Heat sets team record in Monday’s win. Also, Yurtseven undergoes surgery and Herro still out
Through its slow start and recent revival, the Miami Heat has consistently done a few things well during the first four weeks of the season. One of them is keeping teams off the free-throw line.
The Heat entered Tuesday limiting opponents to 17.8 free-throw attempts per 100 field-goal attempts this season, which is the fourth-lowest opponent free-throw rate in the NBA. That’s a big improvement from last season, when Miami finished with the league’s fourth-highest free-throw rate at 20.9 free-throws allowed per 100 field-goal attempts.
In fact, the Heat made team history during Monday night’s 113-112 win over the Phoenix Suns at FTX Arena when the Suns finished just 2 of 4 at the foul line. The four three-throw attempts represent the fewest by an opponent in a game in Heat history and the two free-throw makes are also the fewest by an opponent in a game in Heat history.
The Heat (7-7), which opens a four-game trip on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Sun), ended up outscoring the Suns 22-2 at the foul line — an advantage that clearly helped Miami escape with the one-point win.
“It’s just one of those things when you look at the stat sheet, you look at situations like that and we only end up with four free throws for the game. That is hard to swallow,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “I think it’s the second-lowest free-throw total we’ve ever had in franchise history. In a physical game like that where everybody is bumping, we only get four free throws. This is becoming really hard to swallow, and you feel like you can’t even talk about it because you’re going to get fined.”
Heat guard Kyle Lowry credited the team’s defensive schemes for the opponent’s low free-throw rate this season. Instead of constantly challenging shots at the rim, Miami’s combination of switching, drop and 2-3 zone coverages are designed to push teams away from the basket.
The Heat entered Tuesday allowing the second-lowest shots in the NBA from within the restricted area this season at 22.4 per game.
“I think our defensive coverages allow a lot of things to happen, some floaters,” Lowry said. “I think our coverages allows for shots to get off and we’re not an aggressive at-the-rim team. We’re not that big, fouling, trying to block shots. We’re just putting ourselves in position to help each other.”
YURTSEVEN’S SURGERY AND INJURY REPORT
The Heat announced that center Omer Yurtseven underwent successful surgery on Tuesday for an “impingement, bone spur and stress reaction in his left ankle.” The two-hour procedure was performed by Dr. Thomas San Giovanni and assisted by Heat team physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick at Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute at Doctors Hospital.
The Heat did not offer a timetable for Yurtseven’s return and said he “will be re-evaluated at a later date.” But the expectation is the surgery will sideline Yurtseven for about three months.
Along with missing Yurtseven, the Heat took a flight to Toronto on Tuesday for the start of its four-game trip without guard Tyler Herro (left ankle sprain) and Udonis Haslem (personal reasons). Herro’s absence will continue after missing the last four games with his ankle injury.
Heat guard Victor Oladipo, who has yet to play this regular season because of left knee tendinosis, did travel with the team to Toronto. It marks the first time he has joined the team on a trip this regular season, but he will not play on Wednesday.
The Heat will be without Haslem, Herro, Oladipo and Yurtseven against the Raptors. Center Dewayne Dedmon is listed as questionable due to his ongoing battle with left foot plantar fasciitis.
The Raptors will also be short-handed against the Heat on Wednesday.
The Raptors have already ruled out Precious Achiuwa (right ankle sprain), Ron Harper Jr. (G League), Otto Porter Jr. (left foot toe dislocation) and Pascal Siakam (right adductor strain). And guards Fred VanVleet (non-COVID illness) and Gary Trent Jr. (right hip soreness) are listed as questionable.
If the Raptors are forced to play without Siakam, VanVleet and Trent, they would be without three starters.
LOWRY’S RETURN
Lowry, who is considered one of the greatest players in Raptors history, will return to Toronto to play his former team Wednesday for just the second time since he joined the Heat in the 2021 offseason.
The Heat and Raptors have already faced off twice this season, but both matchups came in Miami. The only time Lowry played in Toronto since joining the Heat was late last season, when he recorded 16 points and 10 assists to help lead the Heat to a 114-109 win over the Raptors on April 3.
Lowry, 36, spent nine straight consecutive in Toronto before joining the Heat in the 2021 offseason.
“That’s a place I’ve called home for a long, long time, nine years. And I still have friends there, very close friends there,” Lowry said ahead of Wednesday’s game in Toronto. “I’m looking forward to the trip, as always. I get to see some people that I haven’t seen in a couple months, when I was up there for Nick Nurse’s foundation [golf tournament]. It’s going to be emotional as always, but it’s a business trip for us.”
The Heat’s second game in Toronto this season does not come until March 28.
This story was originally published November 15, 2022 at 2:22 PM.
