Miami, FL

The Stats Are Hiding a Secret About the Miami Heat’s P.J. Tucker

Published

3 years ago

May 18, 2022

The Stats Are Hiding a Secret About the Miami Heat’s P.J. Tucker

MIAMI — Plenty of N.B.A. gamers undergo the motions with regards to boxing out for rebounds on free throws, and nobody can actually blame them. Most free throws, practically 80 % of them, are profitable. So why trouble boxing out in any respect?

After which there’s Miami’s P.J. Tucker, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound wrecking ball who has spent his profession disguised as an influence ahead. Think about Recreation 1 of the N.B.A.’s Japanese Convention finals on Tuesday night time, as Gabe Vincent, a teammate with the Warmth, lined up for the second of two free throws. Tucker took benefit of that window to throw most of his physique weight into the midsection of the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum.

It was a bit a lot. One of many referees suggested Tucker to chill it, which didn’t please him. However it was not going to stop Tucker from taking part in the one method he is aware of easy methods to play — laborious — and his toughness was among the many causes the Warmth had been in a position to run away with a 118-107 victory within the sequence opener.

“He conjures up all people,” Warmth Coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned, including: “He’s like an incredible linebacker. He simply will get all people organized and he communicates so nicely.”

In a sport that Jimmy Butler, as normal, dominated for Miami, ending with 41 factors, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, Tucker posted a bunch of numbers that had been nondescript. He had 5 factors, 6 rebounds and three assists. He shot 2 of 5 from the sphere and missed each of his free throws. He trudged across the court docket like a dump truck with a flat tire after rolling his proper ankle within the first half.

However his influence was huge. After Tatum scored 21 factors to steer the Celtics’ to an 8-point lead at halftime, Tucker — dangerous wheel and all — by some means managed to affix himself to Tatum for lengthy stretches of the second half, serving to to restrict him to 1 of seven taking pictures and eight factors the remainder of the way in which.

“What he does doesn’t actually get seen by all people on the market,” Spoelstra mentioned of Tucker. “I don’t have my glasses on, so I don’t even know what his stat line was. However you’re speaking about one of many hardest covers. After which when he’s on the weak facet, he does all the best issues.”

The Warmth outscored the Celtics by 12 factors within the 31 minutes that Tucker performed. They gained by 11.

“I didn’t know I might fall in love with a basketball participant as a lot as I’ve with P.J.,” Butler mentioned. “He’s obtained the robust job each night time of guarding the opposing group’s finest participant, after which goes down there and shoots the ball 5 occasions. You’ve obtained to respect that.”

The Celtics had been short-handed — and brief on relaxation. Their convention semifinal sequence with the Milwaukee Bucks went to seven video games earlier than they had been in a position to advance on Sunday.

As if that had not been difficult sufficient, they had been down two starters for his or her opener towards the Warmth: Marcus Sensible, the league’s defensive participant of the 12 months, was sidelined with a sprained proper foot, and Al Horford entered the league’s coronavirus well being and security protocols on Tuesday afternoon.

The Warmth had been off since Thursday. They scuffled by way of a rusty begin towards the Celtics, lacking their first seven field-goal makes an attempt. Tucker was miffed.

“Took us a very long time to get aggressive,” he mentioned. “We had been method too tender, and so they obtained to just about all the pieces they needed.”

At 37, Tucker is the proud protagonist of one of many extra well-chronicled basketball odysseys. He joined the Toronto Raptors for the 2006-07 season as a second-round draft pick of the College of Texas. However after he performed sparingly for the Raptors, he spent the next 5 seasons taking part in in Israel, Ukraine, Greece, Italy and Germany, refining his sport alongside the way in which.

By the point he signed with the Phoenix Suns earlier than the 2012-13 season, he had proved he may do a little bit of all the pieces: defend, rebound, facilitate and even rating when the chance offered itself. A useful defender, he gained an N.B.A. championship final season after the Bucks picked him close to the commerce deadline.

At this late stage, Tucker is nearer to the tip of his taking part in days than he’s to the start, and the damage and tear of his career was clear throughout Tuesday’s sport. After he rolled his ankle within the second quarter, he hobbled to the locker room. His return appeared unsure.

However Tucker swapped out his footwear — one of many league’s extra prodigious sneakerheads, he has a whole lot of pairs to select from — and summoned some divine intervention.

“There’s a genie again there,” Tucker mentioned. “Took considered one of my needs.”

Spoelstra recalled checking on Tucker’s availability for the second half.

“He checked out me useless within the eye and mentioned: ‘Don’t even give it some thought. I’m taking part in within the second half,’ ” Spoelstra mentioned. “I’m like, ‘All proper, I wasn’t even questioning it.’ ”

As he performed by way of ache, Tucker appeared to take out his angst on Tatum, one of many postseason’s rising younger stars. Tucker was just like the outdated man on the neighborhood park: hobbled however clever, an unshakably annoying presence. The Celtics shot 2 of 15 from the sphere within the third quarter because the Warmth outscored them, 39-14. However once more: Tucker noticed room for enchancment.

“What took us so lengthy?” he requested.

He sank his lone 3-pointer within the fourth quarter and seized the second by elevating his arms to the gang. It was a uncommon probability for him to wash within the highlight, however his teammates perceive his price.

On the ultimate buzzer, Butler embraced him.

“He does all of the little issues,” Butler mentioned.

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Miami, FL

Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton Reacts To Jim Larranaga’s Sudden Miami Departure

Published

4 hours ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton Reacts To Jim Larranaga’s Sudden Miami Departure

Florida State and Miami will play their first matchup of the 2024-25 season on Wednesday, but the opposing sideline won’t feature Jim Larranaga for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Larranaga shocked all of college basketball by stepping down as Miami’s head coach on December 26th after getting off to a 4-8 start with losses to Mount Saint Mary’s and Charleston Southern.

Leonard Hamilton was asked about Larranaga’s decision to step down in an ACC Zoom call on Monday morning and ahead of Wednesday’s game.

READ MORE: Former FSU Star Jalen Ramsey Makes Decisive Miami Dolphins Career Statement

“Jim has demonstrated that he’s a class act. He’s a guy who thinks things through,” Coach Hamilton started. “I’m sure the decision didn’t come as a knee-jerk reaction to anything particular. I’m sure it came with a lot of thought over a longer period of time and for him to have the courage to stick with his convictions and what he believed is the best thing to do, not only for his team and for the university, players that have played for him before (and it) is to be tremendously respected. I talked to very few coaches who really don’t feel some of the similar things that seems to have been on Jim’s mind. It’s just where we are. I don’t see anything coming in the future that will eliminate the reasons why he made the decision that he did, and I think I have a lot of respect for him for how he did it.”

Coach Larranaga cited things like exhaustion and the ever-changing NIL market as reasons for stepping down. Coach Hamilton is in his own hot water with NIL after six former players sued him last week over alleged promised NIL money that was never delivered. So Hamilton can relate to some of the issues Larranaga was dealing with.

Larranaga isn’t the only ACC coach to make a shocking untimely retirement, as Virginia’s former coach Tony Bennett stepped down about a month before the season started. Leonard Hamilton was already the longest-tenured head coach in the ACC by a mile with 23 seasons in Tallahassee, with Clemson’s Brad Brownell in second with 15 seasons, but the third-longest tenured coach in the ACC after Larranaga’s and Bennett’s retiring is now Kevin Keatts at NC State, who started in 2017.

Florida State and Miami will play in Coral Gables at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

READ MORE: FSU Basketball Picks Up First ACC Win of Season, Beats Syracuse 90-74

Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Basketball throughout the 2024-25 season

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Miami, FL

Miami Heat Fall In This Week’s Power Rankings

Published

11 hours ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

Miami Heat Fall In This Week’s Power Rankings

The Miami Heat had a rough week.

This week, the Heat slipped to No. 14 in the NBA power rankings. Last week, they were No. 9.

The Jimmy Butler trade saga reached its tipping point when Butler revealed playing in Miami ruined his joy for the game lately. The team issued a seven-game suspension to Butler for his actions. Following his comments, the Heat had their worst loss of the season Saturday against the Utah Jazz, losing by 36 points at home.

In an article posted to NBA.com, a takeaway on the team’s play was described. Here’s what longtime writer John Schuhmann wrote:

“Butler returned for two games and registered a usage rate of just 13.2% (ninth on the team) as the Heat split games against the Pelicans and Pacers”, the article said. “He didn’t play in the fourth quarter either night and then said that he doesn’t think he can rediscover his on-court ‘joy’ in Miami. So the Heat suspended him for seven games (through their six-game trip that begins Monday) and said they’d listen to trade offers.”

Schuhmann also added, “Butler’s teammates’ response was their worst loss of the season, a game in which they trailed the Jazz by 43 points. They’re now 5-6 without Butler and have been outscored by 2.2 points per 100 possessions in his 678 total minutes off the floor.”

The Heat are 17-16. They sit with the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. They remain two games back from the No. 4 seed Orlando Magic. They are 13 games back from the No. 1 seed, held by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

With the Butler trade rumors looming over the organization, the Heat are set to embark on a six-game road trip. They will play four of those games this week. The team starts the week Monday with a back-to-back in Sacramento and Golden State. Thursday, the team travels to Utah before rounding out the week in Portland on Saturday.

Sean Jordan is a contributor to Miami Heat On Sports Illustrated. He can be reached at sjorda06@syr.edu.

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Miami, FL

Florida ranks second in nation for norovirus outbreaks, CDC Reports

Published

19 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

Florida ranks second in nation for norovirus outbreaks, CDC Reports

MIAMI – Florida ranks second in the nation for confirmed norovirus outbreaks, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The highly contagious virus, often referred to as the “stomach bug,” is spreading rapidly this season, particularly in crowded settings like cruise ships.

“Norovirus is a highly infectious virus that causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea,” said Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist. “This is the time of year we typically see norovirus cases peak, especially in the winter, with all the traveling.”

Between Sept. 1, 2023, and Oct. 31, 2024, Florida reported 24 confirmed norovirus outbreaks, the second highest in the nation, according to the CDC.

Cruise ships were among the hardest hit, with 16 outbreaks reported in 2024 alone. Five of those occurred in December, sickening 890 passengers and crew members.

“I wish I would have known before we went,” said Tamara Holmes, who recently returned from a holiday cruise. “We took precautions: washing our hands, trying to keep a safe distance from everybody as best as we could.”

Monica Greidinger, preparing for a flight at Miami International Airport, advised fellow travelers to take extra precautions. “If you’re sick, don’t travel,” she told CBS News Miami. “I suggest going back to basics, wearing face masks-that’s all we can do.”

However, experts warn that masks alone may not prevent norovirus infections. “The most important thing is to wash your hands,” said Dr. Gounder.

“Alcohol-based sanitizers don’t work well for this virus. It’s also critical to sanitize food preparation areas and any surfaces that could be contaminated.”

There is no specific treatment for norovirus, which typically lasts one to three days.

Doctors recommend that infected individuals stay home, rest, and hydrate with water to recover.

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