The Miami Heat delivered one of their most dominant performances of the season Wednesday night, dismantling the Atlanta Hawks 131-109 at Kaseya Center. Fueled by a season-best shooting display, Miami snapped out of its recent slump in emphatic fashion, securing its first double-digit win since January.
The Heat shot a blistering 59.2% from the field and knocked down 23 three-pointers on 54.8% shooting, marking their second-most made threes in franchise history. Their offensive rating of 139.4 points per 100 possessions was the second-best this season, proving that when Miami’s shots are falling, they are a force to be reckoned with.
Despite Miami’s offensive explosion, the game remained competitive through the first half. Atlanta even held a five-point lead early in the third quarter, but that’s when the Heat flipped the script. A 39-20 run to close the period gave Miami a commanding 14-point lead heading into the fourth, a cushion they never relinquished.
The third quarter was a masterclass in offensive efficiency. Miami poured in 42 points, shooting 66.7% from the field, 54.5% from three, and 92.3% from the free-throw line. The Heat’s press-zone defense also began to stifle the Hawks, limiting them to just 44 second-half points on 41.5% shooting and a dismal 25% from deep.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra credited the team’s defensive adjustments for the turnaround.
“In the second half, our defense really turned up,” Spoelstra said. “Whoever was going to take control defensively was going to win this game.”
It wasn’t just Miami’s stars shining in this one as seven players finished in double figures, highlighting the team’s depth.
-Duncan Robinson led the way with 24 points, drilling six threes.
-Tyler Herro recorded a double-double with 24 points and 10 assists.
-Bam Adebayo added 20 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.
-Davion Mitchell had a near-perfect shooting night, tallying 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting and a flawless 5-of-5 from beyond the arc.
-Andrew Wiggins chipped in with 15 points and six assists.
-Haywood Highsmith made the most of his opportunity, scoring 14 points on 4-of-5 from deep, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out five assists.
-Kel’el Ware provided a strong interior presence with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Herro, who has been vocal about Miami needing to stack wins, emphasized the importance of the victory.
“Anytime we can get a win right now, we’re happy,” Herro said. “By one point, half a point, 30 points, whatever it is, we’ll take it and build off this.”
After sitting out four consecutive games, Haywood Highsmith re-entered the rotation and made an immediate impact. His energy, floor spacing, and hustle were invaluable as Miami outscored Atlanta by 31 points when he was on the floor.
“You felt his energy and he earned all those minutes,” Spoelstra said of Highsmith. “I couldn’t take him out of the game.”
Highsmith himself acknowledged the significance of the moment.
“It was definitely gratifying to get the opportunity and just provide a spark,” he said.
Spoelstra’s lineup decisions continue to be fluid, adjusting based on performance. Kyle Anderson, Alec Burks, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. saw minutes early, but as Robinson and Highsmith caught fire, Spoelstra leaned on a tight seven-man rotation in the second half. Terry Rozier and Kevin Love were left out of the rotation entirely.
The win moves Miami to eighth place in the Eastern Conference, just half a game behind the Orlando Magic for seventh. However, the Heat still face an uphill battle to avoid the play-in tournament, trailing the sixth-place Detroit Pistons by five games.
With nine of their next 10 games at home, Miami has a prime opportunity to make a late-season push. As Spoelstra put it,
“It’s set up to have a really fun March run here.”
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