Heat beats Hawks for seventh home win in row: Five takeaways
Everything was in place for this Heat joyride to continue at least another night: a staggered opponent, a return home to FTX Arena after a road-heavy first-half schedule, and the return of Heat star Jimmy Butler.
And, oh yes, an early 17-point lead to boot.
But nothing that happened after that point was easy for Miami, and the Heat needed to muster every ounce of energy it had to emerge with a 124-118 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Heat, which entered having won 10 of 13, trailed the entire second half until Kyle Lowry’s three tied the game at 114 with 3:34 left. Two PJ Tucker three throws tied it again, at 118, with 1:23 left.
Caleb Martin then drew a charge from Trae Young, and Tyler Herro drained two free throws (his 10th and 11th points of the fourth quarter) to put Miami ahead for good with 46 seconds left.
The Hawks then committed a turnover and Butler drove past Kevin Huerter and contorted his body for a nifty scoop shot and a four-point lead with 23 seconds to go.
The Hawks scored 70 first-half points (most by a Miami opponent this season), made their first 20 free throws and led 99-94 after three. But Miami outscored Atlanta 30-19 in the fourth.
And Miami’s defense stiffened in the fourth, thanks in large part to Butler, PJ Tucker and Caleb Martin, the former Charlotte Hornet who played every fourth quarter minute.
“Caleb gave us a really big boost, changed the dynamic a little bit,” Erik Spoelstra said, noting his defense on Young.
Young, who entered averaging 28 a game, scored 24 but had no field goals in the fourth quarter.
Herro led Miami with 24, doing his best work in the fourth. “The fourth quarter is winning time and a time for me to rely on my work,” he said.
Butler, returning from an ankle injury, was very good, closing with 23 points and 10 assists.
Omer Yurtseven chipped in 17 points and 11 rebounds. Tucker scored 17, and Lowry had 13 points and 8 assists.
Max Strus, starting for the seventh time, scored 16 in the first quarter but took just one more shot and didn’t score the rest of the night, leaving briefly with a laceration under his eye.
The Heat, which played 25 of its first 41 games on the road, entered Friday 12-4 at home and began a stretch in which it will play eight of nine at home, including a visit by Philadelphia on Saturday.
Miami won its seventh consecutive home game and fourth game overall and moved to within one game of Chicago for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks dropped their fourth consecutive game and fell seven games below .500.
Five takeaways from Friday’s win:
▪ Butler was exceptional in his first game back.
He delivered 15 points and 5 assists in the first half, consistently getting to the line. He made all nine of his free throws, extending his streak to 38 consecutive makes. That’s the longest streak by a Heat player since at least 1993.
Butler had missed 15 of the Heat’s past 21 games because of a tailbone injury and more recently, an ankle injury. He had played only six games since Nov. 22.
“It felt good to be back,” he said. “Good to get my rhythm.”
He made a key driving layup with just three minutes left to tie the game, was active defensively as usual (two steals and a block) and finished with his third double-figure assist game of the season.
“He was beside himself during one of the timeouts in the fourth quarter, upset about how he impacted the game and we’re looking like, ‘Dude, what are you talking about?’” Spoelstra said.
“He came alive in the fourth quarter. You can’t describe what Jimmy is like when he gets like that - that competitive fierceness. The block, the deflection, the denial at the end.”
▪ As Bam Adebayo nears a return, Yurtseven keeps putting up numbers.
Besides producing double figures in rebounds for the 13th consecutive game, Yurtseven showed great touch around the basket, hitting short jumpers and hook shots - and jamming a Lowry pass - during a 10-point third quarter that kept Miami afloat.
Yurtseven also had four assists, making several nifty passes, including one to Strus for a layup.
Adebayo is expected back as early as Monday against Toronto, and Yurtseven could go from starting to out of the rotation, depending on how Spoelstra chooses to use Yurtseven and Dwayne Dedmon.
“You have no idea how many thousands of reps he gets in with [Heat assistant coach] Mailk Allen,” Spoelstra said of Yurtseven.
“Malik is such an incredible teacher of the game and developing bigs. It’s a great luxury and talent to have and you have a very willing student. Omer came here open to all of what we’re about.
“It has been brutalizing for Omer, but he’s responded to every bit of that and he wants more every single day. You’re seeing the growth that’s really exponential. But it’s a credit to both of them. They’ve been putting in so much time together - and UD [Udonis Haslem]. That really helps your confidence.”
▪ Strus got off to a blazing start but wasn’t an offensive factor in limited minutes after that.
Strus scored 16 of Miami’s first 27 points, nailing four threes and cutting to the basket for two beautiful layups.
But Strus played less than three minutes in the second quarter and didn’t take a shot.
He went to the locker-room with 5:23 left in the third after a John Collins elbow left Strus down briefly with a bloody cut under his eye.
He returned and made a terrific block on a DeAndre Hunter dunk attempt but didn’t score again and finished 6 for 9 in 20 minutes.
Strus is averaging 18 points as a starter, but said “I’m not worried about that. We’re winning games. That’s what has been the most enjoyable thing.”
▪ The Hawks’ bench dominated Miami’s early on, with Spoelstra taking an unusual approach in the first half, but was far better in the fourth quarter.
Spoelstra usually mixes starters and backups when he goes to his bench, but he opted Friday to play five reserves at once.
That quintet of Herro, Dewayne Dedmon, Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent and Martin entered in the first quarter with the Heat up 12 and left in the second quarter with the lead trimmed to four.
Atlanta’s reserves outscored Miami’s 37-11 in the first half.
Spoelstra changed his approach in the second half, using either Butler or Lowry with Heat reserves. And the bench was much better in the fourth quarter, with Herro, Martin and Dedmon all making big contributions. Dedmon finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds.
Duncan Robinson had a quiet night, missing both his shots in 18 minutes.
The Hawks bench outscored the Heat’s 49-38, but Miami’s bench was far better in the fourth quarter.
Miami’s reserves outscored the Hawks’ 55-35 in Wednesday’s 115-91 Heat win in Atlanta.
▪ P.J. Tucker remains the NBA’s most accurate three-point shooter this season.
Tucker entered leading the league at 46.6 percent from the field (48 for 103) and nailed three of five on a 17-point night.
For years, Tucker has been one of the NBA’s best corner three-point shooters.
But he has never shot with this type of otherworldly accuracy.
Tucker shot 33.6 percent last season -- between Houston and Milwaukee -- after shooting 37.1, 37.7 and 35.8 the previous three seasons.
Tucker’s previous season high in three point percentage: 38.7 for Phoenix in 2013-14.
Overall, the Heat shot 14 for 30 on three-pointers (46.7 percent) on Friday. The Heat entered second in the league in three-point field-goal percentage.
Tucker also might be the Heat’s best screener. And he’s holding players he’s guarding to just 43.4 percent shooting.
Spoelstra again cited Tucker’s ability to do grab loose balls, to block out and to do critical things that many wouldn’t notice.
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 10:41 PM.
