Miami Heat Hold Off Phoenix Suns
Coming off a brutal three-game skid and a road trip that would make anyone want to hug their own bed, the Heat desperately needed a win. They got it, 127-121, but not without sending the blood pressure of every fan in South Florida through the roof first. This wasn’t just a win; it was an exorcism of the last week’s demons, led by a captain who finally looked like himself again.
Bam Adebayo Remembers Who He Is
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Bam Adebayo. The rim has looked about the size of a thimble for the big man recently, with single-digit scoring nights plaguing a guy who is supposed to be the franchise cornerstone. You could see the frustration mounting.
But against the Suns, we got the good version of Adebayo. He came out of the gates looking for violence, attacking the paint with zero hesitation. He had 10 points before some fans had even found their seats in the first quarter.
However, the real story wasn’t the start; it was the finish. When the Suns erased the Heat’s 20-point lead and threatened to steal the game in the fourth, Adebayo didn’t shrink. He expanded. He knocked down three straight triples in clutch time. He finished with 29 points, 9 rebounds, and the kind of swagger that Miami has been missing desperately. It was the bounce-back performance of the season.
Norman Powell and the Dillon Brooks Effect
Sometimes, you just need a villain to wake you up. Enter Dillon Brooks. The Heat were in the middle of their habitual third-quarter nap when Brooks decided to get physical with Norman Powell. Brooks, collecting technical fouls like Pokémon cards, shoved Powell during a drive.
Bad move. If the Heat were sleepwalking, that shove was the bucket of ice water they needed. Powell, who was already having a solid night returning from back soreness, seemed to take the incident personally. He had to be held back by teammates, but he channeled that rage into the basket. Powell dropped 27 points and, fittingly, drilled the clutch three-pointer with 48 seconds left that effectively put the nail in the Suns’ coffin.
Surviving the Third Quarter Curse
Despite the win, Erik Spoelstra has plenty of tape to scream about in the film room. The “Third Quarter Curse” is a very real, very annoying thing for this squad.
The Heat went into halftime up 71-54. They were cruising. The ball was moving, the defense was flying around, and the vibes were immaculate. Then, the third quarter happened. The Suns ripped off a run, outscoring Miami significantly and turning a blowout into a dogfight. Spoelstra had mentioned before the game that the six-minute mark of the third is usually where things fall apart, and history repeated itself right on cue.
While the Heat escaped this time, relying on heroics from Adebayo and Powell to bail them out, playing with your food is a dangerous game. You can get away with a third-quarter collapse when you shoot the lights out in the fourth, but that’s not a sustainable business model for a team with playoff aspirations.
What’s Next For the Heat?
It wasn’t all sunshine; Davion Mitchell left with a shoulder contusion, and Tyler Herro had a bit of a chaotic, turnover-prone night despite putting up 23 points. But a win is a win, especially when you’ve been sliding down the standings.
The victory moves Miami back to two games over .500, but there isn’t much time to celebrate. The Boston Celtics are coming to town on Thursday, and they aren’t going to be as forgiving of a third-quarter meltdown as the Suns were.
