The Miami Heat had to come out on Monday and give a better effort than they did on Saturday, right?
The Miami Heat were flat out embarrassed on Saturday night by the Detroit Pistons. They lost by 20 points to the team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference and a share of the worst record in the league.
Luckily for them, they would have the opportunity to come out on Monday and right that wrong. A game that was initially supposed to be played at 3:00 pm Eastern Time, the game was moved to around 8:00 pm due to health and safety protocols.
The Miami Heat would certainly give a better effort than they did on Saturday, right? They would.
It didn’t look like it to start the game, as the Pistons went on a major run to open the game that saw them up by 20 or more as the first period closed. The Miami Heat would make a run of their own, while playing defense and giving effort all over the floor, that would eventually help them pull back close to the Pistons.
The Miami Heat needed to respond in a big way after Saturday’s defeat to the Pistons and they did.
After halftime, it was pretty much all Miami Heat afterwards. Though the game was close, the Miami Heat had all the momentum.
It’s actually pretty ironic though, as the momentum was fueled on by the presence and defense of Moe Harkless. The Heat’s Moe-mentum started early as KZ Okpala accrued two early fouls, which forced Coach Spo to go to his bench.
Little did we all know, KZ would never get his spot back in the rotation this game. Moe Harkless not only showed a ton of energy and effort all over the floor, but he was masterful as an individual defender on Jerami Grant.
Another Miami Heat player that hadn’t quite hit his stride this season was Kendrick Nunn. He certainly did so in this game.
He was a huge part of what helped the Miami Heat get this win on Monday. He played with a ton of effort and want to as well.
This included going after loose balls, offensive rebounds, and all types of other hustle plays. He finished the game with 18 points and efficiently.
This was easily his best game of the year and arguably his best game since before the original season ended last year, not including the bubble. The Miami Heat needed to come out to respond to Saturday’s defeat in a huge way and they did.
That can happen in multiple ways. Of course, you can flat out destroy the team and that would be a huge win.
Then, you can do what the Heat did. To come out cold, go down big, pull all the way back, and firmly take control of the game is a statement as well.
It shows the league that you are never out of it while it should show the team what they are still capable of when they all play hard. Monday was a good win and hopefully one they can build on.