The Miami Heat took care of business on Friday evening, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team they hadn’t beaten all year long. Wanting to continue the trend, they would have an opportunity to give another team that’s beaten them in their one lone matchup this season an equalizer on Saturday.
Without Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, or Victor Oladipo going though, it was sure to be a tough contest, though, Markieff Morris would make his illustrious return after missing nearly 60 games this season.
About the game, itself, both teams got out to a decent start, with Minnesota finishing the first period five points better than Miami, 25-30. However, the Miami Heat would flip a switch for the next period of play.
They came out in the second quarter to outscore the Timberwolves by nearly 20 points, 42-25. However, it was in the second half where it all started to go totally wrong for Miami.
Plain and simple, where they would score 42 in all of the second period, they would only score 37 in all of the second half. That’s how they got beat in this one.
The Miami Heat gave themselves a great chance to beat Minnesota with a massive effort in period two. However, they soiled it with a terrible second half.
Oddly enough, it’s exactly what happened against Phoenix. Though it isn’t exactly the same as far as the specifics, the Miami Heat put up one decent quarter in the first half to outpace the opposing team by a bunch, only to allow the ineptitude of the second half to cost them the game.
Really, it’s just that in this contest, the Minnesota team wasn’t as potent as Phoenix was on the offensive side of the ball.
What makes the situation even worse is that they spoiled what was to be another great Bam Adebayo night. It saw him at his most aggressive when it came to attacking in the rim.
While his aggression couldn’t be questioned in this one, there is somebody who deserves attention there. While Kyle Lowry isn’t afraid to be aggressive or not that he’s passive, he simply just isn’t looking to get to his own offense.
It sounds like a paradox because it is, but he has to look to actually get himself going more than he has been, though only back on the floor a few games now in the grand scheme of it all. There was an attempt later in the game where he looked unsure on the shot, not stepping into it with rhythm but with a stuttered uncertainty.
Tyler Herro was aggressive though, of course, continuing his superb play in going for 30 points, seven boards, and two assists. However, the team failed to get it done, which is the most important takeaway among it all.
They have two days to rest on it before welcoming in the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. They shouldn’t rest too much though, as they need to impose their will on the clearly lesser team then.