Despite a comeback attempt in the third quarter, the HEAT just couldn’t quite get over the hump in a 123-105 loss to the Wizards Monday night at Capital One Arena.
Let’s get into some takeaways.
1. Butler Does All He Can
Simply put, Jimmy Butler remained on the attack and willed his way to the bucket time and time again.
For a perfect example of that, take a look at this coast-to-coast finish with contact late in the third quarter:
Butler finished with a team-high 27 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 15-of-19 shooting from the line, six boards and four assists.
2. Jones Jr. Hustles As Usual
Although Miami didn’t have its best game defensively, Derrick Jones Jr. still emptied the tank and came through with some nice sequences on that end.
Oh yeah, he also had this strong take to the rack late in the second quarter:
In all, Jones Jr. amassed nine points on 3-of-4 shooting, four rebounds, a game-high three steals (tied with Gary Payton II) and a team-high one block.
3. Bam Sharp In The First Half
Early on, Bam Adebayo wreaked havoc in the pick-and-roll with Goran Dragić and finished plays inside.
Perhaps his most impressive play came on this possession early in the second quarter where he followed his own miss and threw it down:
Adebayo ended up with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, a game-high 14 rebounds and a team-high five assists.
Other Takeaways:
-Duncan Robinson kept fighting in the fourth with a team-high seven points and concluded the evening with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting, four boards, one assist and one steal.
Game Notes:
-James Johnson (Stomach Illness) was an active scratch.
-Daryl Macon (G League - Two-Way), KZ Okpala (G League - On Assignment) and Justise Winslow (Lower Back Bone Bruise) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will head home and prepare for their matchup with the Raptors on Thursday at 7:30PM. Tickets for that game at AmericanAirlines Arena can be found here.