Bam Adebayo didn’t mince words when talking about the Miami Heat’s recent struggles. The Heat needs a reset.
The Heat lost to the Boston Celtics 129-116 on December 19 in a game where the Heat were outscored by 10 points in the fourth quarter.
“I got to figure it out,” Adebayo said. “Me accepting accountability, I’ve got to be better. I’m letting my team down, and it’s going to shift. I’ve been through these times before.”
The loss marks the sixth in the last seven games for Adebayo and the Heat. Adebayo finished the game with 16 points, 10 rebounds and a -15 plus/minus.
The Heat were in a back-and-forth game in the first half, ending the first quarter down just 30-29.
In the second quarter, the Heat started to pull away. A Norman Powell layup at the 4:43 mark in the second quarter put the Heat up 51-43. The eight-point lead would be their largest of the game.
From that point, the Celtics outscored the Heat 86-65. A dominant fourth quarter in which the Celtics shot 10/15 from three opened up the deficit.
The Celtics shot 21-43 from three. The 21 team threes were the Celtics’ second-most in a game this season.
The Heat’s offense, which was the team’s strong point at the start of the season, struggled at times against the Celtics. The team finished the game shooting just 39% from the field and 39% from three.
“I thought our biggest turning point was our offense at the end of the third quarter,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We got away from what was being successful for us.”
Miami Heat’s Young Rookie Shines in First Start
GettyMiami Heat rookie Kasparas Jakucionis stood out in his first career start.
Despite the loss for the Miami Heat, rookie guard Kasparas Jakucionis made an impact in his first career start.
Jakucionis played his first meaningful minutes in the Heat’s 106-95 win over the Brooklyn Nets on December 18, finishing with three points in eight minutes.
Erik Spoelstra rewarded the guard from Illinois with his 36 minutes and the first start of his NBA career.
“It happened fast,” Jakucionis said. “You never know when these chances are coming … I just have to be ready every time they need me.”
Heat starting point guard Davion Mitchell was ruled out with a sprained left ankle, opening the door for the rookie’s first real opportunity.
He finished the game with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. He was the only Heat starter to finish the game with a positive plus/minus at +3.
“He’s a fighter,” Adebayo said. “He’s a competitor, you can see it. He wants to win, he wants to compete. He wants to get involved.”
If Mitchell’s left ankle sidelines him against the New York Knicks on December 21, expect to see more of Jakucionis in the rotation.
The Miami Heat Needs to Find Consistency
GettyErik Spoelstra discussed how the Miami Heat can get back on track.
The Miami Heat need to find a way to stomp their slump before the season gets out of hand.
The Heat are 3-7 in their last 10 games and have dropped down to seventh in the Eastern Conference. Erik Spoelstra is focused on finding consistency on both sides of the ball.
“I loved where we were,” Spoelstra said. “We were playing and competing with force and intention, and doing the things that would put us in a position to win. I just think the three turnovers and the poor threes derailed us.”
Part of finding consistency is playing with a core group, which the Heat have been unable to do. The Heat played this game without Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro and Andrew Wiggins.
If the Heat can find consistency within their rotations and shot-making, the team could reach the form they showed earlier in the season.
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