Missed threes and defensive lapses plague the Miami Heat. Can they discover offensive balance before the All-Star break?
The Miami Heat's loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, with a final score of 127-110, was simply a "math equation." They shot great from inside the arc, 69.4 percent, but couldn't hit from long range, making nine three-pointers out of 45 attempts, 20 percent.
Norman Powell alluded to the difficulty of catching up while overcoming shooting struggles.
"We were making twos, they're [Blazers] hitting threes," he said.
Powell struggled the most from behind the arc, missing all seven shots, finishing with 18 points, an assist, a steal, and a block in 28 minutes.
"We've got to find a balance," he added. "If the shots aren't going the way we like, we've got to find a different flow to attack the game. Getting good quality looks rather than just getting looks up."
The Blazers made 20 three-pointers out of 50 attempts, 40 percent, despite entering the matchup with a season average of 33.9 percent, second-worst in the league. They had four starters score in double figures, making 13 three-pointers between them.
Also, undrafted rookie guard Caleb Love finished with an outstanding performance: 20 points, four three-pointers made, four rebounds, and four assists in 34 minutes.
Simone Fontecchio was the only consistent scorer from behind the arc for the Heat, finishing with 17 points, leading the team with three three-pointers made, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 25 minutes.
"They [Blazers] started hitting a lot of shots at the beginning of the game," he said. "We probably didn't adjust, still leaving too much air space, but we got to be able to respond. Even if we're not making shots, even if they're making a lot of shots, we've got to be able to take the hit and respond."
The Heat haven't won back-to-back games since Jan. 1st, against the Detroit Pistons. They've lost seven out of 11 games since then. The main issues have come from the defensive end, allowing an average of 121.7 opposing points, which is second-worst in the league during this span, only ahead of the Utah Jazz, whom the Heat face on Saturday.
Outside of three-time All-Star center Bam Adebayo, who's made the All-Defensive team five times, there aren't lockdown defenders on the roster.
It's worth noting that second-year center Kel'el Ware is out for the rest of the Heat's West Coast road trip due to a hamstring injury, traveling back to Miami seeking treatment.
The regular season has passed the mid-point and the All-Star break is a few weeks away. The level of urgency to solve internal struggles must be higher, as the Heat currently sit with a 23-22 record, eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
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