Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat were in Atlanta Wednesday evening taking on Trae Young and the struggling Atlanta Hawks. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler and company yet again, so it was up to the plethora of other talents to be the spark that Miami needed to get and secure the win.
Young Talent
The Heat came to Atlanta having won two straight games and eight of their last ten. Miami looked to keep up that momentum in hopes that it will translate further down the line when the playoffs come around. Miami started a little sluggish in the first quarter, only scoring 21 points on a Hawks team that ranks 28th in the NBA in defensive rating. Once the first quarter had passed, it was all she wrote. Miami found their footing and ran with it; led by a great performance by Tyler Herro, who put up a near triple-double with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Heat played all-around team basketball against Atlanta. Seven out of the nine players who recorded significant playing time had 10 or more points, and ultimately this team ball led to a huge victory against the Hawks.
Opposition
Atlanta came into this game on a two-game losing streak and lost seven out of their last ten games. Rising star Trae Young simply couldn’t get anything going against Miami. Young had 15 points on 4/15 shooting and did not look like the assassin that coaches and players had come to know from last season. John Collins stood out for Atlanta; Collins had 16 points and 11 assists in 32 minutes of play in an effort that couldn’t get it done against a short-handed Miami team. Deandre Hunter also added 15 points in 24 points off the bench as he begins to solidify himself as a great “3 and D” player in the NBA. Efforts made by the Atlanta Hawks weren’t enough as the Miami Heat ran away with this game.
What’s Next?
The Heat and Hawks rematch and face each other this Friday night in Miami.