Miami Heat

2022 - 4 - 25

Post cover — Image courtesy of "All U Can Heat"

Miami Heat: Hollywood Legend, Denzel Washington, Coaches ... (All U Can Heat)

The Miami Heat got a huge Game 4 win over the Hawks Sunday in the ATL. It's no wonder they played as they did though, Denzel Washington had coached them up.

This is the type of thing that can easily make athletes, especially high-level, competitive, and fiery guys like Miami Heat players anyway, run through brick walls! What words from a true legend in his chosen game. You’ll never see a U-Haul behind a hearse. I tried to walk like him, I ended up playing catcher. You’ll never see a U-Haul behind a hearse. Well, he isn’t that “random”, as he is a legend of film and acting.

The Tall And Short Of It: P.J. Tucker Went To Erik Spoelstra With An ... (Heat.com)

P.J. Tucker and Trae Young were just hanging out. Down the stretch of Game 3, with the Atlanta Hawks having absorbed a 21-0 Miami HEAT run in the third ...

With Tucker able to hold up against Trae Young, having a miserable series by his standards, on the ball and provide relentless and stable help off of it – a topic worth an article on its own – there’s nothing his presence concedes. Houston had traded Clint Capela to Atlanta a couple years back with the explicit intention of playing Tucker as the primary five man in a switch-everything lineup. In the subsequent 206 minutes with Tucker at the five, the Defensive Rating dropped to 112.38 as Miami outscored opponents by 8.9 points per 100 possessions. It’s not a matter of needing it all the time, just knowing that it’s there when the time is right. And he posted up 28 times after posting up just 16 times in the previous four seasons combined. “So throughout the season with guys out he’s given me the opportunity to bring it up and direct some plays and put the ball into my hands sometimes.” “They put him on [Tucker] in the fourth quarter of last game and P.J. this year has proven to be very effective in the post for us. Down the stretch of Game 3, with the Atlanta Hawks having absorbed a 21-0 Miami HEAT run in the third quarter and punched right back in the fourth, Tucker was in his customary spot in the corner. “We don’t want [Young] just to be resting on the weakside,” Spoelstra said. With the Hawks protecting their star, Young went on to have his best quarter of a series in which he’s been largely limited. But neither was Charles Barkley. The ball dropped in and Tucker rewarded himself by lowering his right hand parallel to the ground in the universal gesture for Too Short. With the Hawks clinging to competitive minutes and the HEAT up 13 midway through the third quarter, Miami’s 6-foot-5 do-it-all forward walked Young right to the block and went to work.

Kyle Lowry injury update: Heat guard out for Game 5 vs. Hawks with ... (CBSSports.com)

It is unclear how long that hamstring injury will drag on into the rest of the playoffs at this stage, but Miami is still in good shape to at least make it out ...

Miami needs Lowry to compete for a championship, and how the Heat manage this injury will go a long way in determining just how far they can make it this postseason. The Heat will have to balance getting Lowry back as quickly as possible with the danger that his injury could recur and knock him out for a longer period of time. He is the consummate glue guy for a championship team, not quite good enough to lead one, but a critical part nonetheless.

Miami Heat's Victor Oladipo Places His Stamp On The Postseason (Sports Illustrated)

Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo was ready to take advantage of each minute in his first playoff appearance since the 2020 season.

I’m confident in myself and my game so I really feel like I can help the team so I’m going to go out there and do it to the best of my ability.” “You can control what’s in front of you, and you can control your mindset and approach so at the end of the day I’m going to do whatever I can to help the team win. Admitting that his return has been a process, Oladipo still holds a mindset that will continue to breed success.

Heat guard Kyle Lowry ruled out for Game 5 with hamstring strain (NBA.com)

Miami will be without its star guard for Game 5 as the team looks to close out Atlanta.

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT)April 25, 2022 Gabe Vincent (toe) is probable. P.J. Tucker (calf) and Caleb Martin (ankle) are questionable.

Heat vs. Hawks: Miami is controlling Trae Young, putting on a clinic ... (CBSSports.com)

The Miami Heat just put on a clinic in how to control and win an NBA playoff game: Limit your own mistakes, and take away what the other team does best.

Atlanta is so outmatched in this series that Young has to be the best player, by an appreciable margin, for it to have any chance, and the Heat know that. It was never going to lose without beating itself or getting upended by a Trae Young hurricane. That it was only a minus-1.5 line to the Heat at tip was an insult. The Miami Heat just put on a clinic in how to control and win an NBA playoff game: Limit your own mistakes, and take away what the other team does best. The Heat racked up 15 offensive rebounds despite the return of Clint Capela, and for the fourth straight game Young was unable to get downhill into his floater zone, where he becomes almost indefensible. From the jump he attacked the paint, where Miami dominated Atlanta to the tune of a plus-22 margin.

Analysts look ahead to Heat-76ers and what Miami will do. And ... (Miami Herald)

Several ESPN analysts look ahead to a potential Heat-76ers second-round series. And notes on Bam Adebayo, Gabe Vincent and Tyler Herro, and Monday thoughts ...

I see him be the catalyst to that defense, be the anchor to it. But it was a crying shame that he didn’t make the top three. “He has been very encouraging, uplifting, had words of wisdom here and there,” Vincent said. What they were able to do is disrupt with a little more speed on the floor.” “If you lose your cool, there are a number of things that can become distractions. They do a good job of finding the guys that fit the system they want to play.” “It’s the system,” he said. But the system they have in place defensively. “They put a lot of speed out there,” McMillan said. “It’s a wrap!” They can match up with James Harden. Bam Adebayo is one of the best defenders in the league. Erik Spoelstra has figured out a way to maximize this group.”

Denzel Washington Gives Miami Heat Players Moving Speech (Sports Illustrated)

Before their Game 4 win over the Hawks, Miami players got a moving pump-up speech after an encounter with Washington.

“The last thing I’ll say, which I’ve said a lot of times: You never see a U-Haul behind a hearse. The Heat went on to secure a double-digit lead by halftime and were in control most of the way, and it’s fair to wonder how much of the performance could be credited to the two-time Academy Award winner after he bestowed his wisdom to the group. Their run-in with Washington appears to have occurred by chance, as they seem to be standing in a hotel lobby with the actor’s luggage at his feet.

Lowry ruled out for Game 5. And Butler says Heat is 'not going to ... (Miami Herald)

Lowry was listed as out for Game 5 of the Heat's first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday at FTX Arena (7 p.m., NBA TV and Bally Sports ...

With the Heat throwing a wave of extra defenders at Young to close driving lanes every time it appears he has a small window of space, his drives are down from 17.3 per game in the regular season to eight per game in the first round. “I’m sorry, but when you’re that ignitable, we’ve got to send three, four bodies at you at a time,” said Heat star Jimmy Butler, who has spent 37 possessions as Young’s primary defender in the series. He has a total of 24 turnovers and 24 assists, and the Hawks have been outscored by 19.4 points per 100 possessions in Young’s minutes. According to NBA tracking stats, Vincent has spent the most time as Young’s primary defender. “You’ve just constantly got to have your head on a swivel if you’re him because it’s like ‘Are we blitzing? He averaged 17.2 potential assists in the regular season. “Obviously, it’s way better competition, so it’s hard for me to score a lot more through the double-teams and face guards. Except for Lowry on Sunday, every player listed by the Heat as questionable has played. When I’m driving, if I try to drive by somebody, they’re sending a double and forcing me to kick it to my teammates.” In the regular season, Lowry’s strained hamstring would likely force him to miss more than a week. Even if the Heat closes out the Hawks on Tuesday, its second-round series wouldn’t begin until this weekend at the earliest, which would give Lowry at least a full week off after injuring his hamstring Friday. He watched Sunday’s victory from the Heat’s bench at State Farm Arena.

Miami Heat's Tyler Herro Still Trying To Work His Way Into Playoffs (Sports Illustrated)

Tyler Herro has had a remarkable third season in the NBA. He averaged 20.7 points, four assists and five rebounds and has almost locked up the Sixth Man of ...

Herro went 1 of 8 from the field goal range and missed all five of his three-pointers. In the postseason, he has a field goal percentage of 36.5percent and is shooting 20.8 percent from the arc. His latest outing was a three-point performance to go along with three rebounds and one assist. Herro had a field goal percentage of 44.7% during the regular season and shot 39.9 from the three-point line. While the Heat have proved they can win without Herro shooting well, they will need him to improve if they want to go deep into the postseason. While his statistics are still decent, they are still below what he did during the regular season.

Heat vs. Hawks Game 5 prediction, pick, TV channel, NBA playoffs ... (CBSSports.com)

(1) Miami Heat vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks · When: Tuesday, April 26 | 7 p.m. ET · Where: FTX Arena -- Miami, Florida · TV: NBATV | Live stream: FuboTV (Try for free) ...

The Hawks are going to need to be efficient from the perimeter if they want to extend this series. However, the defense was really the story for the Heat as they held the Hawks to just 40.0 percent shooting from the field. After the Hawks jumped out to an early advantage, the Heat rebounded to gain the scoring edge over the final three quarters even though they were without veteran point guard Kyle Lowry. Now the Heat have an opportunity to close out the series on Tuesday.

Gameday Rundown: HEAT vs. Hawks Game 5 (Heat.com)

Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami HEAT Sunday, April 26 @ 7:00 PM Series Record: 3-1 Miami.

For as much as the Hawks had zero defensive answers for the HEAT as a team in Game 1, they had nothing to offer Butler alone in Game 2. And the fourth quarter was what we often saw from the HEAT in fourth quarters, with offense stuck in the mud and Miami outscored 16-9 in the clutch, that likely ranked as question mark number one heading into the postseason. The third player in HEAT history to post a 45-5-5 in the playoffs – joining Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, who each did it once – and the first to post that line with zero turnovers. They filled the margins. They crashed the glass. It was the sort of run that would end any normal game, but the Hawks were ready to fight for their season as they closed a 16-point lead in the final minutes – with Kyle Lowry out for the game with a left leg injury – and stole the last-second win, 111-110, off a Trae Young floater. The Hawks didn’t. Second chances and Tyler Herro (24 points on 22 shots) kept Miami in the game, but if we were to sum this one up it would be that the third quarter, full of glorious defense and balanced offense, was so much of what the HEAT did so well this season. A virtuoso performance for the record books, and one that puts Miami up 2-0 in the series with their 115-105 victory. Miami looked like they were going to pull away in the third as they went up by as much as 16, but then the offense – as has happened throughout this season and is something we’ll continue to keep an eye on – hit a lull and the Hawks got it under five as the minutes ticked down in the fourth. Game 3: It didn’t seem like the Hawks made enough of a move when they had their chance, because Miami’s defense had another gear to hit. If you think back to last September, once the HEAT’s roster was put together, and remember what you thought this team – full of experienced veterans and defensive talent – would look like once they hit the postseason, this is probably exactly what you thought it would look like. He hit jumpers – more on that below – he got to the rim, he burrowed his way into and through defenders and he turned steals, steals born out of his remarkable combination of instincts and quickness, into dunks.

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