Miami Heat’s Haywood Highsmith on a 3-point binge
WASHINGTON – The output is not necessarily an outlier. Haywood Highsmith has done this before. The difference at the moment for the Heat reserve forward is the opportunity.
On a roll unlike any other during his four-year career, Highsmith over the past three games has shot 4 of 4, 3 of 3 and then, in Friday night’s 142-82 rout of the visiting Portland Trail Blazers, 5 of 6 on 3-pointers.
Such morsels have been there before, including 4 of 5 on 3-pointers in a December road victory over the Orlando Magic, 5 of 7 in a January home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and then 4 of 4 in a home loss later that month to the Boston Celtics.
But 12 of 13 from beyond the arc in a three-game span?
“It’s just me just really locking in and zoning in, and all that work I put in over the summer, throughout the season, just working on my shot, just making it consistent, just being consistent, just being confident and letting it fly,” Highsmith said, with the Heat turning their attention to Sunday night’s game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. “That’s really what it is for me – confidence and just keep shooting whether I’m making ’em or missing ’em. It’s an open shot.”
No sooner did the Heat complete what turned into the most-lopsided victory in the franchise’s 36 seasons, then coach Erik Spoelstra cited Highsmith and reserve center Thomas Bryant for their perseverance. Bryant closed Friday night’s game with 26 points, Highsmith with 20.
“They’re both playing their best basketball right now,” Spoelstra said. “It really is encouraging to see. You’re happy for those guys. I get to see them behind the scenes. They’ve put so much into this. And early on in the year, because we had our depth, they didn’t know necessarily whether they were going to play every single night. But they stayed the course. They continued to stay ready, and also improve, so that when they got their opportunities, they were ready for the opportunity and then were able to produce and be better for the team than at the start of the season.
“That’s what you hope for everybody. But not everybody approaches that during a long NBA season, when you’re not necessarily getting what you want. It’s the long game, not searching for instant gratification. And you’re just really happy for those guys. They’re pro’s pros and they’re playing really well right now.”
Highsmith, who has found this opportunity amid the injury absences of Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and others, lit up when the comment was relayed.
“It means a lot coming from Coach Spo,” said Highsmith, 27, who will be a free agent this summer. “I mean this is the time of year you kind of want to play your best basketball, end of the season, going into the playoffs. It means a lot.
“It just shows the confidence he has in me and how he believes in me. It’s amazing and I’ve just got to keep it going, being consistent.”
A near miss
It’s not that Spoelstra did not want center Bam Adebayo to get a triple-double Friday night, it’s just that he also had to consider the risk-reward analysis, in light of the team’s spate of injuries in recent weeks.
Adebayo closed with 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, pulled for the night with 59 seconds to play in the third quarter.
Before Adebayo went out, Spoelstra twice tried to get Adebayo that 10th assist. With 1:46 to play in the third, guard Patty Mills was off with a 3-point shot off a dribble handoff from Adebayo. Then, with those 59 seconds left in the third, Adebayo was unable to connect on a pass to a cutting Mills, resulting in a turnover.
“Look,” Spoelstra said, “I don’t want to be a total buzzkill out there. I want the guys to have fun. And that was a fun moment. I think Patty’s going to owe him a lunch or a coffee or bottle of wine or something. Because we tried to run one action for it. I thought we got a good clean look at it. He actually had a second play. I told him you get one crack at it. And I don’t think Patty finished his cut and Bam led him. It would have been a tough layup, but there was another opportunity for that.
“But ultimately, look, we’re not playing for stats. And the way our season has gone, with all the injuries and missed games, I also have to be responsible as the head coach.”
Adebayo has two triple-doubles this season and seven in his seven seasons with the Heat, putting him third on the franchise list behind the 12 of Jimmy Butler and the nine of LeBron James. Dwyane Wade is fourth, with five.
Record night
The Heat not only set a franchise record with Friday night’s 21 assists, but also set franchise assists record for a quarter (16 in the second) and a half (24 in the first) . . .
The 60-point victory was the second largest this season in the NBA, eclipsed only by a 62-point Thunder victory over the Blazers . . .
Friday night’s 142 points placed third on the Heat all-time list, behind 149 in 2018 against the Denver Nuggets and 144 last April against the Charlotte Hornets.
