The Miami Heat returned home to face an Orlando Magic team playing on the second of back-to-back days. This was a game Miami needed before the schedule gets tougher. The Heat jumped out to a 19-point lead in the first half. However, the Magic clawed their way back into the game. In the third quarter, they cut Miami’s lead down to six, and in the fourth, Miami picked up their defense and pulled away. With the win, Erik Spoelsta’s squad moves to 2-1 for the season.
Here are my three takeaways from Monday’s game against Orlando.
Lowry returns
What a difference Kyle Lowry makes for this team. Miami clearly missed him orchestrating the offense last game. Without him, the offense was stagnant. From the start of this contest, you saw Lowry’s impact on the offensive end. The team was getting out on the break at a faster rate and the half-court offense looked better. The offense was very different from the isolation and ball-watching in Indiana. Both Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were able to play off-the-ball more. Lowry hit both players in their right spots for easy buckets. Players know to sprint when Lowry has the ball on the break, and he will find them. His shooting is still off, but that should improve as the season progresses.
It's pretty clear these guys know each other well
Kyle ⬆️ Jimmy pic.twitter.com/iWr9YjbzkN
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 25, 2021
Lowry finished the game with nine points and nine assists.
Butler more aggressive
After the loss to the Indiana Pacers, Butler knew he needed to play better. Against Indiana, he was inefficient and allowed that to dictate his defense. Monday was a different story. Butler was knocking shots down and attacking the basket. The Heat star was also the recipient on a couple of pitch-ahead passes. Defensively, he played the passing lanes well and picked up a couple of steals. Butler had 24 points in the first half, and continued his offensive attack in the second half. Whenever the Magic made a run, Jimmy would keep the Heat ahead with baskets. He did it all for Miami on Monday night.
Jimmy has been a menace all night pic.twitter.com/66GFq5vPwp
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 26, 2021
Butler finished with 36 points on 15-of-21 shooting, with three rebounds and five steals.
Quiet night for Tyler
In the past two games, Tyler Herro has scored 27 points and 30, respectively. Monday was a quiet night for Herro, however, for the Heat’s leading scorer. We knew this night would come with Tyler being the focal point of opposing defenses. The Magic guards hounded him on defense and hedged the pick and rolls. Herro didn’t let the lack of scoring deter him, though. He still made extra plays on the offensive end with his passing, doing a good job of reading the defense and not forcing the action as much. While his scoring has improved, Herro has shown growth in other areas of his game as well. This will continue to be important as teams get a better read on each other.
Herro ended the night with 13 points and nine assists.
Next up: Wednesday at the Brooklyn Nets. The game tips off at 7:30pm EDT.
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