The Miami Heat didn’t have Jimmy Butler coming into Portland. Turning his ankle again in their last contest Monday against the Golden State Warriors, they would be without their best player for a Wednesday night showdown in the Moda Center.
Fortunately for them, the Blazers would be without their two best players as well in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Don’t be fooled, you always want to see a team at their best if you can but that’s when you are at your best as well.
So, “fortunate” is appropriate here. The Miami Heat still had an all-star-type going for them though, perhaps two (though the second hasn’t played well in a few games), but Kyle Lowry was enough to get them out to a hot start.
Getting out to nine quick dimes and seven points in 16 minutes of action, Kyle Lowry wouldn’t see his night go that long. Yes, it was that kind of night for the Heat’s main signal-caller.
The Miami Heat Survive Two Ejections And The Portland Trail Blazers
After receiving one technical foul earlier, Lowry proceeded to deliver the ball to the referee the “wrong way” on a foul call. Well, that’s at least what can be deciphered from what happened.
The official must’ve believed that to be the case. Here it is.
Kyle Lowry has received his 2nd technical and has been ejected from the game after tossing the ball back to the official after a play...
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) January 6, 2022
Lowry has 7 points and 9 assists.@MiamiHEAT | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/AJimnMMWFD
While what he did there wasn’t worthy of a technical and the ejection, it’s a cumulative thing that has been bubbling up all year long. After that though, there was still a game to be played.
The Miami Heat would struggle without Lowry, letting the game get back close and after it was very nearly out of control for the Trail Blazers, indicated by the score when Lowry was ejected.
Making it close again and keeping it that way throughout, getting as close as tieing the game at or around 90, the Miami Heat would find a way to pull away. Thanks, in large part, to the clutch and tough play of P.J. Tucker and Max Strus, the Miami Heat fought their way to victory.
Miami Heat Games Have Gotten Chippy This Year And That Probably Won’t Stop
Max Strus would finish with 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists on 9-17 from the floor and 7-13 from three, leading the Miami Heat on the night.
Their second-leading scorer on Wednesday and the potential second all-star-type mentioned earlier, Tyler Herro, went for 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists, but on a putrid 5-23 from the field.
He hasn’t been great in a few games, but his production was needed on Wednesday, as it is every night for this Heat team. While still a major topic of concern, his efficiency or lack of, wasn’t even the major story from the game on him.
Here is what happened with nearly a minute left in the game.
Jusuf Nurkic lowers a shoulder on the screen of Tyler Herro.
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) January 6, 2022
Herro takes takes exception and shoves Nurkic.
Nukic goes after Herro.
Fight ensues.
Both players have been ejected.@MiamiHEAT | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/XAhTFBbODW
This is another incident to add to a long list of them for the Miami Heat this season. Things have gotten rather chippy in their contests and will probably remain that way for the remainder of the year.
They need to remember to stay controlled in the biggest moments, but this is a feisty bunch, without a doubt. While it didn’t hurt them Wednesday, where the game was nearly decided, the hope is that it won’t burn them moving forward.
With Phoenix on Saturday, you hope that he doesn’t have to miss any time because of it. That’s the biggest thing to keep an eye on leaving this victory.
At the end of the day, they survived two ejections, a huge Trail Blazers comeback, and a few more things all to get a pretty decent road win. It shouldn’t have been this hard, but it’s hardly ever as easy as it seemed to start either.