Category: NBA

MIAMI – Neither the early 15-point lead not the double-digit lead midway through the fourth quarter mattered, as all too often has been the case for the Miami Heat, Sustaining has not been a specialty for Erik Spoelstra’s team. Nor has any sort of homecourt dominance. So there the Heat stood again Saturday night, with the final ticks determining whether a night with several positives would provide a payoff. That’s when Jimmy Butler said enough was enough. Converting a 20-foot jumper just before the buzzer, Butler lifted the Heat to a dramatic 118-116 victory over the Chicago Bulls at Kaseya...

MIAMI – When you open a game in the injury absences of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Josh Richardson and Haywood Highsmith, you’re already at a deficit. When you then fall behind by 25 in the first quarter, you’re practically buried. Through it all, even while playing Thursday night on the second night of a back-to-back set that opened with Wednesday night’s victory over the Charlotte Hornets, the Miami Heat managed to make it a game, one in which the deficit ultimately was too much to overcome. With Jimmy Butler playing on both nights a back-to-back set for the first time this season, the Heat...

MIAMI – Even with four primary rotation players sidelined, the Miami Heat entered determined to make dual statements Wednesday night: begin to establish homecourt consistency and double down against an opponent. Fortunately, the opponent was the Charlotte Hornets, allowing the Heat to push through the roster shortage and turnover overage on the way to a 115-104 victory. In improving to 6-4 on the season at Kaseya Center and the start of a four-game homestand, the Heat made it consecutive victories over the same opponent in consecutive games for the first time this season. Having escaped...

This was evening validation of Erik Spoelstra’s morning mandate. Asked at the Miami Heat’s shootaround about not only again being without starters Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Haywood Highsmith, but also about Kyle Lowry waking with back spasms, the Heat coach instead spoke of how playing the right way can cure most ills. It did – barely – Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center, with the shorthanded Heat pushing to a 116-114 victory. Against a Hornets roster lacking sidelined LaMelo Ball, Cody Martin and Mark Williams, the Heat got five significant contributions to...

TORONTO – This time, the track meet only lasted for the first two quarters. And then a grind. As seemingly always is the case when the Miami Heat play the Toronto Raptors. So even after going up 15 in the first quarter, 14 in the third quarter and 10 early in the fourth, the Heat found themselves again fighting to the finish against the Raptors. Having lost two of their previous three at a pace seemingly beyond their pedigree, the Heat this time stepped up defensively in the second half and got the halfcourt scoring needed in the fourth quarter to put it away in a 112-103 victory at...