Category: NBA

Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. was eliminated in the first round of the Slam Dunk championship during All-Star Saturday in Indianapolis, despite an opening dunk that had him elevating over 7-foot-1 former Heat center Shaquille O’Neal. Jaquez was the first to compete in the opening round of the two-round competition, participating in a “Heat Culture” jersey. The first of two first-round attempts by the 6-6 wing had him placing O’Neal in the lane facing the basket, with Jaquez elevating above to complete the dunk on his first attempt. Jaquez’s second attempt in the two-dunk first round was...

PHILADELPHIA – This wasn’t necessarily teams on fumes in their final game before the All-Star break, but this also was a pair of teams hardly whole. With Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson out for the Miami Heat, and with Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris out for the Philadelphia 76ers, Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center hardly was the best of either team. Ultimately, though, for the Heat, there was enough, the harrowing 109-104 victory making it wins in six of their last eight, a run that followed a seven-game losing streak. So into the All-Star break at 30-25 it is for Erik Spoelstra’s...

MILWAUKEE – The pregame questioning included Erik Spoelstra being asked about his team being shorthanded. The questioner barely got four or five words out before Spoelstra gave the look, the one that lasers through anyone who dare suggest the Miami Heat don’t have enough. Which, by all reasonable measure, they didn’t. Which, by final score, didn’t matter. With Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson away from the team, the Miami Heat not only stood up to the challenge Tuesday night of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks, but ultimately stole into the night with...

MIAMI – Through all the unevenness of what now is a 28-24 record, the given for the Miami Heat has been beating up on the bad. So now make it a 19-7 record against teams with losing records after Wednesday night’s 116-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Kaseya Center. With Jimmy Butler stabilizing the Heat late, with Bam Adebayo holding his own in his matchup against Victor Wembanyama and with Tyler Herro keeping the Heat afloat through the first three periods, the Heat made it four victories in their last five games. “That was a good defensive game overall,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra...

MIAMI – It probably is too early to say whether the Miami Heat definitively have found a better way. But Tuesday night, coach Erik Spoelstra made clear it was time for a different way. So he changed his starting lineup, altered his rotation, redefined some responsibilities and saw his team put together one of its best performances in weeks. With Jimmy Butler leading the way, and with Terry Rozier finding his way, the Heat pushed past the Orlando Magic 121-95 Tuesday night at Kaseya Center, their third victory in the last four games. Butler, playing more as a point guard than previously this...