On this rather quiet Tuesday evening in the NBA, since there are only four games on the program, the big poster of the evening is in Miami, where the Heat welcome the Warriors, a little less than a week after their trip ( loser) in California (123-110). A somewhat strange display to tackle, since the two clubs, at the start of the season, are struggling to regain their standards from last season and have thus been in average form for a few days, each with two defeats in a row.
In this context, we then witness, quite logically, a balanced match from the in-between, between two teams that do not want to suffer a third setback in a row.
It is first the Warriors who start strong at the start, carried by their holders who offer an impeccable defense and a fluid attack as possible (21-13). But the defending champions fail to show continuity when the substitutes enter the field. Worse, the latter are swept away by their Heat counterparts, who plant a 20-3 to complete the first quarter (33-24)! But in this disputed part, nothing is acquired and the momentum does not really find a camp: the Warriors indeed catch up thanks to a controlled second quarter, with a score almost similar to that of the first act (32-25), but this time in their favor.
At the end of this first period disputed, committed and on the whole very pleasant, the gap is then minimal (58-56 in favor of the Heat).
A story of “runs”
Upon returning from the locker room, the Warriors in turn sign a big pass, after that of the Heat in the first quarter. During the first six minutes of the third quarter, Steve Kerr’s men scored 26 points, including three winning shots from the “Splash Brothers”. Enough to assure them, like Miami at the start of the game, a 9-point lead after the half hour (94-86). But the Heat never show more composure than when their backs are against the wall, and the start of the last act is another example of this: the locals convert four award-winning shots, while taking advantage of a few rushing shots from the Warriors, to return to equality just over 6 minutes from the end of the match (100-100)!
At this time, the momentum tipped completely in favor of Erik Spoesltra’s troops, and under the impetus of a boss-sized Jimmy Butler, who chained a basket with the fault under the circle then shot from mid-distance, struck a fatal 16-9 to secure the victory (116-109). The third of the season only, after eight matches.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– A saving 16-6 for the Heat. Led by 9 points at the start of the last act, the Heat managed to overthrow the momentum while his back was against the wall. A 16-6 inflicted on the Warriors during the first five of this fourth quarter, based on a stifling defense and four winning shots in five attempts, indeed allowed the Floridians to return to equality in the score. Before definitively taking the upper hand in the “money-time” thanks to this fiery rhythm, facing more rough and hesitant Warriors, at the worst of times.
– Still no away win for Warriors. After Denver, Phoenix, Charlotte and Detroit, the Warriors lost for the fifth time away, in as many trips. The defending champions are vulnerable far from their land, at the start of the season…
– Tyler Herro out through injury. The back of the Heat, on an innocuous action under the circle in the second quarter after a shot from a Warriors player, received a blow to the face, probably a finger in the eye. He immediately went to the locker room, and never came back.
TOPS & FLOPS
✅ Andrew Wiggins. Biggest playing time of his team with almost 35 minutes recorded, the Canadian winger was very active with a solid record of 21 points (8/12), 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. A complete match and a substantial volume of play, worthy of his “two-way player” profile.
✅ Stephen Curry. Despite the defeat, a triple-double for “Chef Curry”, in the oven and at the mill with 23 points (7/14), 13 rebounds and 13 assists. Best player, by far, of his team in this meeting. We can however regret some precipitation in attack, with 5 ball losses, and a last quarter perhaps a little too discreet, while the Heat furiously reversed the trend over the minutes.
✅ Max Strus and Duncan Robinson. The Heat’s effort in this victory was collective, but the two snipers, off the bench, were certainly major contributors. The first is simply the best scorer of the meeting with 24 points at 8/17 (4/10 at 3-pts), when the second, more discreet but just as important, torpedoed the defending champions with an insolent 5/ 8 behind the arch. Between them, they scored more points than the entire bench of the Warriors (41 against 37).
✅ Jimmy Butler. Boss game for the Heat boss, who compiles 23 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Clumsy overall (6/17), he compensated with a clear round on the penalty line (9/9), and still found the resources to score the decisive basket in the very last moments, a shot at half distance after a fake to get rid of Klay Thompson’s defense.
⛔️ The imprecision of the Warriors, who lost 20 balls, transformed into 28 points by the Heat. Like many other teams, the “Dubs”, despite last summer’s title, are of course still running in on both sides of the field at the start of the season. But for once, their imprecision in this meeting cost them the victory.
THE FOLLOWING
– Heat : “back-to-back” at home, against the Kings (0h30)
– Warriors : trip to Orlando, Thursday night to Friday (midnight)
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