Miami, FL
Miami Heat Have Put Bad Habits On Display in 0-3 Run vs. Chicago Bulls
The Miami Heat have come up short in each of the last three months when facing the Chicago Bulls. As a result, they’ll open the postseason at the United Center as the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference play-in round.
In order to play one more game beyond Wednesday’s 9-10 matchup, the Heat must find a way to secure a different result. Erik Spoelstra has won head-to-head matchups in play-ins against Billy Donovan in each of the past two years, but is just 13-16 against his coaching counterpart after his Heat has suffered three losses to the Bulls in a 70-day span.
An inability to hold leads or get a handle on Bulls star Josh Giddey has hindered Miami, and if you don’t study history, you’re doomed to repeat it. Spoelstra will be reminding his team of how they’ve come up short, so we’ll do the same here. Below is a snapshot at how the meetings between these teams unfolded:
Feb. 4 – Bulls won 133-124 at United Center
Miami had a couple of days to prepare for this game after opening February with a win in San Antonio but fell despite a 70-point first half and a 12-point lead with just over 10 minutes remaining. Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis shot 10-for-10 to share top scoring honors with Giddey (24 points).
Ayo Dosunmu and Lonzo Ball, each out for the year, were in Chicago’s starting five. Miami was two days away from moving Jimmy Butler, who was banished from the team, so its bench consisted of the currently injured Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Terry Rozier and Alec Burks. Only Burks is expected to see extensive action in this play-in game.The teams combined to hit 36 3-pointers, firing up 85.
March 8 – Bulls won 114-109 at Kaseya Center
This marked the third loss during the Heat’s 10-game skid last month, but was the first game they were favored in. After strong performances against the Cavs and Timberwolves, Miami was expected to handle Chicago at home, led 36-24 after a quarter and entered the fourth up 89-78. The Heat again fell apart in the fourth, lost the rebounding battle and were caught from behind despite the Bulls shooting 13-for-43 from 3-point range.
Andrew Wiggins led Miami with 22 points, but Kyle Anderson was still catching DNPs from Spoelstra and Rozier remained a key reserve, scoring 15 points and hitting five 3-pointers. Giddey finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, while Zach Collins added 18 points and 15 rebounds. Nikola Vucevic sat, but the Bulls did have their trade deadline acquisitions, Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter. Jones had a huge steal and bucket in the final minute, while Giddey knocked down a huge 3-pointer late to help seal the comeback win.
April 9 – Bulls won 119-111 at United Center
In a game Miami needed to give itself a chance to claw out of the No. 10 seed, it again led after a quarter but were terrorized by Giddey, who finished with 28 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. Vucevic also shined with 20 points, 11 boards and eight assists, while Huerter added 22 points and seven assists. Coby White missed all five of his 3-point attempts but picked it up in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 points. Buzelis added 17, so all five Chicago starters scored in double-figures.
Wiggins returned from a lengthy absence due to hamstring issues for the Heat and played well, but wasn’t as explosive as he had been before his injury. Adebayo shot just 6-for-15 and will need to be better. Tyler Herro scored 30 points but was criticized for pulling up for a 3-pointer instead of taking a wide open layup following a steal with Miami down five in the game’s final minute. Davion Mitchell was the Heat’s best player, finishing with 17 points, eight assists and four steals.
Tony Mejia is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at tnyce1414@gmail.com
An investigation is underway at a northwest Miami-Dade apartment complex after the sheriff’s office said a man was shot by his girlfriend after a “heated dispute” early Wednesday morning.
Few details have been released, but the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said the incident took place at an apartment complex located off Northwest 7th Avenue.
The sheriff’s office said that a man became involved in a “heated dispute” with his girlfriend, and she shot him in the right arm.
He was rushed to a hospital by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue in critical condition.
The woman is in custody.
The identities of those who were involved have not yet been released.
No other information was available.
Game date, time and location: Tuesday, Mar. 3, 7:30 p.m. EST, Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Sun, YES Network (Brooklyn)
Radio: 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida), WFAN 101.9 FM/660 AM (Brooklyn)
VITALS: The Miami Heat (32-29) and Brooklyn Nets (15-45) meet for the second of three regular season matchups. Earlier this season, Miami recorded a, 106-95, win in Brooklyn on December 18 and has now won four of the last five overall against the Nets.
It also marks the first of consecutive games against Brooklyn with the teams facing each other again on Thursday. The Heat are 83-61 all-time versus the Nets during the regular season, including 44-26 in home games and 39-35 in road games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Davion Mitchell
G Tyler Herro
C Bam Adebayo
F Pelle Larsson
F Andrew Wiggins
NETS
G Nolan Traore
G Terance Mann
C Nic Claxton
F Michael Porter Jr.
F Noah Clowney
INJURY REPORT
HEAT
Davion Mitchell: Questionable – Shoulder
Norman Powell: Out – Groin
Nikola Jovic: Out – Back
Trevor Keels: Available – G League
Jahmir Young: Available – G League
Vlad Goldin: Available – G League
Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team
NETS
Nic Claxton: Probable – Thumb
Egor Demin: Out – Foot
QUOTABLE
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra: “Regardless of the scheme is, I always go back to that, it’s just about committing to doing hard things. We were really moving in the zone, taking away airspace and scrambling to challenge shots at the rim. In a lot of these losses in the last month we’ve just been giving up shots at the rim and threes.”
For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.
Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
ORLANDO, Fla. — Lionel Messi scored twice in a four-goal second half, defender Telasco Segovia added a goal and two assists and defending champion Inter Miami CF rallied to beat Orlando City SC 4-2 on Sunday night, winning for the first time at Inter&Co Stadium.
Messi took a pass from Segovia and scored in the 57th minute to tie it 2-2, and Segovia scored unassisted in the 85th for the lead. Messi put the finishing touch on the victory when he scored off a free kick in the 90th.
“The victory belongs exclusively to the players,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game. “In the second half, they were a championship team. There were no tactics, nothing like that. There was heart, courage, possession, resilience, commitment. I think the team came out because they were champions last year.
“In the end, the players showed it. This victory is theirs.”
Messi’s first two goals of the season give him 52 in his first 55 regular-season MLS matches — 51 of them in his past 49 appearances. It also brought the reigning MLS MVP to 898 career goals scored, including 672 for Barcelona and 115 for Argentina.
“He’s the best player to ever play this sport. He’s a leader, and as a leader, he inspires others, but he also often needs to be inspired himself,” Mascherano said of Messi. “When he was driving forward, he had more attacking options, and with so many opportunities, he clearly has the ability to create chances like no one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”
Marco Pašalić took a pass from Iván Angulo and scored in the 18th minute to give Orlando City a 1-0 lead. Pašalić has scored in four straight matches against Inter Miami.
Defender Griffin Dorsey set up Martín Ojeda for a goal six minutes later for a 2-0 advantage that stood through halftime.
Inter Miami cut it to 2-1 four minutes into the second half on Mateo Silvetti’s first career goal. Defenders Segovia and Facundo Mura had assists as the 20-year-old forward found the net in his fifth career appearance.
Segovia had eight goals and six assists as a rookie last season, while Mura collected his first assist in his first season.
Dayne St. Clair, the reigning goalkeeper of the year, turned away three shots — all in the second half of his second start with Inter Miami, but let in a soft goal for Orlando’s first.
Maxime Crépeau had four saves in his second start for Orlando City.
Teenager Colin Guske, 19, will miss Orlando City’s next match after the rookie picked up two yellow cards in his first start — the second one led to his exit in the 88th minute.
Inter Miami, which had never won in its previous nine trips to Orlando, was coming off a 3-0 road loss to LAFC.
Orlando City swept Inter Miami during the regular season last year and leads the all-time series 8-7-4.
Inter Miami plays D.C. United on Saturday at Audi Field. Orlando City is also on the road with a match against New York City FC.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.
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