The Miami Heat entered Monday’s game against the Boston Celtics without Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, and P.J. Tucker. The game went about as well as you’d expect. Miami players were trying to do too much without their key guys. There was a lot of overpassing and quick shots. The Celtics had control for most of the game. The Heat made a little run in the second quarter to tie the game, but Boston proved too much in the end. With the loss, Miami moves to 32-19 for the season.
Here are my takeaways from Monday’s loss in Boston.
Herro Struggles Continue
Without Butler, the Heat were going to need a huge game from Tyler Herro. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Herro continued to struggle with his shots. He had a few moments in the second quarter where he made a couple of tough shots. Those shots helped pick Miami’s energy up in the second quarter. Still, it wasn’t a huge game for Herro. The Celtics defenders kept playing him tight and when he went to the rim, he was met by a rim protector. Herro’s currently in a mini-slump and the Heat are going to need him to get out of it soon. Herro ended the night with 13 points on 5-of-18 shooting from the field.
Frustrating Night for Bam
Like Herro, the Heat also needed more from Bam Adebayo. Like Herro, Adebayo had a few moments in the game where he started to get aggressive. He got his first jumper to go in after using a teammate’s screen. He then spun quickly around Jaylen Brown for the two-handed slam. But then, he picked up his third foul before the end of the first half. And it is downhill from there. After picking up his fourth foul, Adebayo received a technical foul for arguing about the foul call. Adebayo ended the night with 12 points and five rebounds.
Strus Night
If there was one bright spot for Miami, it was Max Strus. Placed into the starting lineup, Strus seemed like the only player ready to play. The Strus was loose from downtown on Monday night. He was really the only Heat player who had a hot shooting night. The Heat’s other shooters didn’t shoot the ball as well. Strus kept coming off the screens ready to let the ball fly. The defenders were usually tailing behind him and the frontman was in a drop coverage. This allowed Strus to get open on multiple occasions and he made them pay. Strus ended the night with 27 points on a career-high nine three-pointers.
Fourth Game in Five Nights
Miami will play their fourth game in five nights on Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors. Now, we’ll wait and see what the next injury report says. It made sense to sit both Butler and Tucker out after both played huge minutes in Saturday’s overtime loss to Toronto. Don’t be surprised if both players return to the lineup against the Raptors. All season long, Miami has proven it has players that can fill in roles whenever their main guys are out. However, losing three starters is too much to overcome. Strus played very well, and Caleb Martin had his moments but that’s still not enough. Miami needs an alpha in these moments and that is what Butler is for this team.
Next up: At the Toronto Raptors Tuesday. The game tips off at 7:30pm EST.
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @primetimesportstalk
Follow Jacari McRae on Twitter @JMcRae23
Main Image designed by Jeremy Guerin @jeremycguerin
