South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Landing the quick knockout blow
Early 21-point edge results in extended garbage time for bench
MIAMI – An argument could be made that this game actually was won Monday night in Memphis, when the Miami Heat walked off the court at FedExForum after being stunned by the Grizzlies for their first — and now still only — loss this season to a team with losing record.
That one came after the emotional high of a road victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Friday night’s game came after a road victory over the Philadelphia
76ers.
Pity the New York Knicks, victimized by a 129-114 count by the Heat, with the Heat improving to
11-1 against teams with losing records and 12-1 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
“The objective is to play your best basketball and win,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the Heat improved to 21-8 and dropped the Knicks to 7-22. “And you’re not always going to dominate. If you’re trying to look for a knockout punch early or shortcuts to the process, to our game, then you’re asking for trouble.”
The Heat promptly went out and delivered an early knockout, pushing to a 21-point first-quarter lead, going up 70-47 at halftime and then a 34-point edge in the third period before an inordinate amount of garbage time.
“This group has shown an ability to learn from previous experience,” Spoelstra said afterward. “You can’t assume anything or feel like you’re entitled to anything in this league. I was encouraged by the approach overall.”
There were 20 points from Bam Adebayo, 18 from Duncan Robinson, 13 rebounds from Meyers Leonard, 10 rebounds from Kelly Olynyk, 18 points and eight assists from Goran Dragic, and eight assists from Jimmy Butler, a rout produced on a night Butler took only three shots.
“We have a group of guys that are just happy for one another,” Butler said. “Everyone is always working on their game, so it’s no surprise. As for me, I’ll shoot zero times if you can guarantee me a win. I’ve never been a person in my career to shoot a lot, anyways. As long as it comes out to victories and we win the way we’re winning, I don’t care.”
Five degrees of Heat from Friday’s game:
1. Opening frenzy: In building their 21-point first-quarter lead and taking a 39-20 edge into the second period, the Heat played the opening 12 minutes with 14 assists on their 15 baskets. Six of those assists came from Butler, the most by a Heat player in the quarter this season.
The Heat’s lone unassisted first-quarter basket was a driving layup by Tyler Herro, with the Heat playing those first 12 minutes without a turnover.
It was the fifth time this season the Heat had a lead of 20 or more in a first quarter.
The halftime score marked the fifth time the Heat have scored
70 or more in a first half this season, after previously doing so
11 in the franchise’s previous 31 seasons.
2. Dragon returns: Dragic was back in the Heat rotation after missing the previous nine games with a groin strain.
“My conditioning, I was surprised was good,” he said. “It felt like I didn’t miss any games.” He played 24:22 in his return. “I guess if you could script it,
this would be the type of game,” Spoelstra said. “He looked sharp.”
Dragic played as the Heat’s second reserve, entering after Derrick Jones Jr. and promptly hitting Jones with perfect pair of alley-oop passes for dunks, two of his five first-half assists.
“I love him,” Spoelstra said. “I mean, he has that effect with everybody. Jimmy came in [Thursday] just to watch Goran work out. I don’t know who was more excited, Jimmy or me or the rest of the team?”
3. Case made: Jones again was solid on both ends, with an early
3-point conversion creating confidence of 3-and-D possibilities.
Jones continues to play ahead of both Chris Silva and James Johnson, who was available after missing the previous three games for what the Heat termed “personal reasons” but did not play.
“He gives you productive minutes,” Spoelstra said of Jones. “And offensively his game is growing.”
For now, the Heat have settled into a nine-man rotation that includes Jones, with the question of what will follow with the return of Justise Winslow, who
missed his eighth consecutive game with a lower-back strain.
4. Anger management: Spoelstra downplayed coaching against a Knicks team that seven games ago fired his former assistant David Fizdale as coach.
But that didn’t preclude working with a bit of an edge.
“Look, I’ve said enough about it,” he said. “I think it stinks. I think he’s a phenomenal coach. Yes, he is a great friend of mine. Somebody else gave me a piece of information that he just happened to work for the two franchises that have more coaching changes in the last 12 years since I’ve been a coach here than anybody else in the league. I think that speaks for itself.”
The reference was to Fizdale’s previous stint with the Grizzlies.
5. Another win: It wasn’t as dramatic as his challenge victory on what had incorrectly been called basket interference Wednesday night in Philadelphia, but Spoelstra won another coach’s challenge Friday on a ball initially ruled out of bounds off the Heat. This one came with the Heat up 118-101 with 4:32 remaining.