Undefeated to everyone’s surprise after four games, the last team in the West in this case, the Blazers received the Heat tonight. A Heat not necessarily in great shape, with more losses than victories when it arrived in Oregon.
But a Heat that has found teeth like Kyle Lowry (17 points, 6 assists) and Caleb Martin (16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals) who carried their team to victory to break the good series of Blazers in a one-sided second half (119-98).
Building on their early season momentum, the Blazers kicked off the game with Damian Lillard and Josh Hart planting the first banners, the latter also sending Jerami Grant through the air for the alley oop in transition. Maintained at height thanks to his outside address, including that of Max Strus off the bench, the Heat will react in the second quarter, carried by a sparkling Tyler Herro, 14 points at the break already.
Back in front at halftime (61-56), Miami will not relax its effort. However, it started well for the locals with Lillard then Simons who went on to 3-point… But the Heat will put their paw on this match, with Lowry from afar then Butler up close who will impose their style. As a symbol, Hart runs down the field in counterattack before exploding on contact and on the follow-up recovery, it is Martin who concludes with the dunk on Nurkic’s nose after a palace service from Adebayo who plays the leaders.
Lillard’s injury exit in the third quarter will definitely seal the game’s fate in favor of the evening visitors. For its first trip of the season, Miami succeeded with a convincing victory in Oregon (119-98).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Heat rises in temperature. With its 15/38 behind the 3-point line, Miami simply managed its best total of the season. On alternating current since the start of the school year, the Heat seem to have decided that it was time to get serious with this first three-game “road trip” on the West Coast. The Blazers felt it with a rough defense inside and a major five at the cleats, between 14 and 18 points.
– The Lillard addiction of the Blazers. If he was reassuring after the match, indicating that he would have played if it was the playoffs, Lillard did indeed have to leave his partners after a muscular two-man strike from Martin and Butler. The first verdict is a contracture in the right calf, which should deprive him of the next game against the Rockets, as a precaution. But Portland will have to react as a team. After their first loss of the season, the men of Coach Billups must demonstrate that they can impose themselves without their emotional and technical leader at the helm, which was not the case this night after his exit…
– Haslem and Jovic on the pitch. Haslem played two minutes last night and thus begins his 20th career season! At his side, Nikola Jovic took his first steps in the NBA. He was born in 2003, the year of Haslem’s debut in the NBA…
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Caleb Martin. A shadow player for the Heat, Martin took all the light tonight after his one-game suspension. Author of an almost perfect game with 7/8 on shots including 2/2 behind the arc, the explosive Miami winger blackened the stats sheet with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists. In the end, that’s 28 rating, the best of the game.
✅ Kyle Lowry. It was not great form, far from it, since the start of the season, but last night in Portland, Lowry found the hair of the beast, with 17 points and 6 assists. In great difficulty with his shot, the veteran point guard for the first time in his season was above 50% success, with an excellent 5/8 on shots including 5/7 from 3-pointers.
✅ Shaedon Sharpe. The very young Blazers rookie (19) had already exceeded the 10-point mark twice, including 12 points in his first game. But, last night, he did even better in the long garbage time of the fourth, with 15 units, plus 8 rebounds. Aerial at will, he almost rubbed his head against the board!
⛔ Damian Lillard. Hot as embers with two games at 41 points and another at 31 in his first four outings, Lillard fell from your tone last night, well held by the Heat’s defense. At 22 points, 2 assists and 4 stray bullets, Lady did not have her usual performance, clumsy at 4/11 at 3-point in particular. Worse, he had to leave on injury (in the right calf) in the third quarter…
THE FOLLOWING
Portland (4-1) : Houston reception Friday.
Miami (2-3) : Continuation of the “road trip” on the West Coast with the visit of San Francisco this night.
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