The Miami Heat came into their game on Friday night as shorthanded as shorthanded could get. Needing eight guys to even play the game, they would dress Gabe Vincent to meet that threshold, though it was certain he wouldn’t see a minute of action before the game tipped off.
So the only available players for the Heat tonight are Max Strus, Caleb Martin, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, Kyle Lowry, Orlando Robinson, and Jamal Cain.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) November 18, 2022
That wouldn’t matter much early though, as the Miami Heat would come out dominant. In fact, looking at the entirety of the first half, the Heat appeared as if they were the team playing with a full deck and the Wizards were the ones playing with only seven or eight guys.
However, later in the game, all of that extra work, per player, would catch up with them. Allowing the Wizards to totally close the gap, the Miami Heat would have a three-point lead with less than 20 seconds remaining in the game.
After fighting hard all game while being undermanned, the Miami Heat finally broke. It was Kyle Lowry who had even carried them that far though.
After a Bradley Beal scramble, he would find Kyle Kuzma in the farside corner—only for Kuz to nail the shot. It was just Kuzma’s second make in 10 attempts on the night and this one was nothing but nets.
Sending the game to overtime, the Miami Heat would still have just as good a chance to win this one as the Wizards did.
When it all boils down to it though, the Wizards were able to keep their main guys fresher, while they also had more main guys on the floor in crunch time—the period of the game where experience and know-how matter more than anything or at any other point in a game. And they were able to make more plays than the Miami Heat were.
As far as how the Heat even got there though, that was the story of the game. Finishing with a triple-double on the night of 24 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds, Kyle Lowry showed everyone that he still has a ton left in the tank to give.
The key now is getting that, while all of his other teammates are on the court. And you trust that he will, as he did on Friday.
It was a tough defeat, but you love the way they fought. And especially when it comes to Lowry’s performance, this was just what he needed as the season progresses.