The Miami HEAT fell to the Chicago Bulls 119-111 Monday afternoon at United Center. Goran Dragić led the way for the HEAT with 22 points.
1. Dragić Goes Off In The Fourth
Although Dragić struggled with his shot through three quarters, he didn’t let that faze him one bit. As usual, the Slovenian kept attacking and put his head down to help bring Miami back.
Perhaps there’s no better example of that than this tough finish to cut the deficit to six with 4:20 left:
Thanks to assertive drives like that, Dragić scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the fourth, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough.
In addition to his team-high 22 points, the 31-year-old also tallied five rebounds and a team-high nine assists.
2. KO Takes Advantage Late
Like Dragić, Kelly Olynyk saved his best for last.
In fact, the 7-footer led the HEAT with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the fourth, as he took advantage of Nikola Mirotić and Lauri Markkanen on attacks to the basket.
That said, one of his more impressive plays of the period came on the break.
Of course, Olynyk also distributed the ball quite well and totaled eight assists on the afternoon.
When it was all said and done, the 26-year-old had 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting, three rebounds and a team-high plus-16 rating to go along with those eight assists.
3. 3llington Strikes Again
What else do you expect from Wayne Ellington at this point? The 30-year-old swingman led Miami with five made treys, including two in the fourth. While it ultimately wasn’t enough, Ellington did all he could down the stretch. The UNC product ended up with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting and five boards.
Other Takeaways:
-In an otherwise slow first half for the HEAT, Josh Richardson did his usual damage on catch-and-shoot treys and also had this nice scoop shot after getting a step on Jerian Grant:
At the end of the day, Richardson had 11 points, six assists, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
-Bam Adebayo made some nice hustle and energy plays, including a key back-tap early in the fourth to keep a possession alive.
On the flip side of the ball, he came through with an impressive defensive sequence against Mirotić and forced the vet into a tough shot.
In all, Adebayo totaled six points, five rebounds and a plus-10 rating.
Game Notes:
-Tyler Johnson exited the game in the third quarter with a sprained left ankle and did not return. He finished with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and three assists in 20 minutes of action.
-Derrick Walton Jr. (Sioux Falls assignment), Dion Waiters (left ankle sprain), Okaro White (left foot surgery), Rodney McGruder (left tibia surgery) and A.J. Hammons (Sioux Falls assignment) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT will continue their road trip in Milwaukee on Wednesday against the Bucks at 8:00 PM. Miami won’t be in action at AmericanAirlines Arena until Jan. 25 at 7:30 against the Kings. Tickets for that game can be found here.