The true test awaits the Miami Heat this week
When it was announced that the Miami Heat were set to have the NBA’s toughest schedule heading into the restart, many questioned whether this was a team that was going to play any factor in the resumed season.
However, at least in their first game back, the Heat looked more like the dangerous dark horse that many hoped they would be rather than the afterthought that many feared they were slowly transforming into when the season entered hiatus.
In their first test against the Denver Nuggets, the Heat passed with flying colors. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo led the way with 22 points apiece as the Heat trounced the Nuggets 125-105. After a close first half, the Heat broke it open in the third quarter, outscoring Denver 38-22, and they never looked back.
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There was plenty to like about what the Heat did in their restart opener. Their bench, led by Goran Dragic and Kelly Olynyk, was phenomenal in scoring 44 points. Duncan Robinson picked up where he left off in the scrimmages, scoring 17 points 3-7 shooting from 3-point range.
Jae Crowder, who replaced Meyers Leonard in the starting lineup, played swell defense and finished with nine points (3-4 from 3) and seven boards. As a team offensively, the Heat shot 56 percent shooting from the field and 45 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Defensively, they held the Nuggets to 44 percent shooting from the field and 23 percent from 3-point range. With that said, it has to be noted that Denver was without Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, and Will Barton.
Nevertheless, the Heat can only play who’s in front of him and they took full advantage of it. It was smiles all around as the Heat dominated the Nuggets in the restart opener. Though, the true test for the Heat awaits them in the coming days.
Over the course of the next four days, the Heat will play the Toronto Raptors (Monday night), Boston Celtics (Tuesday night), and Milwaukee Bucks (Thursday night).
After the first few games in the bubble, the Heat are sitting steadily in the fourth seed of the Eastern Conference, two games ahead of the Indiana Pacers for the fifth seed, and 1.5 games back of the Boston Celtics for the third seed.
This week, the Heat could either eliminate themselves for contention for the third seed, solidify themselves as the fourth seed, or put themselves in jeopardy of being caught by the Pacers of Sixers.
More importantly, the next few games will be a good measuring stick week. Miami will get their first taste at the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference in the restart bubble. Will their impressive offensive performance reemerge this week against the Eastern Conference elites?
The Heat have gotten off to a great start, there’s no question about that. However, the true test for the potential Eastern Conference dark horse looms large this week. How will we view the Miami Heat at this time next week?