Miami Heat: Josh Richardson continues to be a steady rock for team

The Miami Heat have been struggling recently, but Josh Richardson continues to be a bright light for the team.

It is time for the latest edition of Game Day Observations, where we look at the best performance of the Miami Heat’s most recent game. Today we will discuss the play of one Josh Richardson, who was by far the best player in the team’s 99-91 loss at Indiana on Friday night.

He was active and the only consistent 3-point shooter that Miami had.

So let’s take a closer look at contribution…

(But first, let me just say that the Pacer’s Hickory jerseys are absolutely hideous. Yeesh.)

First Quarter

Just because Richardson is an elite defender, doesn’t mean he doesn’t make mistakes; while guarding Bojan Bogdanovic, Richardson is screened by Darren Collinson, leaving Bogdanovic to slip to the basket, get the ball and make the layup.

The good news being that the Heat swingman rarely makes the same mistake twice.

Plus, he then buries a 3 in the face of his defender, Victor Oladipo. He is definitely looking more and more confident shooting from deep.

He makes his second shot, a second made 3, once again in Oladipo’s face. That’s 12 games with 2 or more made 3 pointers for Richardson.

(Did I mention that he has tripled in all 15 games played this season? That’s the future face of the franchise right there.)

He’s starting to make his teammates look good too, as he throws a bounce pass to Hassan Whiteside, who finishes at the rim

Whiteside repays the favor later too with a nice putback slam on a missed layup by Richardson.

No. 0 gets his first board of the game towards the end of the quarter, off a Domantas Sabonis missed shot

So far, so good.

Second Quarter

The Pacers are by no means making this easy. Richardson is fouled by Sabonis, followed by having Corey Joseph hitting a jumper in his face.

On the other hand, he then takes the time to make sure Miami’s ball movement is solid, making an extra pass to a wide open Tyler Johnson, who nails one in from downtown.

Richardson gets some rest, and returns at 5:13, at which point the Heat have somehow only scored five points so far this quarter.

Yikes.

The half is quickly approaching as the fourth-year picks up his first foul, then hits a pretty 3-pointer off of a Bam Adebayo pass.

Richardson now has 12 points, two rebounds, and three assists, on 4-of-8 shooting from the field (including going 3-for-5 from downtown).

Third Quarter

Richardson bricks his first shot of the third, a missed 3, but bounces back on the other end with a rebound off a missed long 2-pointer by Oladipo.

He then locks down his defense even more, contesting a few of Bogdanovic’s shots.

(Except for a 3 made just as the shot clock was winding down. Oops.)

But he then nails a 3-pointer of his own, off an assist by Justise Winslow.

And runs the same sequence back again, for another made trey.

Richardson is visibly gassed, but will need to hang on in the fourth if the team has any shot of pulling off this victory.

Fourth Quarter

Richardson starts, and doesn’t take a breather until 9:28 is left on the clock.

He still has the magic touch once he returns at 7:47 though, hitting a 3 off a Goran Dragic pass, with the shot clock winding down no less. He’s really been the only guy for Miami able to consistently shoot from beyond-the-arc tonight.

He makes a left-handed driving layup, and brings the Heat back within six points, with just 1:40 left to go in the game.

It’s really now or never.

Richardson drains a wide-open 3.

That’s his seventh on the night, marking a new career-high.

(Maybe Miami can do this?)

Or not, because Richardson misses a key layup (despite making his next), and the momentum shifts.

Another loss for the Heat, but at least Richardson is still proving his worth.

He finishes with 28 points, shooting 10-for-16 from the field (going 7-of-10 from 3-point land), alongside four rebounds and two assists.

The Miami Heat will take on the Los Angeles Lakers today at 6 PM ET.