Coming off of a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, the Miami Heat were looking for a win in Smoothie King Center as they faced the New Orleans Pelicans. Like other teams who were under .500, they knew a win tonight would even their record before the All-Star break. The last time these teams met was on Christmas, and the Heat came out on top. They wanted to do the same tonight, with the return of their star Jimmy Butler.
The opening quarter of the game was in favor of the Heat. The Pelicans were 32% from the field, while the Heat were 58%. The Pelicans also turned the ball over 6 times, while the heat only had 3 turnovers. Early in the first quarter, the Heat went on an 8-0 scoring run, until a three-pointer ended it from Brandon Ingram of the Pelicans. He continued to try to bring his team back into it, cutting their deficit to 9 with 3:30 left in the quarter, but they couldn’t get closer than that. The Heat went on a 7-0 scoring run, following Ingram’s layup and ending the quarter with a 31-15. If the first quarter proved anything, Zion Williamson is a very vital piece to the Pelicans. His absence on the court was felt drastically.
The start of the second quarter didn’t look that much different. The Heat was still the dominant team in the very beginning, up 17 at the 8:12 mark. Pelicans rookie Kira Lewis Jr. contributed 4 points with a floater and finger-roll layup, closing the Heat’s lead to 13. Knowing they were starting to come back, the Heat called a timeout halfway through the quarter. The Pelicans started to find their niche late into the second as they began to convert off turnovers. However, every time the Pelicans cut their deficit to single digits, the Heat had an answer. The Pelicans went into halftime down 10. The score was 55-45 at the break.
In the third quarter, the Heat offense was looking to get back on track, but it would not work out that way. The Heat were only 35% from the field, a major shift from how they were playing in the first quarter. Neither their offense nor defense were in synch. They were never able to lead the Pelicans by more than 12. The Pelicans let it be known that they were not disappearing. Josh Hart knocked down a three-pointer from half-court at the buzzer to cut their deficit to 7. It was a 77-70 game at the end of the third.
Both teams were neck to neck with each other for much of the fourth. The Pelicans cut their deficit to 4 on a few occasions during the quarter. If Jimmy Butler had anything to say about it, that Pelicans’ momentum would not last long. His turnaround jump shot strengthened his team’s lead to 6 with 5:18 left. Butler knocked in yet another bucket – this time from beyond the arc with under 2-minutes remaining. Although the Heat appeared to be giving the game away, they could walk out of this one with a win. A pair of free throws by Andre Iguodala put the icing on the cake. The Heat beat the Pelicans 103-93.
It is evident that Butler is his team’s savior. He missed 14 games this season. 10 of those games were due to the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols. The other 4 were from a sprained right ankle and knee inflammation. He was out 2 games for each injury. With him on the court, the Heat are 14-8. Without him, they are 4-10. He led the Heat with 29 points and 9 assists.
“Just win at all costs, I’m going to continue to make the right plays,” Butler said of his performance.
The Heat are 18-18, holding 6th place in the Eastern Conference. The Pelicans are 15-21, holding 11th place in the Western Conference.
The Pelicans’ head coach is not too pleased with their efforts in the first half of the season.
“For the first 36 games, we played good offense and bad defense. That’s where we are,” Stan Van Gundy said.
Head coach of the Heat felt differently.
“We have used our experiences to help us get better. From where we were six weeks ago to now, we’re seeing a little more consistency to an identity,” Erik Spoelstra said.
Next Up
The Heat will host the Orlando Magic on Thursday, March 11th, at 8:00pm
The Pelicans will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, March 11th, at 8:00 pm.
