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MIAMI – Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 138-83 NBA playoff loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers:
– Eventually there will be more context to this moment and this season.
– Eventually there will be more context to Erik Spoelstra referring to all his team had to endure during the regular season, references that clearly went beyond losses.
– Eventually there will be candor about, even at 37-45, a roster maxing out what was available with those two play-in wins.
– And eventually most should come to appreciate how missing the lottery actually was beneficial, since it means not having a pair of unprotected picks in the wind.
– But what matters next is not what Spoelstra has to say.
– Not what his players say.
– But what Pat Riley has to say.
– How did this happen?
– And how is he going to make it better?
–And then the Arisons need to be heard from.
– How much will the tax be a concern?
– And the tax aprons?
– If ever there was a moment for a franchise reset . . .
– . . . Monday offered all the evidence necessary.
– Is this where Kevin Durant even would want to come?
– Or Giannis Antetokounmpo?
– Or anyone living in win-now mode?
– Hard questions.
– With answers that need to come from the top.
– When it comes to Heat low points over these 37 seasons, this ranks right up there.
– The Heat for a third consecutive game opened with a lineup of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Kel’el Ware.
– With the appearance, Adebayo tied Chris Bosh (78) for sixth place on the Heat all-time playoff list.
– With the start, Adebayo tied Mario Chalmers (73) for fifth on the Heat all-time playoff list.
– The Cavaliers again were without All-Star guard Darius Garland.
– “I don’t think it’s an eight-week thing,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “It’s manage his pain. The toe is a tough one, constantly hitting it.”
– Didn’t matter.
– Not one bit.
– With Garland out, the Cavaliers for a second consecutive night opened with a lineup of Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Max Strus, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
– It was more than enough.
– Way more.
– Haywood Highsmith was first off the Heat bench.
– Followed by Pelle Larsson.
– And then Kyle Anderson, who did not play in the previous two games.
– With Spoelstra mixing and matching anything and everything early, including Nikola Jovic in the second period.
– As Duncan Robinson remained planted on the bench.
– Not entering until 2:33 remained in the third period, amid a 47-point deficit.
– Adebayo’s second basket was the 500th of his playoff career.
– The double-double was the 33rd of Adebayo’s postseason career.
– Wiggins’ seventh point was the 700th of his postseason career.
– With the loss, the Heat fell to 13-12 in playoff elimination games under Erik Spoelstra.
– Spoelstra before the game again was asked about the benefit of playoff experience for a rookie such as Ware.
– “This is invaluable, just like the two play-in games were for him,” Spoelstra said. “He can see it. He can feel how everything just goes to a different level. There’s no way to get that experience unless you go through it.”
– Ware then was yanked almost immediately, after another ineffective start.
– Similarly, Spoelstra spoke of growth from Adebayo and Herro through such moments.
– “It’s part of growth, of learning how to win in a playoff series,” he said. “There’s so many things that go into it. You have to have a connected team, which we have. You have to have habits on both sides of the floor that have been tested.”
– With “tested” this time an understatement.
– Spoelstra went in stressing, to the finish, the little things.
– “There’s a lot of moments in between that we have to seize,” he said. “You can’t miss the moments.”
– The Heat seemingly missed them all.
– Asked about being on edge for an elimination game, Herro said going in, “We’ve been on edge for the last month.”
– He added, “Everything has been kind of intense for the last couple of months.”
– Now an exhale.
– Just not the one the Heat were seeking.
Continue reading...
– Eventually there will be more context to this moment and this season.
– Eventually there will be more context to Erik Spoelstra referring to all his team had to endure during the regular season, references that clearly went beyond losses.
– Eventually there will be candor about, even at 37-45, a roster maxing out what was available with those two play-in wins.
– And eventually most should come to appreciate how missing the lottery actually was beneficial, since it means not having a pair of unprotected picks in the wind.
– But what matters next is not what Spoelstra has to say.
– Not what his players say.
– But what Pat Riley has to say.
– How did this happen?
– And how is he going to make it better?
–And then the Arisons need to be heard from.
– How much will the tax be a concern?
– And the tax aprons?
– If ever there was a moment for a franchise reset . . .
– . . . Monday offered all the evidence necessary.
– Is this where Kevin Durant even would want to come?
– Or Giannis Antetokounmpo?
– Or anyone living in win-now mode?
– Hard questions.
– With answers that need to come from the top.
– When it comes to Heat low points over these 37 seasons, this ranks right up there.
– The Heat for a third consecutive game opened with a lineup of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Kel’el Ware.
– With the appearance, Adebayo tied Chris Bosh (78) for sixth place on the Heat all-time playoff list.
– With the start, Adebayo tied Mario Chalmers (73) for fifth on the Heat all-time playoff list.
– The Cavaliers again were without All-Star guard Darius Garland.
– “I don’t think it’s an eight-week thing,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “It’s manage his pain. The toe is a tough one, constantly hitting it.”
– Didn’t matter.
– Not one bit.
– With Garland out, the Cavaliers for a second consecutive night opened with a lineup of Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Max Strus, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
– It was more than enough.
– Way more.
– Haywood Highsmith was first off the Heat bench.
– Followed by Pelle Larsson.
– And then Kyle Anderson, who did not play in the previous two games.
– With Spoelstra mixing and matching anything and everything early, including Nikola Jovic in the second period.
– As Duncan Robinson remained planted on the bench.
– Not entering until 2:33 remained in the third period, amid a 47-point deficit.
– Adebayo’s second basket was the 500th of his playoff career.
– The double-double was the 33rd of Adebayo’s postseason career.
– Wiggins’ seventh point was the 700th of his postseason career.
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– With the loss, the Heat fell to 13-12 in playoff elimination games under Erik Spoelstra.
– Spoelstra before the game again was asked about the benefit of playoff experience for a rookie such as Ware.
– “This is invaluable, just like the two play-in games were for him,” Spoelstra said. “He can see it. He can feel how everything just goes to a different level. There’s no way to get that experience unless you go through it.”
– Ware then was yanked almost immediately, after another ineffective start.
– Similarly, Spoelstra spoke of growth from Adebayo and Herro through such moments.
– “It’s part of growth, of learning how to win in a playoff series,” he said. “There’s so many things that go into it. You have to have a connected team, which we have. You have to have habits on both sides of the floor that have been tested.”
– With “tested” this time an understatement.
– Spoelstra went in stressing, to the finish, the little things.
– “There’s a lot of moments in between that we have to seize,” he said. “You can’t miss the moments.”
– The Heat seemingly missed them all.
– Asked about being on edge for an elimination game, Herro said going in, “We’ve been on edge for the last month.”
– He added, “Everything has been kind of intense for the last couple of months.”
– Now an exhale.
– Just not the one the Heat were seeking.
Continue reading...
