Miami Heat struggling with late-game double teams
MIAMI – It could be as basic as the Miami Heat seeding double because of what opponents are not seeing.
As the Heat headed into Wednesday’s 2023 NBA Finals rematch against the Denver Nuggets at Kaseya Center, the constant they carried into the night was Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler frequently being met with a second defender when attempting to operate in the paint.
Part of the issue could be as basic as the Heat missing guard Tyler Herro and forward Kevin Love, who both have the ability to space the floor. Herro missed his ninth consecutive game Wednesday night, now dealing with tendinitis in his right foot. Love missed his seventh consecutive game with a bruised right heel.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the Heat have started efficiently against the approach, with that efficiency dropping as opponents amp up the defensive attention.
“I mean it’s a little more complex than that. It depends on which part of the game, if you ask me that,” Spoelstra said ahead of Wednesday night’s game. “I think the first halves really in all three games, we’ve handled it pretty well.
“And then, as the game wore on, particularly those two on the road, a little bit more bottled up and a little bit less movement.”
The losses on the road came against the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder, before the Heat’s losing streak was extended to three in Sunday’s loss to the visiting Washington Wizards.
Spoelstra said lack of movement is not a workable formula against such defenses.
“And that movement would be a little less player movement and ball movement, and doing things with a purpose,” he said.
For the Heat, the issue is twofold. Defenses tend to grow more focused at the close of close games. And defenses tend to get more focused during the playoff run.
“But that also happens as games get down the stretch,” Spoelstra said. “We just have to get better at it.”
G League update
Heat two-way players Jamal Cain Alondes Williams, amid their ongoing G League assignments, helped lead the Sioux Falls Skyforce to a 102-90 victory Tuesday night over the Mexico City Capitanes.
Williams closed the victory with 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, with Cain going for 16 points and six rebounds.
The game also featured an appearance by former Thunder, Suns and Hornets guard Theo Maledon for the Skyforce. He closed with six points off the bench.
Moment of reflection
The Heat on Tuesday unveiled their second Mindfulness Sanctuary at Miami Jackson Senior High School.
Love, who has been an advocate in the mental-health space, was among those on hand for the unveiling of the sanctuary designed to offer students and teachers a retreat from daily stressors, with nature-inspired elements like wall graphics, artificial grass turf, iPads and aromatherapy diffusers.
“It’s amazing to be able to provide a resource for kids in the community and have it be a mindfulness sanctuary,” Love said while attending the event. “I’m somebody who has worked in both the physical but the emotional well-being space.
“It’s just an amazing thing to see.”
Love interacted with students during his appearance.
“Letting them understand that it’s OK not to be OK is the biggest thing for them,” he said. “And if I would have had a resource like this, at that age, it certainly would have helped me.”
The Heat in 2021 launched a Mindfulness Champions initiative, providing annual training and resources to 354 teachers in mindfulness and mental- health education, covering every K-12 public school in the district.
