It was a night of firsts for the Miami Heat, who actually won their third straight overall in beating the San Antonio Spurs by a 107-87 count on Wednesday. But the Heat’s 20-point victory was the largest margin of victory in San Antonio — ever.
The Heat played inspired basketball and once again got a balanced scoring attack. Bam Adebayo in particular played with a vengeance. He scored 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out five assists.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said he thinks Adebayo may have been a little ticked off from not being able to play in the game before vs. Houston.
“I think he was really angry at all of us for not being able to play the Houston game,” Spoelstra said. “So, I think he just wanted to get out there and compete.”
Adebayo downplayed that sentiment, stating he merely wanted to go out there and work hard, as he always does. He just has a joy and love for the game.
“I don’t think it was pent-up aggression,” Adebayo said of his one-game absence. “Just happy to be out there. Happy to be out there with my team.”
Other Heat players chipped in with strong performances — including Jimmy Butler, who scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out 11 assists in 34 minutes. Butler has once again been a steadying force for the Heat. When he performs like the Swiss Army Knife he is, the Heat win. Plain and simple, it isn’t hard to tell. He makes the Heat an extremely dangerous team because as he goes, the team goes.
Tyler Herro also had a huge game off of the bench. He scored 22 points, grabbed six rebounds and totalled four assists. With Butler, Adebayo, and Herro all having strong performances, it isn’t a mystery why the Heat were able to blow out the Spurs.
The Heat now takes their talents to the ATL to face the Hawks on Friday. Tipoff is at 7:30 pm Eastern.
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