Heat prevails over Nets despite Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier absence

12/23/2024 10:05 PM

MIAMI – After the Heat collapsed against the Magic last Saturday, they bounced back with a home win to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, 110-95. The team came out without Heat star Jimmy Butler and even Terry Rozier and handled business, snapping the three-game skid.

Bam Adebayo led the team with 23 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists as Tyler Hero and Duncan Robinson each had 17. Herro would have 12 rebounds and nine assists to go with the 17 points as even Nikola Jovic led the team off the bench with 18 points.

Here are three takeaways from the Heat’s win over the Nets:

A tale of two quarters in first half for Heat, includes Dru Smith injury

After the Heat broke down against the Magic last Saturday, they wanted to get the dreadful taste out of their mouth by getting off to a fast start against the Nets. They did just that in the first quarter where Miami scored 39 points in the frame as they shot 12 of 20 from the field and nine of 14 from beyond the arc.

They got a huge boost from Nikola Jovic who came off the bench for Miami, scoring 10 points, shooting three of four from the field, and made both of his attempts from three-point range. Some huge buckets from Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. would help as well, the latter who made the start with Butler missing his second straight game with a stomach illness.

However, it would turn around in the second quarter where the offense stalled as they only made five of their 20 attempts from the field, including two of 10 from deep. The period also had some unfortunate news where Dru Smith suffered a lower leg injury, appearing to slip and staying down on the floor until he had to be helped off the floor and go straight to the locker room.

Video of when Dru Smith got hurt, non-contact. Video by @Demar305: #HeatNationpic.twitter.com/ygBJe87qcf

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) December 24, 2024

Smith had been getting consistent Heat minutes as this would not be the first concerning injury as he was recovering from a torn ACL this past offseason. He seemed like a lead candidate in mind for a standard contract after the Heat traded Thomas Bryant to the Indiana Pacers, but depending on the severity of the injury to Smith, which seems to be serious, that is in flux.

Still, Miami has to clean up what was an ugly second period as they led by 14 points, but had a one-point lead at halftime.

Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo close out the Nets in second half

The third quarter would be a little bit of a turnaround for Miami, though they still carried a five-point lead against a struggling Brooklyn team. With Butler out, the offensive workload was thought to be carried to Herro and Adebayo, but each would have a modest game, but the third period was a highlight for the big man.

Looking at the Heat’s captain Adebayo, he would have nine points to go along with four rebounds, each would lead both teams in the 12 minutes played. As a whole the team, shot seven of 16 from the field and just three of 10 from deep compared to the Nets who made nine of 25 from the field and three of eight from three.

In the final frame, Adebayo and Herro would close out the game behind some strong offensive performances when it mattered most as they had eight and seven respectively. They came at a time when Miami needed buckets to stall Brooklyn, which is exactly what they did, leading to the win.

Road test ahead, Heat hope to have Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier back 

With this game in the books, the team has a three-game road trip to look forward to with the health of some stars being the main focus for Miami. Butler has been dealing with a stomach illness, missing the last two games, including the win Monday against the Nets, but it didn’t stop there for the team.

Point guard Terry Rozier was a late add to the injury report Monday, though he was listed as “probable” with left knee inflammation. His status would not change as a Heat spokesperson told ClutchPoints before Erik Spoelstra’s pre-game press conference that Rozier was waiting for the arrival of doctors to see if he could go.

He would go from “probable” to “out” as the former Charlotte Hornets guard had been used as a key play-maker off the bench, coming off his best game, scoring 23 points (season-high) in the Heat’s collapse. The team will look to see any further updates regarding Butler, Rozier, and especially Smith after the concerning lower left leg injury as their next game is against the Magic on Dec. 26.

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