The Miami Heat came into a game on Monday that they already knew would be an uphill battle. Never playing well in Denver, it seems or for at least the last couple of seasons, this contest was sure to be a battle and that’s even though Denver were down some guys.
The game was never really in question, as the Nuggets quickly jumped out to what seemed like an immediate double-digit lead. Coach Spoelstra called a timeout at that point, but it was still too late.
To open the scoring for the Denver Nuggets, Will Barton sank a triple where he looked like got into so much rhythm, that he had been waiting to shoot it all game. You saw what kind of night it would be for him then.
He went on to fulfill those prophecies as well, having his best shooting night of the year, by far. He had a large part in demolishing the Heat, as he shot 7-9 from range, finishing with 25 points, five boards, and six dimes.
The Miami Heat took a defeat in Denver, but that isn’t shocking. They’ll need to figure out a middle ground for themselves as the year progresses.
He would only tie to lead the Nuggets in scoring though, where Nikola Jokic finished with 25 points of his own. He would throw up a triple-double, adding in 15 rebounds and 10 assists as well.
The only guy that could consistently get it going on the other side was Jimmy Butler, who led all scorers. He would finish the contest with 31 points, five boards, and eight assists of his own, but obviously not enough to get the job done.
It’s really this simple for the Miami Heat and though early, they have to find some sort of middle ground. If you look at certain games this season, Milwaukee and half of the Utah game for examples, they can be downright dominant.
However, if you look at games like Indiana, Denver, or Boston, they can also be as bad as any other team in the league. They can’t be that and hope to achieve all they can this year.
If they want to do all they are capable of, they’ll have to figure out how to not have total clunker nights. They may not be as good as they are at their peaks on every night, but they don’t have to be as bad as they have been in their losses either.
That’s all that means. That’s what they haven’t been able to do in their only three defeats this season.
If they can find just a bit more of something to add to those off nights, then they’ll still have a great shot at coming out of those successful too. Other than the nefarious events to close the Denver game, it’s best to just throw this one away and move on.