Bam Adebayo's struggles and offensive woes defined the Miami Heat's loss, while CJ McCollum ignited the Atlanta Hawks' dominant victory.
Despite celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Miami Heat's first championship in 2006, the current team suffered a critical 127-115 loss against the Atlanta Hawks. Their records drop to 27-25, seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks were dominant for the majority of Tuesday night's game.
Five biggest takeaways:
1. Heat; Bam Adebayo's offensive woes: The three-time All-Star finished with 16 points, but on 25 percent shooting. Most of Adeabyo's misses came from midrange jumpers, including all three three-point attempts. The 28-year-old had a great eight-game stretch, averaging 23.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals.
The Heat were without recently-named All-Star Norman Powell, who's been their leading scorer, averaging 23 points on 47.2 percent shooting from the field and 39.2 percent shooting from three-point range. As Adebayo struggled, the rest of the team could only carry so far.
2. Hawks; CJ McCollum ignites: Tuesday night was the first matchup between the Heat and Hawks since four-time All-Star Trae Young was traded to the Washington Wizards. 13-year veteran CJ McCollum was part of the package and finished with 26 points, the most points scored since joining the Hawks, six three-pointers made, four rebounds, and two assists in 26 minutes.
The 34-year-old has carved out a long career with his efficient three-point shooting. When the Heat attempted a comeback, McCollum had an answer.
3. Heat; Three-point deficiency: The Heat finished the game with 25 percent three-point shooting, making eight out of 32 attempts. As Adeabyo struggled overall, the team failed to knock down long-range shots, while the Hawks were rolling behind McCollum's outstanding performance. They finished with 42 percent three-point shooting, making 21 out of 50 attempts.
4. Hawks; Dominated turnover battle: The Hawks forced six turnovers in the first half, which led to eight points. Despite committing four, the Heat didn't score any points from them. The Hawks finished the game with 18 points off turnovers. The Heat caught up with 11, but it didn't change the final results.
5. Heat; Myron Gardner's impact: The undrafted rookie forward has earned extended minutes over the last 10 games. He had a new career-high with 14 points, six rebounds, two steals, and a team-high +8 in 22 minutes. Gardner makes the little plays that matter most. Whether it's diving for loose balls, crashing the offensive glass, or playing excellent defense, the 24-year-old can be relied upon.
The Heat will travel to the Northeast and face the Boston Celtics on Saturday night, who reportedly acquired All-Star center Nikola Vucevic in a trade with the Chicago Bulls.
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