Tyler Johnson comes up clutch in the Miami Heat’s win over the Kings

Welcome to the Hot Hand, where after every Miami Heat game win or loss we recognize the player who best put his stamp on the game.

Tyler Johnson celebrated his homecoming in leading the Miami Heat to a 107-102 road win over the Sacramento Kings. Having missed the Heat’s loss to the Phoenix Suns  the previous night with a migraine, the local Fresno product more than made up for it in this contest. Johnson finished with 23 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in 30 minutes off the bench.

Johnson hit the ground running with 10 points on 4-of-4 overall from the field in the opening half. Down the stretch of the game, Johnson’s contributions were vital for the Heat. He played the entire fourth quarter, contributing 10 points, four rebounds and two blocks.

One of those blocks came with 50 seconds left and the game tied at 102. See below for this crucial block that helped keep the Heat alive.

In addition to this block, Johnson also added five points in the final 27 seconds off the contest. See below for the clutch three-point play that helped keep the Heat ahead for good.

As we have been accustomed to witnessing, Johnson’s trademark in this game was his hustle and all-out effort. And playing in-front of family and friends, Johnson appeared to raise his standards to another level. Check below for a block Johnson performed earlier in the fourth term. This was at a time where the Kings were starting to build some momentum.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/816884075478728704

After suffering a mini-slump earlier this season, Johnson has bounced back better than ever. Over his last eight games, Johnson has averaged 17.9 points, 3.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. In the span Johnson has shot 49.1 percent from the field and 51.6 percent from three-pointy range in 31 minutes per contest.

Further to his fourth quarter exploits in this game, Johnson has averaged 10.8 minutes per fourth quarter over this recent eight game span. This ranks him fourth in the league for fourth quarter minutes for players who played at least eight games in this time. See the clip below for another fourth quarter Johnson gem.

Johnson was understandably both happy and relieved that the Heat were able to break their six-game losing streak. See below for Johnson’s immediate reaction after the game.

The Heat now travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers and Clippers on Friday and Sunday. In the meantime, Johnson will be rapt in the knowledge that he was able to perform at his best in his hometown and get the job done for the Heat. He is unquestionably this games’ Hot Hand.