Takeaways from another Jimmy Butler-led Heat win, and the ‘objective’ it accomplished
Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 111-103 win over the Orlando Magic (13-24) on Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena to open the second half of the season:
It wasn’t Miami’s sharpest performance after the weeklong All-Star break, but it was enough to push the Heat (19-18) above .500 for the first time this season. And Jimmy Butler was again a difference maker late in the game.
“It has been an objective of ours for several weeks, even though it’s just a small hurdle,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of holding a winning record for the first time this season. “It’s something that we wanted to do. We started off the season against this opponent [Magic] 0-1 in a possession game. Hopefully this is the start of something different in the second half.”
The Heat’s top-10 defense struggled at times, especially against Magic All-Star center Nikola Vucevic and forward Dwayne Bacon.
Orlando, which entered with the NBA’s fifth-worst offensive rating, scored 82 points on 45.6 percent shooting through the first three quarters. Vucevic finished with 24 points and 17 rebounds, and Bacon scored a season-high 21 points.
The Heat, which entered with the NBA’s eighth-best team free throw percentage at 79.5 percent, shot just 13 of 22 (59.1 percent) from the foul line.
And the Heat’s offense shot just 16 of 49 from three-point range against a Magic defense that packs the paint to limit shots around the rim. Sharpshooter Duncan Robinson was held to to nine points on 3-of-12 shooting on threes.
But behind Butler and strong late-game defense, Miami hung on for the victory.
With the Heat ahead by just one point with 5:40 to play, it closed the game on a 16-9 run on its way to the win.
Butler again led the way for the Heat with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and 8-of-13 shooting from the foul line, eight rebounds, 11 assists and three steals.
“At the end of the day, that’s what great players do, great competitors, winners,” Spoelstra said of Butler. “He puts his imprint on the game and it’s a series of winning plays that put you in position to come out of it with a W.”
In the fourth quarter, Butler recorded 10 points while shooting 3 of 6 from the field, 1 of 2 on threes and 3 of 4 from the foul line, two rebounds and two assists. Butler is averaging 10.3 fourth-quarter points in the Heat’s past seven games, with Denver’s Jamal Murray the only NBA player averaging more fourth-quarter points during that stretch (10.6 per game).
“He just plays at his own pace. He controls the game,” Heat center Kelly Olynyk said of Butler. “He knows what he wants to do and where he wants to get. The other thing with Jimmy is he’s not afraid to make the right basketball play. He has done an unbelievable job of controlling the end of games in these last 10-12 games and getting us back above .500.”
The Heat held the Magic to 21 points on 8-of-28 (28.6 percent) shooting in the fourth quarter. Vucevic scored just four points on 1-of-5 shooting in the period, as Miami crowded him with multiple defenders almost every time he had the ball in the post.
Olynyk finished the victory with 20 points while shooting 4 of 8 on threes, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Thursday marked the Heat’s eighth win in nine games, and its 12th win in 16 games after a 7-14 start to the season.
“It means everything,” Butler said of pushing past .500. “That’s why we play to win, obviously. It’s just a step in the right direction.”
With starting center Bam Adebayo missing his second straight game, second-year forward KZ Okpala made his second straight start but was limited because of foul trouble.
The Heat opened the second half of the season with a starting lineup of Okpala, Kendrick Nunn, Robinson, Butler and Olynyk. Adebayo missed his second consecutive game Thursday because of left knee tendinitis.
Okpala was off to a strong start, making a three-pointer and a transition layup to score five of the Heat’s first 15 points. But he was called for his third foul with 6:42 remaining in the first quarter and was forced to watch the rest of the first half from the bench.
Okpala ended the night with five points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 11 minutes.
The Magic was also short-handed on Thursday, with Cole Anthony (right rib fracture), James Ennis III (sore left calf), Evan Fournier (strained left groin), Markelle Fultz (torn ACL), Jonathan Isaac (left knee recovery) and Terrence Ross (sore left knee) unavailable against the Heat.
Orlando did get forward Aaron Gordon back after missing the previous 15 games because of a sprained left ankle. Gordon finished with nine points and two rebounds in 14 minutes.
Because of Adebayo’s injury, Okpala’s foul trouble and other circumstances, seldom-used Heat center Chris Silva and forward Moe Harkless played Thursday. And rookie center Precious Achiuwa didn’t play much.
It marked Silva’s first appearance in a game since Jan. 16, as he recently returned from a hip injury that kept him out for 18 straight games.
In his seventh appearance of the season Thursday, Silva finished with one point and four rebounds in 11 minutes. Silva, 24, even played ahead of Achiuwa in the second half.
Achiuwa was limited to just four minutes and he did not play in the final two quarters on Thursday.
When asked why Achiuwa didn’t play in his regular spot in the rotation, Spoelstra said: “Chris came in and gave us a good spark, and we went with him in the second half, as well. And Moe played well in his minutes, too.”
Silva was not expected to have a big role this season, so his limited playing time hasn’t been surprising.
But Harkless, 27, began the season as a starter and was expected to be part of the Heat’s rotation. Because of injuries and some on-court struggles, he has yet to find a consistent role.
Harkless recorded three points and four rebounds in 14 minutes on Thursday. It marked his second appearance in the last 22 games, with a left thigh contusion keeping him out for nine games during that stretch.
“They both bring things that we like,” Spoelstra said of Harkless and Silva. “We’re taking out a guy right now [Adebayo] that’s playing anywhere from 35 to 40 minutes a night for us. So there’s going to be different combinations. It might not be the same exact combination and rotation every night. But those guys just have to be ready and contribute in whatever short burst and skirmishes they have. I thought Chris gave us some good energy in those short pockets that he played and Moe gave us some solid minutes, as well.”
The NBA Board of Governors’ approved a rule change on Thursday that will help teams around the league, but especially the Heat.
The approved change allows for two-way contract players to be active for more than 50 games, the limit that was in place for such players this season, and also allows them to be eligible for the playoffs. There is now no limit on how many games two-way contract players can be active for this season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is important for the Heat because it uses both of its two-way contract players, guard Gabe Vincent and wing Max Strus, often.
“We’re glad that everybody agreed to that,” Spoelstra said of the rule change before Thursday’s contest. “It makes a great deal of sense. This is a unique season and I think you do have to adjust accordingly.”
Thursday marked the 31st game that Vincent has been active for this season, and Strus was active for the 30th game. There are 35 games remaining on the Heat’s regular-season schedule.
Vincent and Strus did not play Thursday.
Along with missing Adebayo, the Heat was also without Avery Bradley and Meyers Leonard on Thursday. They won’t be available for Friday’s road game against the Chicago Bulls either.
Bradley missed his 16th straight game because of a right calf strain. Leonard is out for the season after shoulder surgery, but is away from the team indefinitely after using an anti-Semitic slur earlier this week.
As for Adebayo and Bradley, they will also miss Friday’s game against the Bulls at United Center.
The Heat’s team flight was scheduled to take off for Chicago late Thursday night to complete the back-to-back set. Adebayo and Bradley did not travel with the team for its two-game trip, which ends Sunday against the Magic at Amway Center.
“He’s going to do a ton of work here,” Spoelstra said of Adebayo remaining in Miami.
This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 10:27 PM.
