Heat take care of business vs. Nets, as Adebayo reaches Heat career rebounding mark
· Yahoo Sports
MIAMI — The subset of the standings has begun for the Miami Heat — also known as the fighting chance provided by the NBA.
Over these final six weeks of the season, as the Heat fight to avoid the play-in round for a fourth consecutive season, Erik Spoelstra’s team has been provided with two games against the Brooklyn Nets and three against the Washington Wizards, as in a Nets team now 15-46 and a Wizards team now 16-45.
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Step 1 came Tuesday night at Kaseya Center with a 124-98 victory over the Nets, with the teams to meet again Thursday on the Heat’s court.
In no position for a misstep, the Heat took advantage, with a challenging closing schedule that otherwise includes two games remaining apiece against the Cavaliers and Raptors, with all four of those on the road, as well as remaining home games against the Pistons, Lakers, Spurs and Celtics, and then a road rematch in Houston.
All that was required in this one was 23 points from Bam Adebayo, 22 from Tyler Herro and 20 from Jaime Jaquez Jr. against a largely undistinguished opposing cast.
Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:
— 1. Game flow: Again playing in the injury absence of Norman Powell (groin), the Heat led 34-28 at the end of the opening period and 69-54 at halftime.
The Heat then went up 18 in the third period, saw that lead trimmed to 11, before closing the quarter ahead 91-75, at a stage the Nets were 4 of 21 on 3-pointers.
The Nets trimmed their deficit to 13 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, with the Heat’s lead in the 20s less than 90 seconds later, effectively ending it.
— 2. Rebound record: With his fifth defensive rebound, which came early in the third period, Adebayo moved past Udonis Haslem for the Heat’s all-time lead. Haslem’s record was 4,176.
Haslem still retains the Heat all-time lead in total rebounds and offensive rebounds, with Adebayo second on the overall rebound list and fourth on the offensive-rebound list behind Haslem, Alonzo Mourning and Rony Seikaly.
Earlier, extended his streak of games with at least one 3-pointer to 10, nine games off his career-best streak, competed earlier this season.
Adebayo closed with nine rebounds, but was just 1 of 7 on 3-pointers as part of his 11-of-24 night from the field.
— 3. More double big: Spoelstra initially prioritized again getting big men Adebayo and Kel’el Ware on the court together.
That had Adebayo’s initial break leaving him off the court for less than three minutes before he returned.
Unlike Saturday, when the Heat almost solely played zone with the two on the court, this time Ware was allowed to work more often in man-to-man defense.
Ware then was forced to the bench with his third foul with 7:25 remaining in the second period, after picking up those three fouls in a 22-second span.
Ware closed with 11 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high five steals.
— 4. Jaquez from deep: When Jaquez converted his second 3-pointer of the night with 8:45 to play in the second period, it was the first time Jaquez had made multiple 3-pointers in a game since Jan. 19 and only the third time this season. The two at that stage tied his season high.
Jaquez entered 2 of 16 on 3s in his previous six games and .257 on 3-pointers for the season.
He closed 2 of 3 on 3-pointers Tuesday night.
— 5. And another one: This is the fourth of six times the Heat face the same opponent in consecutive games, also hosting the Nets on Thursday night.
The Heat’s two remaining such sets are both on the road, on March 25 and March 27 in Cleveland, and April 7 and April 9 in Toronto.