The Miami Heat started the week looking forward to facing two lottery teams. Facing a shorthanded Detroit Pistons team on Tuesday should be an easy win, right? Not exactly. This was a tough game for Miami from start to finish. The Pistons stayed competitive throughout and challenged Miami, even holding the Heat to 11 points in the third period. Despite things going south in the third, the Heat bounced back in the fourth. With key plays down the stretch, Miami was able to come out on top with a victory. They now sit at 46-24 for the regular season after beating Detroit.
Here are four takeaways from the Heat’s win on Tuesday night, and be sure to check out all of our NBA content.
A Herro Arises
Miami’s offense was struggling in the first half. There was a lot of over-passing, and the Heat were not getting anything out of it. But then, Miami inserted Tyler Herro into the game. That’s when Miami’s offense started to come to life. This isn’t the first time Herro has provided a needed spark in the first half this season. With the Pistons playing tight defense, he was able to consistently get to the free throw line and draw fouls, keeping Miami afloat at a time where the offense was cold. Everyone knows that Herro can score the basketball. However, it is the way he is scoring that’s been impressive. After dropping 20 points in the first half, he helped close the game with nine in the final period. Herro finished the night with 29 points and five rebounds.
Staying Ready
Miami always tells their players to stay ready whenever they are out of the rotation. Why? Because you never know when your number is going to be called. Heat forward Jimmy Butler was injured in the second quarter and was announced out for the second half. And with Duncan Robinson struggling, it allowed Max Strus the opportunity to play. Strus entered the game in the third period and was quiet in those four minutes. Then, the fourth quarter happened, and Strus exploded. In the first three minutes of the fourth, Strus scored 13 points. He was shooting at a high clip, and it didn’t matter what the defense was doing. He may not be a consistent rotational player, but there are going to be situations where his number is called again. Strus finished the night with 16 points.
Overcoming Foul Trouble
It was a rough night for Bam Adebayo in the first half. After picking up his third foul with nine minutes left in the second period, he had to sit and watch the rest of the half. Following that, he picked up his fourth foul early in the third period. With Adebayo watching from the bench, the Pistons went on a 19-0 run to take a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Instead of letting the foul trouble get to him, Adebayo came back in and still impacted the game. He set some nice screens for his shooters, rebounded the ball, and scored in the paint. Bam finished the night with 16 points and eight rebounds.
Morris as the Backup Center?
Markieff Morris played well in his second game back with the team. He made a mid-range jumper just after he first entered the game. He is good as a pick-and-pop option on the floor. Morris is also able to punish smaller defenders with his midrange turnaround jumper. When Adebayo got in foul trouble and with Dewayne Dedmon struggling, the Heat went with Morris at the center spot. Morris did a great job of switching on defense and abusing smaller defenders in the post on the other end. Playing him as a backup center could certainly give him minutes once Caleb Martin returns. Morris finished the night with nine points in 17 minutes of action.
Next up: The Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. The game tips off at 8pm EST.
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