The Miami HEAT hosted the Red, White & Pink Game presented by Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Below are some takeaways from the action.
Note: All stats are unofficial.
1. The Bigs Go At It
While Hassan Whiteside has solidified himself as the clear-cut starter at center, Willie Reed has all the makings of a solid backup. On Monday, both guys went at it and put on a show for the fans.
In fact, Reed threw down two thunderous alley-oop jams in the first half. The first slam was assisted by Brianté Weber, while the second one came courtesy of Derrick Williams.
Throughout the contest, Reed played stout defense and remained very active around the rim. The 26-year-old finished with 12 points, four rebounds and a block on 6-of-7 shooting.
Whiteside, meanwhile, continued to attack from all over the floor like he has all preseason. That was great, but he really gave the fans a treat early on in the third quarter.
It was at that point when Whiteside came up with a loose ball and ran the break. After a few dribbles, the big man proceeded to find Weber, who then found James Johnson for the easy finish inside.
Whiteside led all scorers with 16 points to go along with 11 rebounds and three blocks.
2. T. Johnson Plays Well
After a little bit of a slow start to the preseason, Tyler Johnson had a strong outing in the Red, White & Pink Game. The 24-year-old mixed things up with some pull-up jumpers and tough finishes in traffic.
Otherwise, Johnson did a nice job of setting up his teammates throughout the night. In all, he tallied 15 points and three rebounds on 5-of-9 shooting on Monday.
3. Williams the Playmaker
Even though Derrick Williams played well through the first two quarters, he really started to come alive in the second half. In fact, the former Arizona Wildcat scored 9 of his 12 points after halftime. During the barrage, the forward knocked down a few jumpers before attacking the basket and throwing down a one-handed jam late in the fourth quarter. Above all else though, Williams showed how gifted he is as a playmaker.
In addition to his 12 points, the 25-year-old also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists.
Other Takeaways:
-As usual, Rodney McGruder did all the dirty work and competed hard on both ends. Early on in the fourth quarter, the former Kansas State Wildcat came up with a heads-up steal, which resulted in a slam for Okaro White on the other end. Shortly thereafter, McGruder picked Justise Winslow’s pocket from behind.
On the flip side of the ball, the 25-year-old ran well off screens and cut to the rack with purpose. In total, McGruder had nine points and two boards in the scrimmage.
Game Note:
-Stefan Janković (sprained right foot), Josh McRoberts (right foot), Josh Richardson (right MCL sprain) and Dion Waiters (back tightness) all sat out.