This was a good matchup between two solid teams, as each entered Friday’s game with only one loss in the early season. The Miami Heat started the game off exceptionally well on both ends. Miami’s lead even ballooned to 26 points at one point. The Charlotte Hornets made a run in the second half, but Miami finished them off in the end. The Heat got great scoring domination from Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. With the victory, Miami improves their record to 4-1 for the season.
Here are my takeaways from Friday’s win against Charlotte.
Bam’s Night
The Heat unveiled a banner to honor Bam for winning a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but Bam’s night wasn’t over yet. He had to take down the Hornets and that’s what he did. Bam dominated the inside and converted on his midrange jumpers. He continues to crash the boards with high rebound numbers. Defensively, he was everywhere on the floor, causing disruption to the Hornets offense. Bam did everything the Heat asked for and more. You couldn’t have asked for a better night from the big man.
a quick summary of Bam’s performance tonight: pic.twitter.com/eOXg9Pqiub
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 30, 2021
Adebayo finished with 26 points, 19 rebounds, and one block.
Less Equals More for Butler
Kyle Lowry‘s impact on the Heat has been discussed for months. While it has helped everyone, it may have helped Jimmy the most. Last season, Butler had to carry a huge load for Miami. He was the go-to scorer and go-to facilitator. It ended up affecting him during last season’s playoffs. With Kyle on the roster, Jimmy’s load has been lessened. Now he can be more aggressive as a scorer. He’s back to being the strong attacker we saw during Miami’s run to the NBA Finals in 2020. Instead of waiting to score, Jimmy is scoring from the jump.
Jimmy put him in a tsunami pic.twitter.com/oQn3clGvxs
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 30, 2021
Butler finished with a game-high 32 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
Herro Continues to Play Well
Once again, Tyler came off the bench and provided scoring. Most importantly, he did it efficiently. In the first half, Herro put up 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting. He attacked the rim, shot the three-ball well, and had the midrange going. Herro is playing at another level and the confidence is showing. The game has slowed down for him, and with Tyler putting points up, it allows the Heat to survive the minutes Jimmy is sitting on the bench. If he keeps this up, the sixth man of the year award is his to lose.
Tyler makes these look so easy pic.twitter.com/3zq6IuH4fq
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 30, 2021
Herro finished with 26 points, five rebounds, and six assists.
Lowry and Duncan Three-Point Struggles Continue
Duncan Robinson and Lowry are depended on to provide three-point spacing for the other starters. While he’s been struggling from downtown, Lowry has still impacted the game in other areas. Robinson, however, has higher expectations as one of the league’s best shooters. So far, it’s been ugly for Duncan beyond the arc. He’s been able to generate open looks, but hasn’t converted on them as much. At times, it seems like he shoots better when he’s being guarded well. He’s going to have to get comfortable with hitting wide open threes.
Next up: Tonight at the Memphis Grizzlies. Game tips off at 8:00pm EDT.
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Main Image designed by Jeremy Guerin @jeremycguerin