This game was not close at all. The Miami Heat took care of business early by jumping out to a double-digit lead. It started with great defense on the New York Knicks. Miami kept switching and trapping Julius Randle whenever he got the ball. The Knicks tried to make it interesting late in the first half when they trimmed Miami’s lead to 13 points. However, Miami was in complete offensive and defensive control from start to finish. With the win, Miami moves to 31-17 for the season.
Here are four takeaways from Wednesday’s win over New York.
Robinson Shines
The Heat came out firing to start the game. Duncan Robinson had a lot to do with it early. As usual, Miami started the game with a Bam Adebayo dribble hand-off to free Robinson. Using Adebayo’s screen, Robinson was able to shake free and punish the Knicks early. He continued to stay hot from downtown and ended the night with seven triples. Robinson also scored off of cuts to the basket. Since the return of Adebayo, Robinson has looked more like himself lately. Robinson finished the night with 25 points on 7-11 shooting from downtown.
Herro’s Back
After a week away from the team because of Covid-19 protocols, Tyler Herro returned to the Heat on Wednesday night. He was back like he never left. Herro was aggressive early navigating his way to the basket through the screen-and-roll. The Heat guard has done a phenomenal job of reading the defense. Against the drop defense, he’s able to initiate contact well in the pick-and-roll and finish at the rim. He was also hot from downtown as well. Herro scored from downtown off of pull-ups and off-ball movements. Scoring in a variety of ways is something Herro has excelled at all year long. It completely changes the dynamic of the Heat offense.
Butler’s All-Around Game
Jimmy Butler had one of his better all-around games of the season. It wasn’t quite the triple-double night like the previous game, but Butler still impacted the game on both ends. Defensively, he was played the passing lanes well and forced his opponent into tough shots. Offensively, he continued to draw fouls on the Knicks defenders. Even though he’s not a good shooter, Butler does a nice job of drawing fouls with ease. He had nine attempts at the free throw line. He was in complete control throughout the whole game. His drive and kicks created multiple scoring opportunities for his teammates. Butler finished the night with 22 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Always good having #JIMVP on your team.
Glad he's on ours 😉 pic.twitter.com/yVvl2tIoJv— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 27, 2022
Tucker’s Scoring Night
We all know what P.J. Tucker means to the Heat. He does everything for the team on both ends. On Wednesday, he took the challenge of guarding Randle. Tucker fronted Randle a couple of times and frustrated him all night. While he still impacted the game on the defensive end, as usual, Tucker did it with scoring too. Tucker knocked down two triples to start the game and never slowed down. He shot 4-6 from downtown. In addition to shooting the basketball, Tucker also converted on his floaters in the paint. The floater is one of Tucker’s go-to moves and he shoots it very well. Tucker finished the night with 20 points.
P.J. was lethal on offense tonight, shooting 7-9 from the floor and totaling 20 points 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fypQEzrdhP
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 27, 2022
Next Up: The Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. The game tips off at 8pm EST.
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