Taylor’s notebook · Miami Heat
Heat basketball, big moments, and reactions from a Miami fan.
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9 stories · Newest first
The Heat were tied with the Warriors at 53 at halftime, then lost the third quarter 38-23. Golden State went on a 26-9 run in that quarter and won 120-100. Miami is now 3-6, and the two things that stood out most to me were how poorly the Heat shot from three and how much trouble they had defending it.
The Heat were down 20, shot 10-for-40 from three, and still found a way to beat the Clippers 117-116 in overtime. After the way Miami defended against the Lakers, I wanted to see a better effort on that end. The second quarter was brutal, but the defense made some of the biggest plays of the night when Miami needed them.
After two encouraging wins, this was a frustrating performance. The Heat lost 138-117 to the Lakers, and the defense never found an answer for Luka Dončić.
This is more of what I wanted to see. The Heat beat the Pacers 145-125 to pick up their second straight win and open NBA Cup play with a victory. The start was rough defensively, but Miami adjusted; the offense flowed, and you could see the vision for how this team can play.
Bam made franchise history, Davion kept Miami moving, and Wiggins and Pelle delivered as the Heat earned their first win, 129-117 over Atlanta. My five takeaways, including Hardaway’s defensive struggles and Giannis’s growing off-ball role.
The Heat are 0–4, and the problems go beyond missed shots. My takeaways from the Mavericks loss: the Bam–Giannis fit, an underperforming supporting cast, players who deserve more minutes and an effort level that needs to improve before Miami heads to Atlanta.
Miami’s fourth-quarter comeback showed a glimpse of how this team is supposed to look, but the Heat still fell 115–110 to Charlotte. Davion Mitchell stood out, while the Bam–Giannis fit and rebounding remain concerns. At 0-3 for the first time since 2007-08, Miami needs to make adjustments.
Two games in, I’m not ready to write this Heat team off. My takeaways from the Pistons loss, including missed open 3s, Bam finding his fit, and why better defense can get Miami running.
Giannis is going to be in the MVP conversation, but Miami has a lot to clean up defensively. Here’s what stood out against Minnesota and what I want to see tonight against Detroit.
One fan. Miami teams. Plenty to say.
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