Miami shot less than 30 percent from three-point range in one of their worst games against the Pelicans and lost to New Orleans badly. This time, they destroyed the Cavaliers, displaying remarkable play on both ends of the court, particularly defensively, where Spoelstra claimed the turnaround is what “makes this league humbling.”
This is what humbles this league. We were flat in that game and we’re alive in this one, Spoelstra said. We were on the opposite end of it the other night, and our intention, everything, we felt like we’re right heading into it. We just doubled, tripled, and quadrupled down on trying to have a massive, collective defensive effort every single possession and see what that can generate for us. That worked for the majority of the game, and we were able to get some easy ones off of some turnovers and rebounds. Instead of just focusing on the misses or whether the shot was going in or not.
“There were several impressive defensive plays that resulted in easy baskets for the opposition, and you saw the ball enter and travel in a simple way that can alter things,” Spoelstra added. However, you often have to play a lot of very difficult defensive positions in order to see the ball enter the goal easily, and we’re devoted to that.
If the Heat are to finish the regular season with 11 games remaining and secure a top six seed in the Eastern Conference, they cannot afford to make any mistakes. Adebayo told the reporters following the game that “there was a different sense of urgency,” despite the fact that some supporters may have preferred to see this sooner.
When asked what had changed from their previous game, Adebayo replied, “Made shots.” “There was a distinct sense of urgency throughout the game, and making shots undoubtedly helped, but we were also very active on defense, grabbing steals, deflecting shots, and using them for offensive opportunities.”
Debayo finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds, surpassing Hassan Whiteside for the third-most double-double in Heat history with his 186th double-double. But when it came to playing defense, he was outstanding. His main responsibility was to stop Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen, and occasionally, their best player Darius Garland. His objective was to “force them into difficult shots.”
“We simply know how to get the ball out of their hands as much as possible, force them into difficult shots, and you have to live with the outcome,” Adebayo remarked. “It’s really just making that extra effort for us.”
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