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HEAT 108 - Spurs 100 Game Recap

The Miami HEAT defeated the San Antonio Spurs 108-100 Friday night at AT&T Center. Tyler Johnson led the way for the HEAT with 17 points.

1. T. Johnson Finds the Range

While his scoring output was needed off the bench, he also impacted the game on the defensive end. Take for instance this quick close-out and block on Jonathon Simmons late in the first quarter.

Later in the third, Johnson’s great activity and active hands on the defensive end led to an and-one finish for Derrick Williams.

It should also be noted that Johnson flourished alongside Goran Dragić and Dion Waiters when Miami went with three-guard lineups. That’ll be something to keep an eye on moving forward.

In addition to his 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including a perfect 4-of-4 from deep, Johnson also tallied five assists and four boards.

2. Winslow Does It All

Justise Winslow started the game quite aggressively and never looked back. To get things going in the first period, the forward scored five quick points and had this nice lob to Hassan Whiteside.

Throughout the contest, the second-year player mixed things up with runners in the lane and catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. In short, he had it all on display.

On the flip side of the ball, Winslow wreaked havoc as usual. Early on in the first quarter, he hit the deck to steal the ball from Kawhi Leonard, which enabled Dragić to start the break. As the game progressed, the 20-year-old continued to play great one-on-one defense on Leonard and Simmons.

In total, Winslow scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists.

3. Ball Movement & Defense is Key

Based on Johnson and Winslow’s play, you could probably tell that Miami had a good defensive game. That might be an understatement. Through three quarters, the HEAT held the Spurs to just 39 percent shooting.

Miami’s ball movement was also on-point, as the team totaled 24 assists and connected on 11 treys. Unsurprisingly, Waiters was one of the HEAT’s best playmakers on the night. For an example of that, look no further than a nice connection he had with Whiteside in the second quarter.

With 5:17 left in the period, Waiters drove inside from the left elbow thanks to a good screen by Winslow. Once Waiters got to the free-throw line, he hit Whiteside with a great bounce pass in stride. From there, the big fella threw it down with one hand over Pau Gasol despite being fouled.

In all, Waiters tallied four assists to go along with 15 points and a steal in his first start of the preseason. Whiteside, meanwhile, finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and a block.

Other Takeaways:

-James Johnson also made his presence felt against San Antonio. The vet worked hard on both ends and was very active around the rim. While he primarily took it to the rack, he also drilled an in-rhythm 3-pointer in the fourth. The 29-year-old totaled 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, three rebounds and three assists.

Game Note:

-Luke Babbitt (groin), Josh McRoberts (right foot), Josh Richardson (right MCL sprain) and Willie Reed (back) all sat out.