Tempers Flare As Miami Heat Flame Out Against Warriors, 104-118
The Miami Heat came out with another opportunity to get a win this week, this time on their home floor against another hobble opponent. Not only would Stephen Curry sit the game out on Wednesday night, nursing an injured foot, but they would also sit Draymond Green and Klay Thompson for the contest.
You couldn’t tell though, as the Warriors came out making plays and shots. The Miami Heat wouldn’t help themselves out a ton there though, allowing the Warriors to do the same thing that they allowed the Philadelphia 76ers to do.
Where the 76ers would score almost half of their total points in the paint during Monday night’s defeat, the Warriors would come out on a 22-6 point run in the paint to open the game against Miami. Fueled by Jonathan Kuminga and his springy athleticism, the Warriors got anything they wanted to, easy looks and good looks from range off of that penetration.
The Miami Heat sideline kerfuffle is the last thing to think about on Wednesday. Losing a second straight game to a hobbled team should worry you though.
The Miami Heat would eventually shut the paint down, though the game would still go to halftime even at 50 each. The Heat would go down big to open the half, with the Warrior starting on a 13-0 run, but the Heat would pull by tight with a run of their own following the most talked about event of the night.
Yes, in case you hadn’t heard yet, there was a scuffle on the Miami Heat sideline. The Miami Heat would use that to propel themselves back close but weren’t able to close it in the end.
In the last two games, they have allowed young guards, Jordan Poole, Tyrese Maxey, and Shake Milton to absolutely kill them. These three have gotten exactly what they wanted against the Miami Heat.
Tyler Herro was attacked mercilessly in the last contest by the 76ers, but he wasn’t on the floor to take the blame for this one. Plain and simple, the Miami Heat have to tighten their defense back up.
It all starts in the paint. Traditionally a team, this year, that hasn’t allowed a ton of production in the middle of their defense, the Miami Heat have been anything but themselves in the past two games.
You hate that these losses have come while they are trying to seal their playoff seeding fate and against two teams that aren’t at full strength, but you know what, it might not be so bad. You rather have these kinds of letdowns right before you go into the postseason, as opposed to being in the midst of or so far removed from it that you can’t use them to get better.
The Miami Heat are the type of team to only get better from these mishaps—at least they better.
