Same opponent. Same result.
Thanks to a fantastic all-around effort, the HEAT defeated the Hawks 106-97 Thursday night at State Farm Arena for their second win in three days against the squad.
Let’s check out some notable moments from the contest.
1. Nunn Makes History
This Kendrick Nunn guy is something else, isn’t he?
Simply put, the 24-year-old rookie had his entire repertoire on display, as he played solid defense, cut to the basket, hit treys and finished plays in transition.
Everything came together in a 14-point third quarter where he broke Connie Hawkins’ record for most points by an undrafted player through their first five games in NBA history.
This is the jam that sealed it:
(Naturally, it came off a steal.)
Nunn also became the first player to score at least 100 points in his first five games since Kevin Durant in 2007-08.
That’s crazy.
In all, Nunn tallied a game and career-high 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-6 from deep, two boards and two steals.
2. Butler Stuffs The Stat Sheet
Although Jimmy Butler struggled a bit with his shot, that didn’t mean a thing.
Why’s that?
Well, because he did everything else at an elite level.
Seriously, he crashed the glass, wreaked havoc on defense and facilitated for others from the jump.
Just take a look at this dish to Nunn late in the fourth quarter:
When it was all said and done, Butler had five points, a game-high 11 assists, a team-high nine rebounds, a game-high six steals, a team-high three blocks and a game-high plus-21 rating.
Whew, that was a lot.
3. Quick Start For Adebayo
Bam Adebayo had a remarkable start to the contest, as he found his teammates with some great feeds, covered a lot of ground defensively and even hit this catch-and-shoot corner three in the first quarter:
Yes, you read that right.
Adebayo didn’t stop there, though, as he remained strong in the second half.
Above all else, this pass to Meyers Leonard early in the third quarter was a thing of beauty:
Adebayo finished with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, seven assists, six rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
Other Takeaways:
-After a slow start, Tyler Herro stuck with it, continued to move very well without the ball and hit some key shots in the fourth quarter.
Perhaps this was his most impressive one:
Herro ended up with 17 points (seven in the fourth) on 7-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-9 from downtown, four rebounds, three assists and a steal.
-From the start, Leonard set good screens and stretched the floor for Miami.
In particular, this trey in the fourth really showed the HEAT’s unselfish ways:
In total, Leonard amassed 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a plus-18 rating.
-It sounds simple, but Chris Silva just never gave up on both ends.
I mean, just look at this hard-nosed offensive rebound in traffic and lay-in early in the second quarter:
Silva concluded the evening with six points on 3-of-5 shooting, two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.
Game Notes:
-Justise Winslow (Lower Back Stiffness) was an active scratch.
-KZ Okpala (Left Achilles Strain), Derrick Jones Jr. (Left Groin Strain), Daryl Macon (G League - Two-Way) and Dion Waiters (Coach's Decision) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will now head home to prepare for their matchup against the Rockets on Sunday at 6PM. Tickets for that game at AmericanAirlines Arena can be found here.