How the Heat is winning without Butler: ‘We’ve got enough and that’s all that matters’
Reeling momentarily from the chaos swirling around Jimmy Butler and his seven-game suspension, the Heat had two options as they journeyed West after a 36-point home drubbing against Utah: galvanize or unravel.
They’ve landed on the better of those two options, winning three in a row on this Western swing and playing valiantly in all four games, including the double overtime loss in Sacramento to start this road trip.
“We are buying in. The vibes are great,” Heat forward Haywood Highsmith told FanDuel Sports, before echoing similar sentiments in the Moda Center visitor’s locker room after Saturday’s 119-98 win at Portland. “Everybody is locked in. We are communicating to each other on the court. We are connected. The team chemistry off the court is amazing as well. We’re all doing it together. Holding one another accountable.”
So how is the Heat thriving after the turmoil with Butler?
“Just rallying around each other, making it about the guys that are here now, the guys that are in this locker room,” guard Tyler Herro said. “We’ve got enough, and that’s all that matters. This is what we wanted to get back on the road, get away from all the chaos and come out here and compete and get back to who we are and get to our identity.”
That identity starts with defending with zeal. With Bam Adebayo the fulcrum, the Heat has held three consecutive opponents below 100 points and is now 11-0 this season when doing that.
Miami is now 8-7 without Butler, whose Heat suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team” runs two more games.
Offensively, several players have soared in Butler’s absence:
▪ Herro, who has been exemplary all season, has scored 26, 14, 23 and 32 in the four games on this road trip, with 18 three-pointers and 17 assists.
“A lot of instances this year, he’s reminding me of another player; I’m not going to say [who],” Spoelstra said, smiling, after Herro’s 32-point night in Portland. “His movement off ball, the skill level, the handling, the scoring at all three levels, the flair for the moment in opposing arenas. All those things.
“It’s becoming an expectation [for big plays when the team needs them]. That’s what all great players do in this league. Teams go on runs. It’s the NBA.
“You want to feel comfortable that you have a place where the ball can go [in those situations]. Tyler’s decision-making versus all the different schemes that teams are throwing at him are becoming better and more efficient. He’s reading the game. In the moments of truth, he’s stepping up for us when we really need him.”
▪ Nikola Jovic is playing the best basketball of his career, including a 21- point, 8-rebound, 7-assist gem on Saturday. He shot 8 for 12 from the field, reaching the 20-point mark for the second time in three games.
He has 14 assists on the road trip and has rebounded more effectively, allowing him to push the ball with tempo off misses.
“I had that kind of talent before I came, and they noticed it, and they’re pushing me to do it,” Jovic said of dribbling the ball downcourt quickly after opponent misses.
This is significant: Miami has outscored teams by 45 points with Jovic on the court during this road trip.
“I like his improvement,” Spoelstra said. “He’s playing with more consistency. He’s preparing with more consistency. He’s approaching things with more consistency. He’s connecting the dots how things in a shoot-around connect to performance in a game.
“He’s getting more confident, which is unlocking more of his skill set. All of the work the last three years in the weight room and the conditioning are allowing him to use more physicality on both ends of the court. And you are really seeing that physicality in certain places offensively. He’s strong going to the rim, strong in the post, strong when he’s able to offensive rebound.”
▪ Jaquez has thrived as a starter in Butler’s absence, filling the box score and playing with poise and an aggressive bent.
In the four games of this trip, he has 68 points on efficient 25 for 47 shooting, 29 rebounds, 20 assists and 9 steals.
This season, he’s holding the player he’s guarding to 39.4 percent shooting; those players shoot 46.1 percent overall.
And don’t forget Adebayo, who has 39 rebounds in the four games and shot 21 for 40 over the past three, while anchoring Miami’s defense.
“Defensively, you have great confidence you can get stops when you know he’s back there,” Spoelstra said. “We have quite a few coverages and he does them all at an elite level.”
Heat in Los Angeles
The Heat flew to Los Angeles after Saturday’s win in Portland with the expectation that it would play Monday’s game against the Clippers and Wednesday’s game against the Lakers despite wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in Southern California.
On Sunday afternoon, the NBA received the mayor’s approval to move forward with Monday’s matchup between the Heat and Clippers at Intuit Dome (10 p.m., FanDuel Sports Sun) unless the situation changes before tipoff. The Lakers are also set to host the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena on Monday.
Monday would mark the first NBA games played in Los Angeles since the fires began.
Injury report
The Heat ruled out Butler (suspension) and Dru Smith (Achilles) for Monday’s matchup against the Clippers.
Josh Richardson is listed as doubtful because of right heel inflammation.
Adebayo is expected to be available against the Clippers despite a lower back contusion that he suffered after taking a hard fall in Saturday’s win over the Trail Blazers.
This story was originally published January 12, 2025 at 10:16 AM.
