us,” he said. “Like you get a lead, we’re giving it up, we’re getting lazy, we’re messing around with the game. Good teams don’t do that. And I think we’re a ways away from being a good team right now. I’m not gonna lie.”
Five Degrees of Heat from Thursday’s game:
1. Butler again: Before Wednesday night, the Heat never had a player with triple-doubles in consecutive games, when Butler did it, with his performances Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers and then at Golden State.
Now they have their first player to do it in three consecutive games.
Butler took a seat on the bench at the end of the third period, one rebound from his sixth Heat triple double, now three shy of LeBron James’ franchise record of 14.
Butler completed his triple-double with a rebound with 5:06 to play.
He became the second NBA player this season with at least three consecutive triple-doubles, with Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook with four in a row earlier this season.
2. Adebayo, too: With Adebayo completing his fourth career triple-double moments after Butler, it marked only the second time in the franchise’s 33 seasons they had two players with a triple-double in the same game.
The previous time? Butler and Adebayo, as well, in a Dec. 10, 2019 game against the Atlanta Hawks.
“To have two on the same team, I’m not sure that’s something that every team has that luxury,” Olynyk said. “For us, though, we need them to do that right now. That’s what we need, we’re welcoming that, just kind of riding their coattails right now.”
“With the way our offense is designed,” Spoelstra said of Butler and Adebayo, “they play-make quite a bit and get other guys involved, get them open shots, get them in rhythm, playing with confidence. And you saw that tonight.”
Adebayo said the two weren’t playing for the triple-doubles or box-score watching.
“I feel like a win mattered more than the numbers did,” Adebayo said. “I mean, I’m glad we did the triple-double thing, but I’m really appreciative of the W.”
3. Power play: While power forward hardly figured to be a focal point in the matchup, it turned into just that between Olynyk and the Kings’ Nemanja Bjelica.
Olynyk was up to a season-high 22 points by the end of the third period, with Bjelica by then with a season-high 17 points. Those numbers came with each 1 of 7 on 3-pointers going into the fourth.
Olynyk closed with those 22 points, with Bjelica scoring 25.
“Sometimes it’s going to be your night, sometimes it’s not,” Olynyk said. “You can’t really predict it, honestly. Especially in today’s game, you don’t what teams are trying to take away until you step on the floor.”
Bjelica is among those who have been linked to a potential Heat upgrade at power forward, able to slot into the trade exception the Heat hold from last season’s James Johnson trade.
4. Attack mode: There was no settling for Herro in the first half, when he closed the opening two periods with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting, with only one 3-point attempt, which he missed. He was 6 of 8 in the paint during his 15 first-half minutes.
“They’re really playing on shooters for the 3-point shot,” Herro said, “and a lot of our shooters are more than just shooters.”
The contribution off the bench was needed, with four points by Precious Achiuwa the Heat’s only other bench scoring.
Herro converted the first of his two 3-pointers in the third quarter. He now has converted at least one 3-pointer in 29 consecutive games. The only Heat players to do it in 30 or more in a row were Robinson (a team-record 57 last season), Rafer Alston, Tim Hardaway, Eddie Jones and Dan Majerle.
5. Ticket time: The Heat on Saturday at noon will put a limited number of individual-game tickets on sale at Heat.com for their four home games between Feb. 24 and March 2, with a limit of four per game. Availability will be determined by a pre-sale offering to season ticket holders.