The Miami Heat were shorthanded against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. They were without Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, and Markieff Morris. Erik Spoelstra’s favorite saying is “We have enough.” And it seems like the Heat did. They not only competed but there were moments in the game where Miami led by 20 or more. The 76ers did make a huge run to cut Miami’s lead to three late in the fourth quarter. However, Miami got a huge stop in the end and knocked down two clutch free throws to seal the victory. With the win, Miami moves to 17-11 for the season.
Be sure to catch up on the previous Heating Up from Monday Night.
Gabe Vincent’s Career Night
Without Herro’s scoring abilities, the Heat needed others to step up. Heat guard Gabe Vincent stepped up to the challenge. This isn’t the first time Vincent has made an impact for Miami. Vincent was already a key part of some of the Heat’s other wins with his defense. On Wednesday, he did it with his three-point shooting. Vincent was on fire from downtown converting a career-high seven three-pointers. Some of his shots were highly contested. Without a player who can consistently get into the paint, the Heat needed every shot to go. And it did. Vincent ended the night with a career-high 26 points.
Duncan Robinson Improving
This has been a frustrating season for Robinson. After signing his first huge deal, the forward has been inconsistent with his shooting this season. One night he looks normal and the next night he can’t hit a shot. Recently, he’s been getting closer to the Robinson we all know. It all started with a new twitch to his game. Instead of just seeing the ball go in early, he’s going inside the arc more. Robinson has now included the midrange game into his arsenal. With defenses playing him hard, he can take two dribbles inside to either shoot the midrange or kick it out to an open teammate. He’s also cutting to the basket more as well. Robinson finished the night with 21 points and eight rebounds.
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Appreciating Tucker
You might as well call this the P.J. Tucker page. There’s been a lot of love shown for Tucker and the things he brings to the Heat on a nightly basis. It’s just hard to find any reasons to criticize Tucker’s game. He does more than what the boxscore shows. He sets good screens, takes charges, and switches pick-and-rolls. He’s literally everywhere on the floor. Against the 76ers, Tucker continued to impact the game.
Defensively, Tucker continued to guard multiple positions on the floor. He was very vocal with his teammates about their own defensive assignments. His screening allowed players like Kyle Lowry, Robinson, and Max Strus to get open looks. In the fourth quarter, Tucker also hit a couple of three-pointers late to keep Miami ahead. Tucker finished with 12 points and four rebounds.
Yurtseven has Better Showing
With Adebayo out, it’s allowed Omer Yurtseven to receive some minutes in the rotation. So far, it’s been a learning experience for the Heat center. He’s been thrown into the fire and is learning on the fly. His primary match was against the 76ers backup center Andre Drummond. Yurtseven was dominating the matchup with great post positioning and touch around the rim. He also did a better job defensively with Miami’s drop coverage and blitzes. If he continues to do this, he could a role with the team in the future.
Next up: The Orlando Magic, tipping off at 7:00 EST on Friday.
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