Despite being shorthanded, the Miami Heat still had a shot of winning the game. But poor execution down the stretch hurt their chances. As of the result, the Phoenix Suns ended up beating the Heat by seven. The Suns remain the only unbeaten team in the Orlando bubble. Miami still remains in the fourth spot in the East.
Here are my four takeaways from Saturday’s game.
Herro’s first career double-double
Missing three key ball handlers, the Heat started Tyler Herro at point guard. Miami has been putting the ball in Herro’s hands a lot since the restart. Unlike the last game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Herro playmaking was better this time around. The rookie guard finished the night with his first career double-double with 25 points and 10 assists. Herro also grabbed eight rebounds. https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1292253118722461696 Herro continues to make the case for a starting position. He’s looking more comfortable as a point guard now, even more comfortable than Kendrick Nunn has. If he keeps this up, don’t be surprised if he moves into the starting lineup.Adebayo fills up the stat sheet
Earlier on Saturday, Bam Adebayo was named as one of the finalists for the NBA’s most improved award. He showed why on Saturday. On a night the team was missing players, Adebayo filled out the boxscore. After missing the first part of the NBA restart with Covid-19, the Heat all-star is starting to get his wind back. Adebayo finished the night with 18 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds.More than a shooter
When talking about the most improved candidates, Duncan Robinson is a name that’s not often mentioned. But Robinson’s game has very much improved since last season. He’s already considered one of the top three-point shooters in the league. Opposing teams are game-planning for him every night. Since the NBA restart, Robinson has shown he can put the ball on the floor and score inside the arc. He did it a couple of times on Saturday off of cuts and drives. Robinson finished the night with 25 points.Monday’s Matchup
The Heat’s next game will be huge for seeding purposes. As of Sunday morning, they are currently tied with the Indiana Pacers for the fourth spot in the East. The Philadelphia 76ers are also a 1/2 game behind Miami. This means there’s a chance the Heat could fall to sixth place and play the Boston Celtics in the first round. All eyes will also be on the matchup between the Heat and Pacers on Monday. One of the reasons another chance to see the Jimmy Butler vs TJ Warren rematch. A lot has happened since the two players faced each other. Warren has been playing out of his mind since the restart. Butler has been nursing a foot injury and could return in time for Monday’s game. Next up: The Indiana Pacers on Monday. Game tips off at 8 pm ET. Questions and comments? thescorecrowsports@gmail.com Hit us up on the Socials: Twitter @thescorecrow Reddit at u/TheScorecrow Facebook at The Scorecrow Instagram at The Scorecrow Check out our Facebook Group where you can read and post articles at The Scorecrow Reddit Group where everyone can post without fear of being banned at The Scorecrow Follow Jacari McRae on Twitter @JMcRae23 Main Credit Image: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/fl-sp-miami-heat-tyler-herro-walking-boot-20200214-4b6xjm3nz5fo7blqljsnllqfbm-story.htmlAdvertisement
