The Heat’s season-opening in their 35th season did not inspire optimism.
After the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals Game 7, many pointed to two players who needed to do more: Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry. They are the Heat’s second and third most-paid players, respectively. Despite his injuries, Lowry was dreadful. Adebayo only appeared on occasion.
Adebayo’s first six field goals were all missed, and he never recovered. Many of Adebayo’s misses were from shoots in the paint that he should have made. He only had a 12-point advantage against Dewayne Dedmon. Dedmon performed admirably, but it’s an issue when he contributes more offense than Adebayo.
Lowry went 1-for-7 from the field. He shot 0 for five from beyond the arc, and it was easy to forget he existed on the court. Goran Dragic, whom the Heat acquired in exchange for Lowry in 2021, outperformed the 2019 NBA champion.
During a solid third quarter in which DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points, the Chicago Bulls gained control, toying with whatever kind of resistance Miami tried to put up.
The Bulls’ cold start to the fourth gave the Heat an opportunity, as a 3-pointer by Max Strus trimmed a 15-point lead to four. Stress filled in for Caleb Martin in the final five minutes. He ended with 22 points and five three-pointers.
But the Heat never came any closer, as missed free shots and errors destroyed any remaining chances for Miami to seize control of the game. With 3:23 remaining, DeRozan hit a 3-pointer to score 112-101. It had ended.
Miami’s season opener got off to a good start, with Tyler Herro hitting three-pointers and Jimmy Butler leading a procession to the foul line. The Heat jumped to an early nine-point lead and led from the opening tip-through just before halftime. Herro demonstrated the attacking variety that he offers to the starting lineup.
However, even in the first half, the Heat’s advantage was not as significant as it should have been due to Adebayo and Lowry’s lack of offensive potency. Miami’s defense crumbled in the third quarter, giving the Bulls accessible routes to the basket for dunks and layups.
Butler led the Heat with 24 points on 5-of-11 and 14-of-16 foul shooting. Butler also grabbed eight rebounds, which is encouraging, given that the Heat never replaced P.J. Tucker.
Herro scored 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting in the first half but lost stream in the second.
Duncan Robinson appeared to get some playing time due to Victor Oladipo’s absence. He filled in for Herro in the first and third quarters. And Robinson hit a 3-pointer before driving to the hoop for a beautiful bank shot.
The Heat will aim to rebound against the Boston Celtics on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
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