After losing to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Miami Heat had to get back on track against the Milwaukee Bucks. Once again with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, the Heat had a tough task ahead of them. Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks easily defeated the Heat this past Saturday. Now with Antetokounmpo back, they expected to do the same. However, Miami proved more than ready for the challenge. Miami got contributions from multiple role players on Wednesday night. In the end, Miami came out victorious. With the win, the Heat move to 15-11 for the season.
Be sure to catch up on the previous Heating Up from Tuesday.
Caleb Martin’s Career Night
Miami made a surprising move when they started Caleb Martin in place of the injured Butler. Usually, Tyler Herro would get the nod to start. Instead, the Heat opted to start Martin to defend Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton. Martin did that and more. He was literally everywhere on the floor on Wednesday night. Defensively, he did a great job staying in front of the Bucks players. He even came down with a huge block on Bobby Portis‘ dunk attempt. Martin was just as impressive on the offensive end. He hit a career-high six three-pointers and threw down a couple of power dunks as well. Martin ended the night with a career-high 28 points and eight rebounds.
The catalyst of tonight's win.
Caleb stepped up in his starting role with career-highs of 28 points and 6 3s. pic.twitter.com/aWvYrDQtWs— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 9, 2021
Lowry Comes Alive
While Martin was on fire for the Heat early, Kyle Lowry was the total opposite. He couldn’t convert on any of his three-pointers. Lowry spent most of his time playing the playmaking role early on. He had to do it at times with Herro turning the ball over a lot. Then, in the third quarter, things changed. Lowry went into scoring mode. Once the first three-pointer went in, Lowry started shooting better. He took over the Heat’s offense in the third period, scoring 16 points in the quarter. This is the assertive Lowry the Heat desperately needs with their two stars out. They certainly got that guy in the second half. Lowry ended the night with 22 points and 13 assists.
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https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1468788740659294209
Tucker’s Role
We all know what P.J. Tucker brings on the defensive end. He showed that on Wednesday night by slowing down Antetokounmpo. Tucker made it tough on the Milwaukee star all night long. He gave the Bucks star no space. Additionally, Tucker also showed something different in his playing style. And that’s the playmaking role. Unlike Dewayne Dedmon, Tucker got to handle some of the playmaking responsibilities that Adebayo usually has. Tucker was able to find guys cutting the basket. He had a season-high eight assists on Wednesday night. This type of performance shows the type of role he can have in the future.
Strus’ Huge Fourth Quarter
Max Strus only played six minutes against the Grizzlies on Monday. With Butler and Adebayo out, the Heat didn’t play Strus until it was garbage time. It was a move Miami should’ve gone with way earlier in the game. They didn’t make that mistake this time around. Strus had a quiet first half with zero points. Then, things changed in the fourth period. Strus started playing at another level. He kept coming off of screens and hitting shots from downtown. Strus was doing this with Milwaukee’s best defender Jrue Holiday on him. He had 16 points in the fourth quarter to help keep Miami ahead.
Next up: The Chicago Bulls on Saturday. The game tips off at 8:00 pm eastern.
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