Miami Heat: How can the team ride its current momentum?

After annihilating the New York Knicks in its fourth game, the Miami Heat need to regroup and refocus for the Portland Trail Blazers.

A lot of great things happen in the afterglow of victory.

Following the Miami Heat’s 23-point torching of the New York Knicks—Miami led by as many as 30—members of the organization reveled in their own ways.

For Dwyane Wade and head coach Erik Spoelstra, that meant dapping up Chris Bosh with bear hugs and well wishes, after the two-time champ watched his team close out former Heat coach David Fizdale’s Knicks.

Hassan Whiteside however took to Instagram to console legendary Bronx rapper Fat Joe following his 22 point and 14 rebound performance.

Everything about the win was a feel-good affair. Especially as Miami has habitually played down to its competition and struggled in the third quarter.

But on Wednesday, the team corrected both those wrongs, abusing the relative inexperience of Fizdale’s Knicks, while notching a season-high, 45-point third quarter.

Miami managed a 40-plus point fourth quarter only other time since the start of the 2017-18 season, coming in a 27-point rout of the Washington Wizards last March.

The lead popped off proper when Josh Richardson strode into a 3 about three minutes into the third. He followed up the showing with a sly scoop pass to Rodney McGruder for a 3 of his own.

Unfortunately, showing out in the third quarter is the exception, not the norm for Miami. The team notoriously ranked 29th in the Association last year in third quarter points per game, posting a lowly 23.9.

With the team’s next game coming tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Heat need to find a way to ride its momentum into another victory, this time against a proven Western Conference team with dual stars running the backcourt.

Another Day, Another Backcourt

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, Portland’s crown princes of getting buckets, are currently the NBA’s fourth highest scoring tandem. The duo generates 84 points per game; that outranks Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis and Miami’s division rivals John Wall and Bradley Beal.

Portland’s backcourt even outranks the strong showing Miami’s own guards have posted early this season; McGruder and Goran Dragic combine for 75.8 per game.

Those numbers are great for a team limited to about nine rotation players, but Portland’s scoring prowess puts even more pressure on Miami’s breadwinners.

Even if Dragic and McGruder can keep up with the Blazers’ guards, the Heat will need to rely on Whiteside to shore up its success.

Whiteside’s 14.3 rebounds per game will be particularly important against the Blazers, who fire 36 triples each night. Long shots mean long rebounds, and those can translate into second chance points.

For Portland, Lillard and McCollum are further bolstered by Nik Stauskas aka “Sauce Castillo”,  a 14 point per game sixth man, who is currently shooting 52.9 percent from 3.

Covering any easy boards will take some of the strain off the Heat’s backcourt, which will have its hands full defending the Blazers from 3. Lillard and McCollum will get their shots off, but Whiteside’s stayed presence underneath should help ease the defensive workload.

Defense becomes offense

However, Whiteside’s effort on the defensive glass won’t go unrewarded. The Blazers field Jusuf Nurkic, a center built in a similar vein as the Knicks’ Enes Kanter.

Nurkic won’t hesitate to dip his shoulder a bit to create space under the basket. Far from a threat beyond the arc—he’s never made a 3-pointer in his four-year career—Nurkic will invite Whiteside to try and swat his shot at the rim. Whiteside has yet to foul out this season, but a few Nurkic pump fakes could put that streak in jeopardy.

In keeping with the defensive necessities, the Heat will be busy trying to match the Blazers’ resulting offensive production.

Though the pace of the NBA has increased across the board, the Blazers are one of just three teams averaging at least 120 points per game.

The Heat have shown increased interest in pushing the ball, but its efforts pale in comparison to the Blazers’ slap-happy pace.

More than just slowing the game, however, Miami will need to stay in control in those moments when the team decides to push the pace. The Heat are third worst in the league in scoring in transition so far, posting just .82 points per transition possession.

Though the Blazers aren’t necessarily more reliant on transition plays (they are more successful at 1.02 points per possession in 55 transition plays, the same amount as Miami), they will easily outpace the Heat in the half-court set, if Miami gets too sloppy in transition.

Keeping the high alive in South Beach won’t be an easy task.

Whereas Miami plays the Knicks four times each season, the Blazers are a semi-annual matchup for the Heat that lacks familiarity.

Miami’s fifth game may still be a drop in the relative bucket, but continuing to establish its game against Portland will help keep the fireball rolling.