The Miami Heat are rolling. On Monday night, they made light work of a floundering Los Angeles Clippers team and took them to the woodshed en route to a 140-123 victory. This reworked Heat offense continues to impress, as all of their starters scored in double figures, led by Norman Powell, who put up 30 points in a bit of a revenge game for him against his former squad.
It must feel really good for Powell to stick it to his former team; after all, the Clippers decided to trade him away to bring in John Collins, who's struggled all season long in his new digs. Meanwhile, Powell is right at home in Miami, and the Heat's offense wouldn't be this explosive if it weren't for his microwave scoring exploits.
But Powell isn't the kind of guy who puffs his chest and says that a team's change in fortunes comes down to his presence and his presence alone. In fact, Powell credited another Heat guard in Davion Mitchell for setting the tone for the team defensively, and he wants Mitchell to be rewarded for it with a prestigious defensive acclaim.
““First team, first team [all-defense],” Powell was yelling during Davion Mitchell's interview, as per Brady Hawk of Five Reasons Sports. “If they don’t have him first team, something is wrong.”
The Heat's offense is getting all the praise, which is understandable, but they wouldn't be where they are (14-7 record) if it weren't for their ability to lock down on the defensive end. And it starts with Miami's incredible defensive backbone consisting of Mitchell at the point of attack and Bam Adebayo as the last line of defense.
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Heat keep on finding a way to reinvent themselves
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Entering the 2025-26 season, the Heat looked cooked. Tyler Herro was going to miss the start of the season after undergoing offseason surgery on his ankle and foot. They looked lifeless in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2025 NBA playoffs. But head coach Erik Spoelstra has put this Heat team in a position to succeed night after night.
Powell also brings so much good fortune to every team he plays for; he's currently averaging 24.7 points this season to spearhead this deep Heat team's impressive start to the new campaign.