MIAMI – After the Miami Heat monstrously beat the Los Angeles Lakers last Wednesday, they won their second straight impressively against the Phoenix Suns Saturday night to start a back-to-back, 121-111. After a bounce-back performance from Heat star Bam Adebayo, he stacked another powerful performance after a relatively cold start to the season as he looks to continue the effective play.
Adebayo led the team with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, marking another close triple-double, as Jimmy Butler finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Duncan Robinson had 19 points, along with Tyler Herro, who had 17.
Here are three takeaways from the Heat's win over the Suns:
An up-and-down first half for the Heat
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) controls the ball against Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (00) during the first half at Kaseya Center.
Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Saturday night is a prime opportunity for the Heat, though the Suns still have stars such as Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, they were without their top scorer, Kevin Durant, and their No. 1 big-man in Jusuf Nurkic. It would be an up-and-down first period for Miami as there was a lot to like but also some areas to clean up.
It was a relatively efficient first period as Miami shot 10 of 19 from the field and four of eight from beyond the arc, but they would commit five turnovers, leading to nine Suns points. As for Phoenix, they shot nine of 21 from the field and six of 12 from three-point range.
The Heat would come out physical, making a bevy of hustle plays to set the tone as Robinson was the spark plug, making four of his five three-point attempts, overall shooting five of six from the field, scoring 14. The whole team would shoot 51.2 percent from the field but shot 38,9 percent from three-point range.
What stood out was the amount of blown opportunities, especially when it came from close to the rim and in the paint. There is no doubt that Miami emphasized their productivity from close range over the Suns as they out-scored them 28-12, but the Heat would shoot 14 of 24 from there.
Miami was down 58-53 in what was a mistake-prone first half, tallying seven turnovers leading to 14 Suns' points. Robinson led with 14 points, as said before; Butler had 10, and Herro had eight. Though Heat captain Adebayo has had a cold shooting start to the season, which has been talked about, it was unusual in the first half as he shot three for eight from the field with three misses from deep.
Bam Adebayo explodes in the second half to help the Heat beat the Suns
While the Heat had troubles with third-quarter performances in the past, the narrative appears to be no more as recently; it has been used to rejuvenate the team back into the game. Saturday night was no different as they were scorching hot, starting the period on a 25-8 run it was highlighted by Miami capitalizing off Phoenix's misses and the performance from Adebayo.
The Heat's big man would score 12 points in the third to go along with six rebounds in the 12 minutes as he had back-to-back dunks, which showed how the Suns were unable to control him to start the second half. This was a positive sign for Adebayo as through the first 20 games, it had been an uncharacteristic showcase shooting the ball, especially from close range. But if Saturday showed anything, the 27-year-old is on a positive trajectory.
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The fourth quarter would cut it close at one point, with the Heat's lead dwindling to just three, but they stayed true to themselves, led by Butler, who had an impressive period, scoring a crucial nine points to ultimately seal the deal along with a Herro three.
Heat stacking impressive victories
The 41-point win over the Lakers could have marked a turning point for the Heat as they excelled in areas that they want to make their identity. To enhance that feeling, they needed some type of momentum, which is what they got Saturday night in the win over the Suns.
As said before, even though Phoenix had Booker and Beal, they were without Durant and Nurkic, meaning Miami had an opportunity to capitalize, which is what they conquered. The schedule doesn't get easier as they now have little time to prepare and face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second game of the back-to-back Sunday night.
This home stand as a whole could be seen as the start of something great for Miami, but they have to be consistent and try to take their hard-fought victory into Sunday against the Cavaliers. At any rate, they are now 11-10, and hope to build upon that tomorrow.