Jacari McRae | January 11th, 2020
With five minutes left in the fourth period, the Miami Heat were up by nine points. Then, the Brooklyn Nets took control the rest of the way with a 17-4 run to close the game. The Nets 2-3 zone made it tough for the Heat’s offense down the stretch. The loss puts the Heat’s season record to 27-11 for the season. They’re also 10-10 on the road.
Here are my takeaways from Friday’s loss to the Nets.
Second Chance Points
When the Heat control the boards, they normally have a great shot of winning. They didn’t do a good job of that on Friday. Instead of boxing out and finishing their defensive possessions with a rebound, the team just sat and watch. The Nets were getting all the loose balls.
Brooklyn finished the night with 14 offensive rebounds.
Jimmy Aggressive Early
Instead of waiting on his teammates to get going, Jimmy Butler was in attack mode early. He shot 5-of-5 in the first five minutes of the game, finishing with 19 at the half. He did it in the mid-range, at the foul line, and at the rim. When he was at the free-throw line in the first half, the Net fans were chanting “T.J. Warren.” Unfazed by the chants, Butler made all nine of his free-throw attempts in the first half.
JIMMY BUTLER HAS 11 POINTS TO START THE GAME pic.twitter.com/rPj4BwsA0W
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 11, 2020
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Butler finished the game with 33 points and 9 rebounds. It was Butler’s third 30-point game of the season.
Winslow Setback
After returning to the team on Wednesday, Justise Winslow is back on the sidelines. According to Erik Spoelstra, Winslow suffered a setback with his back injury. The team also announced he will miss Sunday’s game against the New York Knicks.
It is the latest obstacle in what has been a frustrating season for Winslow, who is averaging 11.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and four assists per game. Winslow has only played 11 games so far this season. The Heat were expecting a breakout year for Winslow after the team started him at point guard. In Winslow’s absence, the ball-handling responsibilities have been split between Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, and Kendrick Nunn.
Next up: The New York Knicks on Sunday. Game tips off at 3PM ET.
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