Game of the Night: Heat Scathe Past the Nets With a Last-Second Shot to Win 109–107.
This game started off missing a bunch of key players on both sides. Jimmy Butler who leads the league in steals (2.1) is out tonight for Miami and James Harden who leads the league in assists (10.9) is out tonight for Brooklyn. Then early on in the 1st quarter, 2-time NBA champion and Finals MVP Kevin Durant drove the ball to the basket where he collided with Heat forward Trevor Ariza. Durant caught a knee to the thigh area causing a contusion that sidelined him for the rest of the game.
The Nets still have 7-time all-star Kyrie Irving running the show and he kept the game competitive with the help from forward Landry Shamet who had a career game today scoring 30 points with 7 made 3-pointers. Shamet was in catch and shoot mode and everything seemed automatic. Late in the 4th quarter, Shamet caught the ball in the corner and with no hesitation let the ball go as quick as it hit his hands. He drained his 7th 3-pointer and put the Nets up 103–99.
Time-out Miami with just over 4 minutes left in the game.
Nets guard Joe Harris would give the Nets a 105–99 lead with a lay-up and it looked very bleak for Miami the rest of the way. They would need to play perfect with under 4 minutes left in the game.
Everything seemed to change when Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic ran a pick and roll offense with forward Bam Adebayo. Bam rolled perfectly, running down the middle of the lane where Dragic threw a lob for an Adebayo two-hand slam. Adebayo is the perfect player to run pick-and-rolls with. He is strong and athletic enough to create space for his guards (in this case Goran Dragic) and covers the ground to roll to the basket and finish with a dunk, or mid-range jump-shot.
This game flow from Goran and Bam would set the momentum the rest of the way as Bam was rebounding on the defensive end and Dragic was setting up players left and right including an offensive rebound and dish to Trevor Ariza who drove sideline for a floater lay-in with his left hand. This brought it down to a one-possession game at 107–105.
As great as Kyrie Irving has been playing this season, averaging 27.5 ppg. he came up missing two important jump shots at the end of this game. After pulling up from the angle 3-pointer and missing, Dragic came down with the rebound and drove the ball coast-to-coast with a beautiful left to right euro-step finishing on the right side of the basket to tie the game at 107.
After a Brooklyn time-out with 43 seconds left in the game, Miami had a foul to give before Brooklyn would be awarded free-throws the rest of the way. So Bam went ahead and fouled a driving Jeff Green with 31 seconds left on the clock. Brooklyn would take the ball out and Irving would settle for a top of the key 3-point shot that came off the rim with 20 seconds left in the game. Dragic came down with the rebound and could hold for the last shot.
It was an exciting finish as I was yelling for Goran to take the last shot and my older brother was yelling for Dragic to pass it to Bam. With 8 seconds left in the game, my brother made the right call as Goran passed the ball to Bam on the left wing where Bam continued to dribble the ball to the left baseline. He creates space against his defender Green and rattles in a 12-foot jump-shot as time expires! Heat win the game as Bam Adebayo hits his 1st career game-winner. Adebayo finished with a team-high 21 points, 15 rebounds & added 5 assists. Dragic finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds & 7 assists.
This was an important game for both teams as Miami snaps a 3-game losing streak that dropped them back to .500 at 28–28. Harsh words came from Jimmy Butler post-game after that 3rd loss in a row calling his team’s play “soft.” “Not getting into bodies, scared of some contact. Soft Overall,” Butler went on to say.
Sometimes you need to be called out in order to realize what needs to change. Jimmy Butler is not one to back down from any challenge and plays hard on both sides of the ball. I can appreciate when players challenge each other to get better. I just believe him calling out Bam Adebayo was uncalled for. Butler continued to say, “I want Bam to attack the rim because nobody can stay in front of him. You’re going to get fouled or you’re going to dunk on somebody . That’s cool. I love him shooting mid-range jumpers too but he lets people off the hook. Play bully ball. I like bully ball.”
I’m not sure how Bam felt about those comments but Adebayo responded tonight not with his words but with his play. With a mid-range jumper to win the game none the less. Not soft. Not with bully ball either. Just Bam Adebayo continuing to play his game and his role as a leader for this Miami Heat team. Butler may have responded with frustration after a 3-game losing streak, but it was great seeing this Heat team answer his challenge and beat this very talented Brooklyn Nets squad. After the shot, Bam said he wanted to jump on the table like D.Wade. Now that Wade is a part-owner of the Utah Jazz, American Airlines Arena might indeed be a new home for a new set of players. Why not Bam? He is improving massively every season and former player and NBA champion Richard Jefferson broadcasting the game said Bam is growing as a player right before our eyes after that buzzer beater. Let’s see if the Heat can continue to rise to the challenge as they improve to 29–28 for the season currently in 7th place in the east. The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics are on a multiple game win-streak of their own so nothing is going to come easy for Miami the rest of the way.
As for Brooklyn, this was a tough loss because arguably their best player is hurt again with a thigh contusion and they remain 1.5 games behind the 1st place Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern conference. There is a lot of expectation for the Nets to win the championship with the group of players they assembled this year. It is reminiscent of the Heat team that had Lebron, Dwyane, and Chris Bosh so realistically and painfully I know it takes about a year before a newly assembled supersquad can learn to play together. But Kevin Durant and James Harden have played together in the past as teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Also, KD along with Kyrie Irving already have some championship hardware and experience under their belt. This Brooklyn Nets team, barring any other injuries, are primed to take it all the way. This Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets matchup would be a treat to watch in the playoffs. If they do meet in a series in the playoffs it would be a lot like today’s game we just witnessed in buzzer beater fashion. But hopefully both teams will have their stars healthy and ready to go as Miami looks to repeat as Eastern conference champions and Brooklyn looks to run the table in the NBA.
