The Miami Heat came out like a team with a purpose to open Monday evening’s Game 1 contest against the Philadelphia 76ers. Attacking the middle of their defense relentlessly to begin the game, the Heat would take a double-digit lead early.
It wasn’t to continue though, as the 76ers would free themselves of the zone defense they had run to begin the game. Eventually going on a run of their own, they would hold the Heat to just six points over the final six minutes of the second half.
Because of that, the 76ers would actually take a one-point lead into the half, 51-50. That wouldn’t sit well with Miami though, apparently, as they would come out to put the Philadelphia team away in the second half.
Outscoring them, 56-41, in the second half of play, that would be enough to account for the one-point deficit and see them run away with it. They would finish the game on the right side of things, 106-92, where the final three minutes or so of play saw both head coaches clear their benches to get their main guys out.
The Miami Heat got a good showing from their sixth man on Monday, Tyler Herro. So much so, that their best player, Jimmy Butler, didn’t have to play late.
That wasn’t the totality of it for the Miami Heat though. As they would allow Tyler Herro and his hot shot-making, all game long, to close the contest for them and the door on Philly, the Miami Heat head coach would get his best player some extended rest with his team handling their business.
Jimmy Butler wouldn’t play a minute in the fourth period. What a way to get it done.
Not only did Tyler Herro come out and get himself going in a major way to help his team get the win, but they were able to do so all while Jimmy got some much-needed rest.
Though they were able to turn it back on when they needed to and to the depth that they did, they should have never allowed it to get that close in the first place. The Miami Heat allowed Philadelphia to get back in the game in the first half at the mercy of their own mistakes.
With the way they were able to run them out of the gym in the second half, on both sides of the ball, the Miami Heat should be able to dominate this 76er team on a more complete level than they did in Game 1, especially while Joel Embiid is out of the lineup. Again, they have to actually go out there and do it without constantly shooting themselves in the foot though.
They escaped Game 1 unscathed and that’s all that matters right now. It’s now on to Game 2.