The Miami Heat come out flat, fall to the Trail Blazers on the second game of a back to back.
It’s a good thing the Miami Heat clinched a playoff spot Saturday night before its game with the Portland Trail Blazers was over, because after a slow and tired performance in its second game of a back to back they could use some good news. All in all, chalk this up to a scheduling loss.
One night after going down to the wire with the Sacramento Kings, the Heat looked flat and tired against a fast-paced Blazers (41-36) team. It certainly didn’t help that the Heat were without Dwyane Wade for the second game in a row.
The loss drops the Heat (44-32) to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. You can find the full box score here.
1. Tight rotation presents problems
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has gone with an eight man rotation for the most part since the All Star break, and did the same thing tonight. Without Wade, he went to Josh McRoberts early, but the game was played with eight players nonetheless (Udonis Haslem played in garbage time but that hardly counts).
Veterans Joe Johnson and Amar’e Stoudemire looked tired from the tip, and Luol Deng and Goran Dragic just didn’t have the legs to run with Portland’s fast wings–especially Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
Portland likes to move and screen and pass and run. Miami’s guys struggled to fight over screens or keep up with their high pick-and-rolls. Stoudemire was especially bullied in the pick-and-roll, and even Whiteside wasn’t all that effective.
That’s the problem with an eight-man rotation. It accomplishes consistency, but at the cost of potentially running out of gas. The Heat clinched a playoff spot, and Spoelstra may have to think of resting some guys these next few games.
2. Tired legs
Along with lacking the energy to keep up with the Trail Blazers defensively, the Heat struggled shooting the ball. Gerald Green went off against the Kings Friday, hitting 5-of-9 3-pointers. He was fresh for that game but not for this one, making just one of his four 3-point attempts.
The rest of the Heat struggled to convert from the field, too. They weren’t getting air under their legs or their shots for the most part, going hand in hand with the rotational issues we already talked about.
More heat: What does the future hold for Hassan Whiteside?
3. Truth or dare
The Trail Blazers play a method of defense in which they will go under nearly every screen, daring its opponent to pull up for a 3. The Heat don’t have the 3-point shooters and couldn’t make them pay.
Portland is by no means a good defense–they aren’t bad either–they are right in the middle. It’s style of defense provides a high floor and low ceiling. But it presents a bad matchup for the Heat, who want to get to the rim.
Teams have been doing this lately to clog the paint and make life more difficult for Dragic, Wade and Deng. I would bet that teams in the playoffs adapt a similar strategy until the Heat can prove they can beat it.