Heat finally steps up in the clutch vs. Knicks
For most of this season, no NBA team in playoff contention —let alone in playoff position — has shot anywhere close to as poorly late in close games as the Heat.
Then, on Tuesday against the Knicks, everything changed in four glorious minutes.
After the Knicks rallied from 12 down in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 92 with 3:59 left, the Heat made six of its final seven shots — a three-pointer and dunk by Haywood Highsmith, another three by Terry Rozier, a short jumper from Jimmy Butler and two baskets by Bam Adebayo.
That late-game accuracy — which catapulted Miami to a 109-99 win — was thoroughly out of character for the Heat this season. The organization must now hope that’s the start of a needed reversal in its late-game offensive execution and efficiency.
Unlike last season, when Miami sputtered through a 44-38 regular season and barely escaped the play-in, the Heat’s performance in the clutch has ranked among the league’s worst in several measurable areas this season.
The NBA defines clutch minutes as the final five minutes of games with a margin of five points or less.
Last season, Miami outscored teams by 69 points in 214 clutch minutes, second best behind Philadelphia (plus-75). Miami was a plus-17 in 39 clutch minutes in the playoffs, which led the league. So the Heat was a very good clutch team last year — both during an uneven regular season and inspired postseason run.
This season? Even after outscoring the Knicks by seven points in clutch time on Tuesday, Miami has been outscored by 33 points in 128 clutch minutes, by far the worst of any Eastern Conference team with a top-eight seed and 22nd in the league overall.
As perspective, Denver is a plus-91 in the clutch, Boston a plus-65 and Milwaukee a plus-65.
Thanks more often to its defense, the Heat has somehow gone 21-18 in games with clutch minutes this season. But several of those wins were skewed by late rallies by opponents when Miami was ahead by larger margins.
Offense has been at the root of the problem. Unlike many of the teams above them in the standings, the Heat doesn’t have many players who can create shots on their own late.
Butler and Tyler Herro and January addition Terry Rozier are obvious exceptions, but Herro has played in just 36 games, and Butler’s clutch shooting has dropped dramatically this season.
Miami is shooting just 31.2 percent on clutch threes (29 for 93). That’s well below Boston (36 percent) and Milwaukee (35.3), among many others.
Not a single Heat player has been very good shooting threes late in close games. Duncan Robinson has been the best, at 36.8 (7 for 19). Herro has been OK, at 35.3 (6 for 17).
Though Rozier has had several big baskets late in close games, he’s at 36.4 percent (4 for 11) on lategame threes with the Heat, and Miami has been outscored by 20 points in his 28 clutch minutes in a Heat jersey.
Clutch threes simply haven’t connected much for Butler (2 for 12), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (2 for 7) and
Caleb Martin (1 for 5).
The Heat’s overall clutch shooting has regressed badly. Last season, Miami shot 45.7 percent from the field in the clutch during the regular season (fifth best in the league) and 45.2 percent during its playoff run.
This season, Miami’s clutch shooting is dismal: 37.3 percent from the field, ahead of only doormats Detroit and Washington.
By contrast, Denver shoots 54.7 percent from the field late in close games and Boston 46 percent.
Aside from Martin (who is 7 for 14 from the field in the clutch), not a single other Heat player with more than four attempts has shot well late in close games.
Adebayo is 15 for 36 (41.7 percent), Butler 17 for 47 (36.2 percent), Rozier 7 for 19 since his Heat acquisition (36.8 percent), Robinson 8 for 23 (34.8 percent), Herro 11 for 32 (34.4 percent) and Jaquez 8 for 24 (33.3 percent).
Before Highsmith broke a tie with his late threepointer against the Knicks, he had taken only two clutch shots this season and missed both of them.
Heat free-throw shooting in the clutch has been better: Butler is 18 for 24, Adebayo 13 for 16, Robinson 9 for 9 and Rozier 10 for 10.
If the Heat plays close games in a potential playin round, or postseason, its shooting everywhere but the foul line must improve dramatically, just as it did Tuesday.
Last year, Butler scored 46 points in 34 clutch minutes in the playoffs. This season, he has 54 point in 92 clutch minutes.
Besides the lack of elite offensive talent, here’s another reason why Miami sometimes sputters late in close games: It shoots two-pointers worse than any other potential playoff team.
Miami is 52.2 percent on all two-point attempts this year; only lottery-bound Charlotte, Memphis and Portland are worse.
The league’s best teams get a great volume of easier baskets; Milwaukee is at 57.5 on twos, Boston 57.3.
The Heat’s offense has felt like a struggle much of the season after a strong start.
Miami’s 113.2 points per 100 possessions is the worst among teams with a top-nine seed. Perhaps the eventual return of Herro will help fix that.
Tuesday’s strong late game response against the Knicks was a start, and Rozier’s ability to create his own shot should help Miami late in close games, if he can sustain his current offensive roll.
The Heat begins a
For summaries, complete standings and results go to the eEdition at MiamiHerald.com.
Atlantic
y-Boston New York Philadelphia Brooklyn Toronto Southeast
Orlando Miami p-Atlanta Charlotte Washington Central
Milwaukee Cleveland Indiana p-Chicago Detroit
Southwest
Dallas
New Orleans Houston Memphis San Antonio Northwest
x-Minnesota x-Denver x-Oklahoma City Utah
Portland
Pacific
53 53 52 29 20 W
23 23 24 47 56
L
.697 .697 .684 .382 .263
Pct
— — 1 24 33 GB
L.A. Clippers 47 28 .627 Phoenix 45 31 .592 Sacramento 44 31 .587 L.A. Lakers 44 33 .571 Golden State 41 34 .547 p-clinched play-in spot; x-clinched playoff spot; y-clinched division
FRIDAY Miami at Houston, 8
Orlando at Charlotte, 7 Oklahoma City at Indiana, 7 Portland at Washington, 7 Sacramento at Boston, 7:30 New York at Chicago, 8 Detroit at Memphis, 8 Toronto at Milwaukee, 8 San Antonio at New Orleans, 8 Golden State at Dallas, 8:30 Minnesota at Phoenix, 10 Utah at L.A. Clippers, 10:30
THURSDAY Philadelphia at Miami
Sacramento at New York Atlanta at Dallas Golden State at Houston Denver at L.A. Clippers
WEDNESDAY
Portland 89, Charlotte 86 L.A. Lakers 125, Washington 120 Atlanta 121, Detroit 113 Boston 135, Oklahoma City 100 Brooklyn 115, Indiana 111 Memphis 111, Milwaukee 101 Minnesota 133, Toronto 85 Orlando 117, New Orleans 108
Phoenix 122, Cleveland 101
— 21⁄2 3 4 6
three-game road trip at 8 p.m. Friday in Houston.