Jimmy Butler returned to the Miami Heat lineup on Tuesday as they matched up against the Portland Trail Blazers in the only corner of the country that isn’t held in the throes of winter. As it turns out, Miami weather wasn’t the only thing hot in southern Florida. The Blazers shot 49.4% from the field on their way to a 116-107 win over Butler and company. The only thing more fun to watch than the game might be the hand-wringing in Miami over the next couple of days.
Butler scored 13 on just 9 shots—the fewest attempts of all Miami starters—in his return. He had 8 assists beside. Anfernee Simons led the Blazers with 24. Seven Blazers scored in double figures.
Here are some of the trends that defined the game.
Avdija Chasing
Absent Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija took the “guard anyone and everyone” role for Portland’s starting lineup. He went to the perimeter to try to inhibit Duncan Robinson on three-point attempts and stood in the paint to body up Bam Adebayo. Avdija’s heart was in it. The results weren’t quite the same as Camara produces. Both Robinson and Adebayo scored. But the effort was appreciated.
Avdija also became a one-man foul-drawing machine on the other end. He committed to the drive, absorbing contact and getting shots up to force whistles against his counterparts. It was a nice little wrinkle that caused Miami to think twice about Bam’s minutes, for one.
Avdija finished with 16 points, drawing an impressive 10 foul shots (though he hit only 5). He also had 5 assists and 2 steals.
Lane and Threes
Portland had trouble shutting down the lane against Miami, falling under a barrage of drives in the opening quarters which soon became drive-and-kicks when the Blazers collapsed to try and help. Deandre Ayton’s general lack of mobility exacerbated the absence of Camara, leaving the Blazers without some of their usual zing. Those blunted penetration attempts soon became a flurry of threes.
The situation normalized a little when Jabari Walker checked in at center, providing a bit more mobility. Dalano Banton’s length at point guard also helped. But going mobile at the big spots left Portland undersized when guarding Kel’el Ware, becoming a pick-your-poison situation.
Fortunately Portland righted the ship in the second half, playing faster and with more commitment. They ended up tied with Miami in paint points at 46, holding the Heat to just 33.3% shooting from the arc. It was a tale of two halves and it made all the difference.
Size Pays
Fielding a seven-footer isn’t all bad news, however. Ayton had 14 points and 10 rebounds at halftime. Ayton led the Blazers with 6 offensive rebounds, finishing the game with 15 to go along with 22 points. If Portland had trouble with Miami’s frontcourt, at least the Heat also had some trouble with Portland’s.
Ayton limped to the bench with 1:38 remaining in the game. We’ll keep you updated on any injury reports.
Simons on Fire
Anfernee Simons never met a three-point shot he didn’t like tonight. Rightfully so, too. Simons finished the game 6-12 beyond the arc, fileting the Heat like a swordfish. Perhaps he was auditio…uhhhh…showing off his skills in his home state.
Turnovers
Almost every time we mention turnovers this season, it’s about how face-palm painful watching the Blazers cough up the ball is. The story was the opposite tonight. Portland committed zero (0) turnovers in the first half and only 6 for the game. That’s, like, a single quarter for them under normal circumstances. It’s amazing how much easier building and maintaining a lead is when you’re not tossing points to the opponent.
Swell Grant
Jerami Grant scored 9 points in the first 6 minutes after halftime, becoming the main contributor to the streak that gave Portland the game. The final tally in the third was 36-22, Portland. Grant ended up with 18 points and a couple of blocks for the game. Perhaps he was audito…uhhhh…showing off his skills in Anfernee Simons’ home state.
Transition Game
The Blazers put on a clinic in transition, outscoring Miami 21-5 in fast break points. Credit the low turnover numbers we just mentioned. Instead of muddling through the game with a “your turn, my turn” series of layups, Portland actually made the opponent pay for paying slower. This above all made the game easier. Let’s hope the Blazers learn the lesson and keep it up.
Fourth Quarter Reversal
As often happens with the Blazers, the opponent turned around just about everything good we said in the final quarter, closing the lead back enough to threaten the game. Portland’s defense went bonk, as did their speed down the floor. Their offense went cold too, although this was more of a side effect than a main problem.
Injuries aren’t helping the Blazers. Portland’s offensive stalwarts—tonight Simons and Ayton—don’t help the defense much. Some of their best defensive players are out. They need guys like Camara and Robert Williams III who can come in and close out a game credibly while playing under control. Failing that, they’re all but forced to blitz-score their way to the win. When the shots don’t fall, they don’t have a really good back-up plan.
Thank goodness it was a moot point tonight, but a 30-19 final frame for Miami almost ruined Portland’s evening.
Up Next
The Blazers head up the road to face the Orlando Magic at 4:00 PM, Pacific on Thursday.
