Disinterested Early, Miami Loses to Memphis 111-118
After three overtime games in the previous week, the Miami Heat showed fatigue Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Miami loses to Memphis on the road, 111-118. The Grizzlies (10-17), winners of four of their last five games, started hot Monday, hitting eight of their first nine shots from downtown. At one point, they led by as many as 17.
Miami came out rather sluggish and gave up 36 first quarter points. Despite a late fourth quarter run — not to mention Memphis cooling down from behind the arc — Miami was never able to run away with a sizable lead. This marks Miami’s first loss of the season to a team below the .500 mark.
What Went Wrong
Miami’s struggles started with perimeter defense. The Heat allowed Memphis to start the game shooting an impressive 87.5 percent from beyond the arc. The Heat struggled not only to defend, but also to keep Memphis off the glass. Losing the rebounding battle 56 to 46, Miami’s lack of a tenacious rebounder down low was exposed.
Bam Adebayo managed to finish with 13 boards. The other forwards — Meyers Leonard, Kelly Olynyk and Chris Silva — combined for only seven rebounds.
Grizzlies’ big man Jonas Valanciunas didn’t help the Heat’s cause either. He torched Miami’s defense, scoring 21 on the night, which included 16 in the first half. He also added 10 rebounds.
Heat Eager To Get Winslow Back
Justise Winslow has now only played in just 10 of Miami’s 27 games this season. Having been without Winslow, Miami’s defense has been less physical. Poor man coverage last night forced Miami to switch into a zone. Although Winslow plays mostly point guard, he is one of Miami’s better defenders. He also contributes to the team’s rebounding, as he’s currently averaging 7.1 boards per game. The Heat have desperately missed Winlsow’s defensive presence. Having a late game defender is important in the NBA, and without Winslow, Miami continues to struggle. Getting him back on the court will be important moving forward.
Rookie Battle
Although Tyler Herro has struggled defensively as of late, he battled on offense against rookie counterpart Ja Morant. Herro and Kendrick Nunn combined for 40 of Miami’s 111 points, but it was Morant who shined brightest of all the rookies. Morant’s 20-point, 10-assist double-double was highlighted when he scored the go-ahead bucket to give Memphis a one-point lead that wouldn’t waiver. The 20-year-old has been impressive and continues to be most people’s front runner for Rookie of the Year.
What’s Ahead
The Heat now look forward to their rematch Wednesday night against the 76ers in Philadelphia, where they were blown out earlier this season. With Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow still unavailable, the Heat will have to find a way to score more than the 86 points they did last time they visited Philly.
Keeping Al Horford and Joel Embiid off the glass will also be a focus for Miami. If the Heat want to compete with the East’s best teams, they may need to gauge the trade market. Adding another PF/C would help Miami tremendously with its rebounding woes. At the very least, the Heat need to get healthy. This way head coach Erik Spoelstra and President Pat Riley can see what the full roster is capable of.
