It wasn’t always pretty, but the HEAT got the job done in a 109-94 victory over the Pelicans Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Let’s check out some takeaways from the action.
1. Nunn Balls Out
From the start, Kendrick Nunn had it all going on versus the Pelicans.
And while he routinely got into the paint for some of his patented runners, he also knocked down shots from the perimeter for good measure.
For an example of the latter, just take a look at this cold step-back three as part of a nine-point fourth quarter for him (led the team):
That’s dope.
Then again, we can’t forget about this crazy jam over Nicolò Melli in the third quarter:
Whoa.
Naturally, Nunn also played solid defense on Jrue Holiday and E'Twaun Moore for most of the night.
When it was all said and done, the rookie tallied a team-high 22 points on 10-of-19 shooting, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and a plus-11 rating.
2. Butler Sticks With It
Although Jimmy Butler struggled a bit with his shot, he still impacted the game in more ways than one.
In addition to playing hard-nosed defense as usual and coming through with yet another steal and slam…
…he also dished out a game-high 13 assists (four in the fourth) for the second time in three games.
Perhaps this rifle pass to Bam Adebayo in the second quarter was his best:
In all, Butler recorded 16 points, eight rebounds, a team-high three steals (tied with Duncan Robinson and Kelly Olynyk) and a game-high plus-22 rating to go along with his aforementioned game-high 13 assists.
3. Robinson Stays Sharp From Deep
I could talk about how Robinson finished plays on the break and drilled threes, but just check out this remarkable sequence at the end of the third quarter:
Yup, his reaction says it all.
Robinson finished with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep, a team-high three steals, one rebound and one assist.
Other Takeaways:
-So…Adebayo really put New Orleans on notice in the second quarter.
In fact, he racked up 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting, two blocks and a steal in the period.
Here is his flurry at the beginning of the quarter that got it all started:
That’s Bam for ya.
In total, Adebayo had 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, a game-high 14 rebounds, four assists, a game-high three blocks and two steals.
-If you didn’t know by now, Chris Silva is hustle and energy personified.
Need proof?
Watch this:
Silva concluded the evening with a career-high nine points (tied) on 3-of-4 shooting, eight rebounds (three offensive) and one assist.
-KO hit some big treys for Miami and ended up with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, five rebounds and a team-high three steals.
Game Notes:
-Goran Dragić (Sick) and Derrick Jones Jr. (Left Hip Strain) were active scratches.
-Justise Winslow (Concussion), KZ Okpala (Left Achilles Strain) and Dion Waiters (Team Suspension) were inactive.
Looking Ahead:
-The HEAT won’t be back in action until Wednesday night when they host the Cavs at 7:30PM. Tickets for that game at AmericanAirlines Arena can be found here.