Miami went on a four-game road trip before returning home to face the Detroit Pistons. The Heat’s last road trip ended with four consecutive losses, only for them to return home and continue their home game win streak. Let’s look at how Miami did during their road trip, plus their stinging loss against the Pistons.
Bam and Herro Flying High
During the four-game road trip, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro were the shining points for the Heat, and in last Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, that was no exception. Adebayo made 32 points and 8 rebounds, while Herro secured his first triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Heat dominated the Hawks in the third quarter, which propelled them to a 106-98 victory. Despite the Heat’s recent loss against Detroit, Adebayo put up 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Herro with 34 points.
Up and Down in Beantown
Miami had a two-game series against the Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics. The last time Miami faced Boston, they lost on their home court as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 57 points in a 111-104 win early in the season. Though the Heat lost the first game against Boston, where Tatum knocked down 49 points, Jimmy Butler would make his return from a knee injury that sidelined him for seven games.
In what was a thriller of an overtime game, Butler put up 25 points and 15 rebounds on top of two clutch baskets to give Miami a 120-116 win. The win looked to help Miami get much-needed momentum, but the next two games would prove otherwise.
Missed Opportunities on Offense
Miami ended their road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies and returned home to face the Detroit Pistons. In both of those games, the Heat had the lead, only to see it dwindle in the third quarter as both the Grizzlies and the Pistons went on several scoring runs, all while being without their star point guards in Ja Morant and Cade Cunningham, respectively. The Heat’s offense fell flat in the 4th quarter, and their defense was stagnant. Aside from Adebayo and Herro’s performances, Victor Oladipo making his season debut.
Miami will have to regroup as they will host the Los Angeles Clippers. The game starts Thursday at 7:30pm on NBA TV and Bally Sports Sun.
The Heat Check Magazine 