Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
‘Vice’ not too nice
Heat roll out new uniforms but then are unable to close against Pacers
The “Vice Nights” uniforms and court design weren’t the only reminders Friday night of what Miami Heat basketball used to be like at since-razed Miami Arena.
So was the physicality. The constant whistles. The collisions that left a player for each team retreating the locker room.
It was as if ghosts of Alonzo Mourning, P.J. Brown and Bruce Bowen past accompanied the color scheme.
Ultimately, the Heat’s third grind game in as many outings this week turned into a 110-102 loss to the Indiana Pacers to open a set of back-to-back “Vice Nights” games that concludes Saturday against the visiting Washington Wizards.
Successive 3-pointers from Josh Richardson and Wayne Ellington followed by a pair of Justise Winslow baskets staked the Heat to a 98-92 lead with just over four minutes to play.
But even with that as part of an 11-2 Heat run, the lead was gone when Pacers forward Bojan Bogdanovich converted a 3-pointer for a 103-102 Indiana lead with 56.5 seconds to play. A Victor Oladipo jumper followed with 32.1 seconds left to extend Indiana’s lead to 105-102.
Richardson then committed a turnover, putting Indiana back in possession with 21.4 seconds to play, effectively ending it.
Kelly Olynyk scored 20 for the Heat, with Richardson adding 18, Tyler Johnson 15, Winslow 11, Rodney McGruder 11 and Hassan Whiteside with a 11-point, 20-rebound double-double.
With his performance, Whiteside joined Rony Seikaly as the only Heat players with consecutive 20-rebound games.
The Heat could have made it far easier on themselves if not for 24 turnovers and 16-of-27 foul shooting.
Five degrees of Heat from Friday’s game:
1. Totally Tyler: Amid an uneven season and challenges for his playing time, Johnson stepped forward early when needed Friday night.
With Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade out, and with most of the perimeter rotation in early foul trouble, Johnson scored 13 first-half points, making his first three 3-point attempts.
Johnson again was the lone Heat guard available off the bench, often working as the backup point guard.
Friday’s performance only further muddles Erik Spoelstra’s decisions when Wade and Dragic return, now that Ellington also is in the rotation.
2. Olynyk tested: Olynyk helped the Heat play through Whiteside’s foul trouble, closing the first half with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
But there was a price paid. Twice.
Olynyk’s most impactful play came with 1:38 to play in the second period, when he absorbed an elbow to the face from Pacers forward Thaddeus Young while defending at the 3-point line. Young was called for a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected. That helped the Heat move to a 59-51 halftime lead.
But Olynyk then was down and eventually went to the locker room with 11:40 to play in the fourth quarter after drawing an offensive foul on Tyreke Evans that left Olynyk clutching his ribs. Olynyk initially was called for a defensive foul, but when the play was reviewed for a possible flagrant foul on Evans it was overturned to an offensive foul.
3. Dragic waits: Dragic missed his second consecutive game with a sore right knee and now has missed three of the past four games, out last Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks due to a foot issue.
“He had a bruise that just numbed his legs,” Spoelstra said. “He’s getting movement back in his leg, his lower leg, his feet. It’s coming along. The bruise actually feels OK right now.”
Wade missed his second consecutive game in the wake of Wednesday’s birth of his daughter.
Spoelstra said Wade also would be out Saturday.
“It’s day to day,” Spoelstra said. “But as much time as he needs.”
The Heat also expected to be without forward Derrick Jones Jr. due to a knee injury sustained in Wednesday’s victory over the San Antonio Spurs. But after being ruled out following the morning shootaround, he was in the rotation Friday.
4. All or nothing: If Ellington isn’t hitting 3-pointers, the balance in his matchup inevitably turns in the opposition’s favor. The opening matchup Friday against Oladipo certainly didn’t help.
Ellington missed both of his 3-point attempts before being forced to the bench with his fifth foul with 6:10 to play in the third period.
But he then returned to convert a 3-pointer that put the Heat up 93-90 midway through the fourth quarter.
Ellington was feeling good going in, with this his second consecutive start.
“I was telling the guys yesterday, it felt great being back out there with ‘em,” he said. “I felt like myself again, just that team camaraderie.”
5. Growth moment: Called for his fourth foul just nine seconds into the second half, Richardson still found a way to have an impact late after an extended stretch on the bench. It was another step forward in the evolution toward leading man.