The Miami Heat may have fell short against the Sacramento Kings, but a lot of things still went right for them on Monday night.
The Miami Heat’s Monday night loss was hard to swallow.
Falling short 123-113 to the Sacramento Kings, the team certainly let that one get away from them.
Especially considering how well they were once controlling the pace, earlier on in the evening.
And that it was their last home game for a while.
There’s no use crying over spilt milk though. Plus, there were still positives to take away from the game, despite ultimately getting defeated.
JSoRich
Josh Richardson is making the 2018-19 season his, and he’s not taking no for an answer.
The fourth-year finished with a career-high 31 points in 37 minutes on Monday night, shooting 10-of-21 from the field (including going 4-for-10 from downtown).
This was alongside three rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
The swingman was aggressive. He was determined. And he wasn’t letting anyone or anything get in his way.
Including an official or two, who may or may not have made some questionable calls.
Obviously it’s still early in the season, but with Richardson already averaging 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal a game in 35.2 minutes of play, it’s safe to say No. 0 is going to have one heck of a year.
And soon, the league will know exactly what JRich is really all about.
Blockside’s Back Alright
For some reason, not all of Heat Nation is yet convinced that Hassan Whiteside is making a comeback this season.
Well, for those remaining skeptics out there: he is.
The big man recorded 16 points (on 7-for-10 shooting), 24 rebounds, five blocks and two steals in 29 minutes last night, reaching beast mode early on in the first quarter.
He had 13 rebounds and four blocks in that period alone, giving the Kings problems on both ends of the floor.
It wasn’t just that matchup he showed out in either.
While offensively, he’s still perfecting his role (especially when he’s tasked with sharing minutes with Bam Adebayo or Kelly Olynyk). he’s been a steady rock on defense; Whiteside is currently averaging 11.8 points, 14.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks a contest.
It sure seems like Blockside is back, doesn’t it?
Flash from… 3?
Over the span of his career, Dwyane Wade has been known for many things.
However, shooting the 3-ball hasn’t been one of them.
Until now?
The veteran, who is averaging 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in 25.2 minutes of play, is shooting a career-high 39.1 percent from downtown this year.
Last weekend against the Portland Trailblazers, he went 4-for-6 from 3, finishing yesterday’s contest with eight points, going 2-of-5 from beyond-the-arc.
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but Flash clearly isn’t done adding to his arsenal.
The Miami Heat take on the Charlotte Hornets tonight at 7 PM, ET.