The Miami Heat are still searching for consistency but remain confident in their identity.
Sunday’s climactic 95-94 road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves (6-4) came without All-Star Jimmy Butler and snapped a three-game losing streak after Butler sprained his ankle in Friday’s 115-112 loss to the Denver Nuggets (7-3).
The victory also granted an opportunity for Miami to lean on its depth while inching closer to .500. Nine players played at least minutes and scored, one shy of tying the team’s highest such mark since acquiring Butler in 2019. Key among those players was third-year forward Nikola Jović, whose game-winning and-one with roughly seven seconds remaining sealed his most productive game of the early season.
The 21-year-old started the first eight games of the season but was moved to the bench Sunday, when he tied his season-high in points (15), grabbed a season-best seven rebounds and made as many 3s as his previous combined four games (two). His move to the bench came after Miami’s most-used starting lineup (rounded out by Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Terry Rozier) for the first eight games struggled out of the gate.
“Man, it was hard,” Jović explained about the adjustment. “We were struggling a lot. I guess (coach Erik Spoelstra) just wanted to change the lineups and stuff. He told me to stay ready — I stayed ready. And they told me to just be me. And that’s what I did. I got in the game. I just did what I do — transition, help on defense, rebound. Other guys had the great passes for my open looks, and that’s it.”
Miami is halfway through its six-game road trip and next faces the Detroit Pistons, who lost to the Heat in South Florida on Oct. 28. This game will tip off the NBA’s In-Season Tournament as teams vie for the Emirates NBA Cup. A second consecutive win would bode well for Miami despite its relatively slow start to the season. Among the 25 times the Heat have reached the playoffs, they were .500 through 10 games on 19 occasions. Miami salvaging such a start with Butler injured and Adebayo struggling on offense could also be good in what appears to be a top-heavy East.
Of course, the top-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers (12-0) and defending champion Boston Celtics (9-2) lead the way early on, but the gap between its best and rest is a chasm thus far. The Indiana Pacers (5-5) enter today third in the conference with all other teams sitting below .500. It’s far too early to worry about playoff standings and clinching scenarios, but it’s important to note Miami has yet to play its best basketball this season.
Adebayo enters Tuesday shooting 38.6 percent on the season, which signals his worst nine-game shooting stretch since becoming a full-time starter. His offense will come around, but how well it peaks will readily influence Miami’s ceiling for the season. Likewise for Butler, who has had consecutive 20-point games only once so far.
But the ultimate mark for Miami’s success will be measured by how well its depth compensates for absences or lapsing production from stars. Though Sunday’s game ended with Jovic sealing the win as a reserve, it began with veterans like 36-year-old Kevin Love making his season debut in the starting lineup to combat Minnesota’s size. The tweak resulted in Miami posting its third-best rebound rate of the young season (50 percent, per NBA.com). Veteran wing Haywood Highsmith tied his career-high with five steals as Anthony Edwards, who entered Sunday shooting 60 percent from deep in his previous three games, shot just 4 of 14 on 3s. On the season, Highsmith is holding opponents to 43.3 percent shooting.
“We’re day to day,” Spoelstra said. “And I guess that’s the place to live right now,”
Game preview: Miami Heat (4-5, 3-2 on road) at Detroit Pistons (4-7, 2-3 at home)
- Last Heat game: Heat 95, Timberwolves 94 on Sunday
- Heat in last 10 meetings vs. Pistons: Heat are 9-1, including seven straight
- Last meeting: Heat 106, Pistons 98 on Oct. 28
- Key Heat injuries: Jimmy Butler (ankle, out)
- Key Pistons injuries: Ausar Thompson (return to conditioning), Bobi Klintman (right calf contusion)
Key factors
Two Heat players to watch
- Adebayo: The Heat need their two-time Olympic gold medalist to get his offense going. Night to night, Adebayo is holding down the team’s defense and remains one of the league’s more versatile offensive hubs when in rhythm. In his last five visits to Detroit, he is averaging 19.4 points on 64.4 percent shooting to go with 9.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 blocks and five Heat wins. Seems like a good place to break a slump.
- Highsmith: Though not much of a scorer, Highsmith’s presence continues to remain invaluable to the Heat. Miami opponents shoot better when he’s off the court (47 percent) compared to the 160 minutes he’s played (44.9). No matter his point total, the 27-year-old wing will be key to slowing Detroit’s perimeter.
Two Pistons players to watch
- Cade Cunningham: Cunningham is averaging a triple-double in his last four games and growing into one of the league’s most potent weapons on offense. Only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (246) has attempted more drives than Cunningham (194), which has helped teammates like Tim Hardaway Jr. (46.2 percent from deep off Cunningham’s passes), Jaden Ivey (43.5) and Malik Beasley (40.7) remain ready for open looks.
- Jaden Ivey: Detroit’s other crafty guard has enjoyed a strong start to his third NBA season but had a rough go in his last outing (4-of-15 shooting vs. Houston Rockets on Sunday tied season-low). Ball control has also been an issue for Ivey lately. He’s had at least three turnovers in eight consecutive games. The first of those? On Oct. 28 against Miami (four turnovers to one assist).
Why Miami can win
Slowing down Anthony Edwards means Miami maintains confidence in defending just about any star in the league. When Detroit visited Miami last month, Cunningham finished with a game-high 24 points on 50 percent shooting, but Detroit’s bench didn’t get more than six points from a reserve as the Pistons shot only 38.5 percent as a team. Strangely, the Heat won this matchup despite Herro having his worst shooting performance of the season (7 of 20 overall, 3 of 12 from deep). Though Butler won’t be in the lineup, that could be balanced out by Miami’s current leading scorer getting busy in the Motor City.
Reasons for concern
While Miami’s depth remains formidable and well-coached, missing Butler still leaves a void. He contributed a team-high 23 points, seven assists and four steals when these two teams met a few weeks ago. It’s unfair to expect Jovic to either replicate his last performance or even fill Butler’s shoes.
Rebounding will be a vital element for Miami this season. The Heat enter Tuesday ranked only 22nd in rebound rate this season (48.8) and 21st in second-chance points allowed per game (15.2). Whether it’s Adebayo, Love, Kel’El Ware or a hologram of prime Alonzo Mourning, Miami will need to be active against the Pistons, who are eighth in second-chance points scored per game (15.6). Detroit also ranks ninth in contested rebounds (14.8).
( Top photo: Jordan Johnson / Getty Images )
