The Miami Heat have won their seventh straight game Thursday night as they beat the Brooklyn Nets, 122-115. These two teams first faced off in the regular season on Nov. 1 where the Heat lost a 16-point lead and fell to the Nets.
This time around, the Heat took a lead, built it up, and mostly sustained it for the rest of the game which has been rare for the team this season. At the end of the day, they protect home court and move on to a brutal five-game road trip.
Here are three takeaways from Miami's win over the Nets as they tied the season series at one a piece:
First half was a slobberknocker
The first 24 minutes of the game was a mostly back-and-forth affair with Brooklyn controlling a good portion of it. Brooklyn is known for playing fast and the Heat looked to be caught off guard at the beginning of the game, but they found their footing later.
While the Heat kept fighting throughout the half, the Nets kept making buckets as they shot about 53 percent from the field and an even 50 percent from deep in the first quarter. On the defensive side, it was a mixture of lapses from Miami, but Brooklyn continued to find ways to get the ball in the basket despite good coverage.
The tides started to change in Miami's favor in the last four minutes of the half. The Heat closed it off with a 14-0 run to bring their lead to six points which set up the fireworks for later in the game.
Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson domination
After star Jimmy Butler scored a then season-high 32 points in the win over the Charlotte Hornets Tuesday, fans got flashbacks to how he shined in the playoffs last year in the Heat's magical run. He replicated that performance once again in the win vs. the Nets where he finished the game with 36 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists.
Butler seemed to coast in the first quarter before he was unleashed in the second quarter and never looked back. He kicked it up a notch in the third period where he exploded with 18 points. Fans have been waiting to see Butler take over a game and they got exactly what they wished for as he was efficient shooting 63 percent (12/19) from the field.
Duncan Robinson also shined against the Nets continuing his stellar performance from the last couple of games as he scored 26 points. Known as a dynamic three-point shooter, he showed that off as he made six of his 10 attempts from behind the arch and was a huge factor of the Heat building their lead.
Entering enemy territory
It's hard to say that a contest with only 12 games into the season is a “must-win,” but with the upcoming stretch for Miami, this was a key victory. After tonight, the Heat now have to endure a five-game road trip that starts Saturday against the Chicago Bulls, then they play them again Monday, the Knicks next Friday, and finally the Nets for the third time this season next Saturday.
It hasn't been an easy start, but with the way Miami has been playing as of late, it would be a mistake to doubt them. With the win to the Nets though, they receive an extra boost of momentum when entering enemy territory before they return home on Nov. 28 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
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