The Miami Heat lost two more players to COVID-19 protocols in Max Strus and Udonis Haslem. They faced a shorthanded Washington Wizards team on the front end of a back-to-back.
Despite the loss of key players, Miami adjusted well. At one point, they had a 28-point lead over the Wizards. However, Washington made it interesting late in the fourth quarter. Their three-point shooters got hot and they cut Miami’s lead to six with under a minute to go. But in the end, Miami got the job done. With the win, they move to 22-13 for the season.
Here are four takeaways from Tuesday’s win over the Wizards.
Butler Does It All
Jimmy Butler set the tone from the start. He was set on scoring in the early period and got into the paint a couple of times while drawing plenty of fouls. With Butler off to a good start, his teammates followed suit. This allowed Butler to focus on being the facilitator for most of the game. That’s exactly what he did, replacing Kyle Lowry as the team’s floor general. He finished the game with a career-high 15 assists and also added 25 points and eight rebounds. Unfortunately, he injured his ankle late in the game and had to come out. It’s very possible he could miss Miami’s next game. Losing its best player is the last thing Miami needs at this stage.
Jimmy delivered exactly what we needed tonight.
Double-figure points, career-high assists, a bunch of boards.#JimmyButler // #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/lTWi9hqbIQ— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 29, 2021
Herro’s Strong First Half
Tyler Herro went crazy in the first half, scoring 20 points before halftime. He took advantage of the mismatches and scored easily. When a slower defender was guarding him, he took him right into the paint. He also shot 3-for-3 from downtown. This was one of Herro’s best first-half performances this season. His growth as a player has been very impressive to watch. Another improved area of his game is his playmaking. With Lowry out, Herro has done a great job of hitting the roller and kicking it out to shooters when the defense collapses. Herro finished the night with 32 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Duncan Robinson’s Night
Not only did Butler and Herro play well, but Duncan Robinson impressed, too. Despite a slow start, Miami kept drawing plays for him. Robinson got going from beyond the arc as the game went on. He finished 8-of-16 from downtown on Tuesday night. With Strus out, this effort from Robinson was needed. His hot shooting also opened up his driving game. Robinson found his way into the paint to either score or kick it out to the open shooter. He ended the night with 26 points.
Yurtseven’s Rebounding
For the sixth consecutive night, Omer Yurtseven had a double-digit rebounding performance. The Heat’s starting center did a great job of grabbing the rebound on both ends. Offensively, his touch around the rim still needs improvement. Even though he grabbed offensive rebounds, his putbacks were short at the rim. Defensively, he also has to do a better job of moving his feet instead of fouling. Overall, it’s still a learning experience for the rookie and it’s only going to help Wihim moving forward. Yurtseven finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
Next up: the San Antonio Spurs. The game tips off at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday.
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