The Miami Heat played the Sacramento Kings on Sunday in the first of back-to-back games. It started off sloppy for Miami on the offensive end, as they were careless with the basketball. After a rough first period, Miami kept the game close the rest of the way. All five Heat starters scored in double-digits. Jimmy Butler missed the game-tying shot at the rim in the end, and Sacramento walked away with the victory, 115-113. With the loss, Miami falls to 23-14 for the season.
Here are my takeaways from Sunday’s loss in Sacramento.
Defending De’Aaron Fox
You can put Kings guard De’Aaron Fox on the list of Heat killers. A few seasons ago, he had a game-winning putback against Miami. This time, he hurt Miami at the free throw line. After a quiet first half, Fox kept breaking down the Heat’s defense. Miami had trouble staying in front of him. Whenever he got into the paint, he was able to finish with either a floater or draw a whistle. He had a career-high 14 free throws missed just one. His last two made free throws ended up sealing the game. Fox forced the Heat into a switch and attacked Tyler Herro to draw the foul. He ended the night with 24 points, with 12 coming in the fourth quarter.
Herro Overcomes Rough Start
This was another inefficient scoring night for Herro. He started the game 0-of-7 from the field. The shots he attempted early in the game kept falling short. Last game, he went to his passing game when his shots weren’t falling. This time, he just kept pushing until his offense got going. He started to warm up towards the end of the first half and picked up his rhythm in the second half. Being able to turn it around in the same game is another important skill for the Heat guard. With a shorthanded roster, Miami is going to continue to depend on his scoring. Herro ended the night with 22 points while shooting 8-of-23 from the field.
Yurtseven’s Huge Night
Omer Yurtseven was back in the place where he dominated the Summer League. Just like he did then, Yurtseven played very well. It didn’t start off well when he picked up two quick early fouls. However, Yurtseven did a better job of staying out of foul trouble once he returned to the game. As always, he continues to do a good job of attacking the glass, and was able to give Miami multiple second chance opportunities. His defense is still a work in progress, however. Yurtseven has trouble staying vertical when he’s challenged at the rim and he’s also not as quick on rotations. But he has shown promise as a dependable rotational player in the future. Yurtseven finished the night with career-highs in points (22) and rebounds (16).
Could Guy Stick with Heat?
Missing a lot of key players, Miami signed Kyle Guy to a 10-day contract last Thursday. Despite joining the team on the fly, he has provided good minutes. He continues to show why he deserves a spot in the NBA. In addition to his three-point shooting, he can hit the mid-range and finish down the lane. Most importantly, he’s not afraid of putting his body on the line and taking a charge. Miami already has two players on its two-way contracts in Caleb Martin and Marcus Garrett. Since two-way players cannot play in the playoffs, it’s very likely Martin signs a standard contract with Miami for the last spot. Once that happens, they’ll be able to put Guy on a two-way contract. We’ll see what happens though.
Next Up: At the Golden State Warriors Monday. Game tips off at 10pm EST.
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