Saltics @ Heat - 8:30pm - Tuesday - Game 1

[Phinsoverpats]

They keep saying they won 3 out of 4 quarters but I say they heat only played hard for 1 quarter and won by dbl digits

[harlem_ball]

Jimmy: Bam is the engine behind the team, the stats don’t tell the story. What he does allows everyone to be who they are.

Hmmmm……

But.. but.. people in realgm told me that Bam sucks?

Yurts the goat

[Wiltside]

Gabe seems to be the unheralded star of the night.

17/2/3 and 3 blocks (!) on 50% with 3 triples, 1 turnover and +23 for the game.

What’s Miamis record with Strus starting now?

[dolphinatik]

one of the best 3rd quarters ive seen the Heat play. Def the best of this bunch

[DayofMourning]

They keep saying they won 3 out of 4 quarters but I say they heat only played hard for 1 quarter and won by dbl digits

Boston can take some credit for the 3rd quarter too. We started that quarter on a 22-2 run and finished it on an 11-0 run. So they actually beat us 12-6 in the middle.

[Kobewade11]

I think this is the most solid take. The ones where people are pretending Bam was great tonight are bad, sorry not sorry.

He did have some great plays, but he was not a star tonight and we need more from him. Actually the comeback runs from the Celtics all happened with him in the floor. The first happened in the 3rd after we upped our intensity. Then when they started coming back it wasn’t until he was benched that we got settled again and went up big. Same in the 4th. Once he came in and Jimmy sat, it was 4 minutes of nothing on offense. A big part of that is bc Bam doesn’t need to be guarded. Again, it wasn’t until Jimmy came back that we pulled away and closed. Jimmy shouldn’t have to do that and will wear himself out. He isn’t our only max contract.

Bam got outplayed by Robert Williams for the most part, and is eventually going to have to go up against Horford who is stronger, craftier, and has much more of an offensive bag. We have to Stop sugarcoating his play and ignoring all his other flaws and the way he brings us down “because defense”. We don’t do that for anyone else. Let Tyler turn the ball over once and you see 3 pages complaining about his ball handling. Let Gabe miss a couple open shots and it’s straight hate speech. But Bam gets to skate because he plays solid D? It was actually Jimmy and PJs D that made the diff if we’re being honest, completely nullifying Tatum in the second half.

It’s like we are giving Bam “slow kid” points now because we don’t want to get too depressed or annoyed seeing what we’re seeing. Especially since we’re winning anyway. But the truth is the truth. He had a decent game but he has to give us A LOT more for us to win a championship. Period.

I see no reason to sugarcoat and slow kid Bam since he can actually do what we’re asking. We’ve seen it before.

Great post

[RexBoyWonder]

Just need to protect home court.

Grind 3 more wins at home, very doable.

We do need Herro/Bam/Dipo/Strus to step up in different games and help Jimmy carry the load. Herro Was good tonight, we'll need more of that from this group.

[harlem_ball]

Gabe seems to be the unheralded star of the night.

17/2/3 and 3 blocks (!) on 50% with 3 triples, 1 turnover and +23 for the game.

What’s Miamis record with Strus starting now?

Epic stats. Gabes come a long way. Gotta keep pushing and excelling and get this ship. We're going to lose so many guys to cap space issues soon lol

[harlem_ball]

Heat ranks after tonight:

Offense: 2nd (1st Pelicans who are eliminated)
Defense: 2nd (1st Bucks who are eliminated)
Net rating: 1st (almost twice as high as the 2nd place Celtics)

[greg4012]

Pritchard looks like he’s going to average 20 against us lol

No Pritchard looks like a thumb

[greg4012]

You come in here sounding dumb as hell. We scored 118 and won by 11, wtf you crying about?

We arent going to win on the road with Bam attempting 3 shots, playing like a little beyotch and with you posting like one.

Good thing we weren't on the road then. And did win with Bam doing exactly what he was doing. Let's see how the road games look before prescribing one formula for every situation. Every single playoff game is different and calls for its own solutions.

[Johnny Fontane]

Bam is gonna Bam. At this point, we know he's going to be a defensive anchor first, and mixed bag offensively. The formula is working, so until it doesn't, just ride it out.

I think this is the most solid take. The ones where people are pretending Bam was great tonight are bad, sorry not sorry.

He did have some great plays, but he was not a star tonight and we need more from him. Actually the comeback runs from the Celtics all happened with him in the floor. The first happened in the 3rd after we upped our intensity. Then when they started coming back it wasn’t until he was benched that we got settled again and went up big. Same in the 4th. Once he came in and Jimmy sat, it was 4 minutes of nothing on offense. A big part of that is bc Bam doesn’t need to be guarded. Again, it wasn’t until Jimmy came back that we pulled away and closed. Jimmy shouldn’t have to do that and will wear himself out. He isn’t our only max contract.

Bam got outplayed by Robert Williams for the most part, and is eventually going to have to go up against Horford who is stronger, craftier, and has much more of an offensive bag. We have to Stop sugarcoating his play and ignoring all his other flaws and the way he brings us down “because defense”. We don’t do that for anyone else. Let Tyler turn the ball over once and you see 3 pages complaining about his ball handling. Let Gabe miss a couple open shots and it’s straight hate speech. But Bam gets to skate because he plays solid D? It was actually Jimmy and PJs D that made the diff if we’re being honest, completely nullifying Tatum in the second half.

It’s like we are giving Bam “slow kid” points now because we don’t want to get too depressed or annoyed seeing what we’re seeing. Especially since we’re winning anyway. But the truth is the truth. He had a decent game but he has to give us A LOT more for us to win a championship. Period.

I see no reason to sugarcoat and slow kid Bam since he can actually do what we’re asking. We’ve seen it before.

Completely agree.

[Kobewade11]

Good thing we weren't on the road then. And did win with Bam doing exactly what he was doing. Let's see how the road games look before prescribing one formula for every situation. Every single playoff game is different and calls for its own solutions.

Im gonna quote the last part of shewasflys post because I think its relevant.

I see no reason to sugarcoat and slow kid Bam since he can actually do what we’re asking. We’ve seen it before.

This is all we’re saying. We dont think Bam is a bad player, we just know he can do more. We’ve seen it. Go back and watch the highlights of his game 6 against Boston in the bubble. The decisiveness and aggressiveness he played with should be the standard for every game, on both ends. Nobody is asking him to put up 30, just be aggressive. Dont pussyfoot on the perimeter when you are being guarded by a guy with 5 fouls, put your head down and attack. Im not settling for well we won. My expectations are different because I know what this guy is capable of doing.

[greg4012]

Good thing we weren't on the road then. And did win with Bam doing exactly what he was doing. Let's see how the road games look before prescribing one formula for every situation. Every single playoff game is different and calls for its own solutions.

Im gonna quote the last part of shewasflys post because I think its relevant.

I see no reason to sugarcoat and slow kid Bam since he can actually do what we’re asking. We’ve seen it before.

This is all we’re saying. We dont think Bam is a bad player, we just know he can do more. We’ve seen it. Go back and watch the highlights of his game 6 against Boston in the bubble. The decisiveness and aggressiveness he played with should be the standard for every game, on both ends. Nobody is asking him to put up 30, just be aggressive. Dont pussyfoot on the perimeter when you are being guarded by a guy with 5 fouls, put your head down and attack. Im not settling for well we won. My expectations are different because I know what this guy is capable of doing.

Why lie?

Work on communication if you think that's all most of the posts bemoaning Bam are saying.

I need Bam to give us more when we need more. In an age where defense in the NBA is predicated on rotations, switching, help, and spacing, Bam gives all four guys on the floor with him an expanded margin in which to operate. That is invaluable.

We need more Bam moments on offense to win against the Celtics. As you said, "we've seen it" so I remain optimistic that we will see it again this series.

[greg4012]

Strong win. We won by 11 points after taking complete control in the 3rd quarter and literally playing a run-the-clock-out gameplan for most of the 4th (that's why Boston "won" the 4th quarter). We won by 11 without playing close to a complete game.

With that said, that should have been expected. As I've said all season, Miami is a counterpunch team. This Heat team isn't an unstoppable force marching forward to impose its will on the opponent. Miami likes to receive a punch, absorb it, understand it, smile and then go to work in countering and exploiting. This squad is built on an elite versatile defense and the ability to adapt to nearly any scenario on both ends.

Now that we have one game in the books, I'm confident the coaches and players are laser-focused on continuing to digest how Boston plays and properly counter and disrupt. The return of Smart/Horford will definitely make a difference, and we will need to absorb that difference and adjust to it.

I'm excited to watch it unfold.

[Kobewade11]

Why lie?

Work on communication if you think that's all most of the posts bemoaning Bam are saying.

I need Bam to give us more when we need more. In an age where defense in the NBA is predicated on rotations, switching, help, and spacing, Bam gives all four guys on the floor with him an expanded margin in which to operate. That is invaluable.

We need more Bam moments on offense to win against the Celtics. As you said, "we've seen it" so I remain optimistic that we will see it again this series.

If you think the posts “bemoaning” Bam are saying something different then you quote those posters and respond to them. My opinion on where I think Bam’s ceiling is, is probably higher than most here. Its frustrating watching a guy you think could be a top 10 player pretend to be Joel Anthony on offense. I agree with you on the last part.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

You come in here sounding dumb as hell. We scored 118 and won by 11, wtf you crying about?

We arent going to win on the road with Bam attempting 3 shots, playing like a little beyotch and with you posting like one.

Good thing we weren't on the road then. And did win with Bam doing exactly what he was doing. Let's see how the road games look before prescribing one formula for every situation. Every single playoff game is different and calls for its own solutions.

Great post.

He can score 0 for all I care as long as we win because you know he’s going to have a huge impact on the game/win elsewhere. He can go for 20+ on any given night, he’ll he goes for 30+ pretty consistently any time the team is hobbled with Jimmy, Lowry, etc. out. Yes he can do those things, we’ve seen it, but that is clearly not the scheme when the team is at full strength. Spo is using him as a bigger, faster, stronger, more athletic Draymond and we’re the 1st seed, 9-3 in the playoffs, and have been the most dominant playoff team by a wide margin. Whatever adjustment Spo made is working for the team as a whole and the players understand his importance as we saw with Jimmys post game comments.

[greg4012]

Why lie?

Work on communication if you think that's all most of the posts bemoaning Bam are saying.

I need Bam to give us more when we need more. In an age where defense in the NBA is predicated on rotations, switching, help, and spacing, Bam gives all four guys on the floor with him an expanded margin in which to operate. That is invaluable.

We need more Bam moments on offense to win against the Celtics. As you said, "we've seen it" so I remain optimistic that we will see it again this series.

If you think the posts “bemoaning” Bam are saying something different then you quote those posters and respond to them. My opinion on where I think Bam’s ceiling is, is probably higher than most here. Its frustrating watching a guy you think could be a top 10 player pretend to be Joel Anthony on offense. I agree with you on the last part.

I'll do as I please and call out BS in a similar posture. Thanks and kind regards.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

Read on Twitter

[greg4012]

https://www.nba.com/heat/news/coup-takeaways-jimmy-butler-defense-and-a-dominant-third-quarter-give-game-1-to-the-heat?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter_heat&utm_campaign=heatdotcom_coups_takeaways&utm_content=article

Coup’s Takeaways: Jimmy Butler, Defense And A Dominant Third Quarter Give Game 1 To The HEAT

1. If one thing was clear headed into a series against a team that forces you into a metric ton of isolations and often only allows paint attacks by sheer brute force, it was that Jimmy Butler was once again going to have to be magnificent.

One game in and 41 points later, we can check that box. It wasn’t just that Butler made his shots, which he did (12-of-19), or that he got to the free-throw line (17-of-18), which he did. It was that he was everywhere, on either end, and always exactly where his team needed him. He wasn’t alone in doing so, but there’s a level of pressure that Butler can apply to your offense that makes every pass carry just a little more inherent risk to it – an effect that played a major role as the HEAT’s defense fed their offense over and over and over again in the third quarter. And as usual – after Boston made a run with Butler off the court – he was there to bring it home down the stretch as he hunted the Payton Pritchard matchup relentlessly, holding the Celtics off with free-throws and jumpers.

Boston isn’t going to give up anything easy, so the HEAT are going to need Butler to keep earning, or saving, points the hard way. Both teams are going to come out of this one with plenty to like – Boston wound up winning three of the four quarters – and if you came into this game expecting a long series there wasn’t much on hand to dissuade you of that notion.

2. On the other side of the floor, Miami’s defense in the first half looked very much un-HEAT like. The Celtics hit some tough shots to pull ahead, but that they were 16-of-20 at the rim for 42 points in the paint – which includes run-outs in transition – was worth a raised eyebrow or two. Tatum and Brown in particular didn’t have any of the shell-shock that Trae Young and James Harden seemed to have early in those series with how the HEAT were loading up players in the gaps on them. Boston’s two stars were patient, passing the ball back and forth until a half-second seam opened up in the HEAT perimeter shell and attacked decisively.

All that changed in the second half, which featured both a 22-2 run to open the third quarter and a 17-3 run to close it out. Whatever they did at the break, Miami found the defense that had carried them all season as they swarmed the paint, cut off passing lanes and made the Celtics as uncomfortable as can reasonably be expected in a series with this much talent involved. They scored 39 points in the third, to Boston’s 14, not because their offense found another level. It all came from stringing stops together and pushing back the other direction – a formula that might have to carry them throughout the series.

3. This isn’t Atlanta or Philadelphia, not in general but certainly not when it comes to defense. This Celtics group is miles ahead of those other two teams when it comes to precision and discipline on that end, with windows to attack closing at about 3x the speed they were in the previous series. Miami’s halfcourt offense, which has been the thorn in their side for most of the season, has its hands full in this series.

That being said, Miami actually scored reasonably well in this one even when they weren’t turning turnover into points, posting 112.2 points-per-play in the halfcourt. Boston is the only team that switches more screens than the HEAT, but what the HEAT did so well, before Butler went matchup hunting down the stretch, was make those switches have to be perfect as they either sealed the switch for a roll or slipped the screen entirely. If Boston wasn’t perfect on the handoff, the HEAT had a player running free to the middle of the floor – essentially a manufactured two-on-the-ball situation against a team that switches in part to avoid exactly that sort of thing. The Celtics will surely clean some of that up, but you couldn’t ask much more of Miami’s approach to breaking down one of the toughest defenses to break down.