Time to take stock and begin the clean up preparation for game 3.
Nuggets are certainly thinking, only if we had done this and not that, as most teams do after a close loss. So it is imperative the Heat begin their preparation early and I have no doubt Spo is already doing that, knowing how hard he works to get his team ready. These are solely my own thoughts.
1. May consider speeding up the offense intermittently before the Nuggets set up their defense.
2. Our transition defense in the first half with the 2nd unit was anemic to say the least. It needs to be faster to check the pace of Nuggets offense.
3. We have played from behind in games 1 and 2, as much as 21 pts in game 1 and 15 pts in game 2. It may not work in game 3. We need to keep the score tighter for game 3 either with our defense or scoring. I am certain that the Nuggets are not happy to see their big leads erased and that they are also doing their own clean up adjustments too.
4. Expect the Nuggets with their bruised ego to come out ferocious. It is possible that Murray plays throughout the 4 quarters as did Knick's Jalen Brunson in one of the Knick/Heat games, so as to keep the tempo fast and take the Heat off guide at home. That might be too much for Jimmy to be Murray's sole defender, as no other Heat player has done a better job defending Murray. Murray played all 24 minutes of the first half in game 2, so it is not inconceivable to think that he will play all 48 minutes or 40 plus minutes of game 3. Michael Malone was not pleased that his team played to the slower pace of the Heat beginning the 4th quarter, hence a likely strategy of a fast tempo game 3 for his team.
5. I liked the 10 man rotation of game 2, it kept bodies fresh.
6. Spo to avoid calling untimely timeout and replacement if possible, as he did in 1st half of game 1, which Nuggets took advantage of, to blow to up the lead.
7. May see some piece of Ty.
8. How do we defend lobs to Jokic (easily the tallest player on the court) in the paint? With hindsight, If the last 9 seconds of game 2 were to be replayed, it is possible that lobbing a pass to Jokic in the paint might be a preferred option for the Nuggets than have Murray take a contested 3.
9. Of the next 3 games, this game may be considered a must win game by the Nuggets in other to swing the momentum back in their favor. Fortunately, for the Heat every game is a must win game as per Heat's culture.That is comforting.
10. Will keep my fingers crossed for a fairly balanced officiating from the crew.
Starting 2000, Heat is no. 3 on the list for most playoff wins behind Spurs and Lakers. When we win it all (see what I did there? lol) we will surpass LA. 3 more to 4!!
If you were to make a bet on David (with a sling and a stone) or Goliath (with a sword and armor) who would you bet on? I know who I would bet on...especially at +310. Miami was +30,000 on April 13, 2023.
I would not have bet on this team in April. The only bet I would have felt 100% confident about was Game 2 in Boston. I definitely don't have that level of confidence, but I am feeling pretty good about this series. I'm guessing these teams split the next two in Miami, this series goes 6 or 7 games, and once we get late in the series Michael Porter Jr., KCP, or Aaron Gordon literally shit their pants on national television. Shoutout to former Heat victim Paul Pierce.
People love underdogs. Just see movie scripts, stories. Large number are all abt underdogs. Heck even fans of other teams with "blind hate" (their term) on the Heat are making them believers at least. Lots even say why cnt our team be more like Miami? Culture effect throughout the league.
Has anyone watched an NBA game on TV muted? I find it much more pleasing. It was by accident I discovered it in game 7 of the Heat/Celtics series.. Having been so downcast from the straight losses by the Heat in that series, I was fed up hearing the pro Celtics commentaries from all the analysts for game 7. So, I decided to watch the game muted. I felt so at ease and calmer watching the game. Since then, I have watched games 1 and 2 of the Heat/Nuggets series muted. I find it more rewarding, more peaceful and calmer to watch. I am able to pick out nuances from the game better objectively and do not rely on the filters from the commentators. You see what Heat or Denver are doing or not doing unfiltered. After the game, I now watch the post game analysis unmuted. I highly recommend watching the game muted and your experience might be like mine, less adrenaline and more of endorphins.
For better or worse, I can only see the Finals games with the announcers turned off. It's cool because you also get a better feel for the crowd. For anyone that's interested, its ESPN3
One better. DVR it and start watching about 30-45 minutes into the game. You can fast forward through all the talking heads and commercials and wind up watching finish at same time as everyone else. Works for me.
Heat struggles with size against the Nuggets. We have seen how even the Lakers struggle against the Nuggets with size & length. Against the Lakers, even with AD, Jokic’s size & length outmatched AD. And the nuggets offense was to lure AD out of the pain for others & Jokic to attack.
But here Heat played a rotating Zone Defense to keep Bam in the paint as much as they can. With the wings rotating over the front Jokic in the high post as much as they can & to help on the roller in PnR situations so Bam can stay out of the action & be ready for help side rim protection. When Jokic is on the high post, the 2-3 zone becomes 1-3-1. Credit to the coaching staff that reviewed those past denver tapes.
Interestingly, every time Murray gets the ball & initiates a PnR, the Zone Defense always blitz Murray, even tho it is a Zone Defense. Very obvious they want to force the ball out of his hands & let the others take the shot, but the Nuggets have players who are very willing to take that shot. It will be tough if the other players knock their shots down and I doubt Spo and his team will not adapt. But this adjustment so far seems to be the best in keeping the paint as protected as they can with Bam.
I was just imagining if the Miami Heat big three had this experienced Spo as a coach. Lebron's take of multiple championships will be probably facts by now.
Damn. Playoff coaching is really a migraine to do. If i was the Head Coach. I will probably be like Doc Rivers and just let my Superstar play and hope that we win.
To get out of such problems with bigs in future, Heat have to stop their half hearted measures to get bigs, unlike their efforts to get wings and PGs from the sky force. They should get bigs in the G league who are ready to play now in the NBA, as their wings and PGs have. Not get bigs they will rather keep on the bench like Yurt and Orlando. This small ball mindset is ok, I have no issues with it if you are prepared to play bigs when you need them most. Golden state the mastermind of small ball, have bigs on their bench that they are willing to throw into the fray when they need them. GSW do not get bigs and keep them on the bench when the situation calls for them to play. That is my issue with Miami small ball mind set.
Heat need a big center who can shoot 3's and defend the paint, like Brook Lopez (who is a free agent). That leaves Bam free to roam and maybe develop a 3 of his own. (I see Big Guac eventually developing into this kind of player down the road, whether with Miami or elsewhere).
I love the way defenders chase Duncan around tenaciously. Ironically, they may boost his confidence in the process. Maybe in his mind Duncan is saying "Oh, I must be very important for you to be sticking so close to me". Duncan, please keep doing what you are doing...those cutters to the rim, hitting opens 3 and have them tire out by chasing you around, they are contributing to the team's success.
Michael Malone is scared as hell. I said it before during game 1, that the way he calls time out for his team, made it look like he is scared of the Heat. Today, he confirmed that to me with his post match media conference of game 2. He stated that even though they won game1, that he has been saying to the team that they did not play well in game1 and that finally caught up with the team in game 2. Hmmmm. Let's enjoy the moment, Heat fans. Few hours from now, we shall start talking about what the Heat needs to clean up before game 3. A scared enemy is an irrational and dangerous foe.
I don't think he's scared. I think he preaches hustle and hard work as much as the Heat coaches do, and he sees the Heat outhustling and outworking his players out there. He's not scared, he's smart!
He is scared and nervous! He wants double digits lead not single digit lead with the Heat. Anytime the Heat cuts the lead down to 10, he calls timeout. With other teams, I did not see him call many timeouts frequently, even when his team is lagging behind and playing catch up, he lets them play through it.
He's not used to seeing his team get outworked. Say what you will about the talent on the Wolves, Suns, or Lakers, but none of those teams scream "hard working bunch of dudes" to me. The Nuggets have been the big bully, pushing people around. The Heat are the first team to push back
I am not surprised that Heat got the W. This is Playoff Miami Heat, not Season Miami Heat. Miami's winning this conference comes down to physicality in defense and 3-point shooting. Heat needs to do the Ray Allen method: shoot threes all day long in practice. Bam's jump shot has improved, but he needs more practice. Bam and Zeller need to control the ball in the paint. Most important: when the Joker throws his classic pass to Jordan, et al, treat the pass as being sent to the Heat and try to get the pass. Gordon is always lurking. Block him below the basket. Basket Ball is shoot the ball into the basket , block the opponent's ball going into the basket, AND ... "get the ball coming out of the basket". Lastly, Denver may have more individual talent, but the HEAT has a unique "team talent". Heat is on fire! GO HEAT!!!
“It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog."
-or-
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
Great game. That Denver elevation is no joke. Crazy to see our "best conditioned" athletes labor through the game. All good, though, because we came out with the win. Much respect to Denver, they're a real good team. At the end of the season, if you told me we'd be in the finals with a chance to win, I would have thought you were off of your rocker. Yet... Here we are. Good times!
Yes... I live close to sea level and vacationed there a few years ago. The air is so dry there compared to the high humidity here. I felt like I constantly had to drink water and I experienced headaches that I normally wouldn't have. When hiking or climbing up stairs, I was more out of breath than normal. It's a real thing.
For me the celebration of game 2 is over.
Time to take stock and begin the clean up preparation for game 3.
Nuggets are certainly thinking, only if we had done this and not that, as most teams do after a close loss. So it is imperative the Heat begin their preparation early and I have no doubt Spo is already doing that, knowing how hard he works to get his team ready. These are solely my own thoughts.
1. May consider speeding up the offense intermittently before the Nuggets set up their defense.
2. Our transition defense in the first half with the 2nd unit was anemic to say the least. It needs to be faster to check the pace of Nuggets offense.
3. We have played from behind in games 1 and 2, as much as 21 pts in game 1 and 15 pts in game 2. It may not work in game 3. We need to keep the score tighter for game 3 either with our defense or scoring. I am certain that the Nuggets are not happy to see their big leads erased and that they are also doing their own clean up adjustments too.
4. Expect the Nuggets with their bruised ego to come out ferocious. It is possible that Murray plays throughout the 4 quarters as did Knick's Jalen Brunson in one of the Knick/Heat games, so as to keep the tempo fast and take the Heat off guide at home. That might be too much for Jimmy to be Murray's sole defender, as no other Heat player has done a better job defending Murray. Murray played all 24 minutes of the first half in game 2, so it is not inconceivable to think that he will play all 48 minutes or 40 plus minutes of game 3. Michael Malone was not pleased that his team played to the slower pace of the Heat beginning the 4th quarter, hence a likely strategy of a fast tempo game 3 for his team.
5. I liked the 10 man rotation of game 2, it kept bodies fresh.
6. Spo to avoid calling untimely timeout and replacement if possible, as he did in 1st half of game 1, which Nuggets took advantage of, to blow to up the lead.
7. May see some piece of Ty.
8. How do we defend lobs to Jokic (easily the tallest player on the court) in the paint? With hindsight, If the last 9 seconds of game 2 were to be replayed, it is possible that lobbing a pass to Jokic in the paint might be a preferred option for the Nuggets than have Murray take a contested 3.
9. Of the next 3 games, this game may be considered a must win game by the Nuggets in other to swing the momentum back in their favor. Fortunately, for the Heat every game is a must win game as per Heat's culture.That is comforting.
10. Will keep my fingers crossed for a fairly balanced officiating from the crew.
Go Heat, Go!
Shoutout to Coach Fiz for getting a job with the Suns.
and more tidbits...from HHH fb page.
...the last time the Miami Heat won in Denver was December of 2016...
The starting 5 in that game:
-Goran Dragic
-Rodney Mcgruder
-Luke Babbit
-Josh McRoberts
-Hassan Whiteside
cnt even remember what McRoberts looks like
also rec for the Dragon and Count Blockula
rec for McGOATer
josh mc injured
rec for McBob
Some nice stats...
Starting 2000, Heat is no. 3 on the list for most playoff wins behind Spurs and Lakers. When we win it all (see what I did there? lol) we will surpass LA. 3 more to 4!!
If you were to make a bet on David (with a sling and a stone) or Goliath (with a sword and armor) who would you bet on? I know who I would bet on...especially at +310. Miami was +30,000 on April 13, 2023.
https://www.newsweek.com/updated-2023-nba-championship-odds-ahead-first-round-1794331
GO HEAT!!!
I would not have bet on this team in April. The only bet I would have felt 100% confident about was Game 2 in Boston. I definitely don't have that level of confidence, but I am feeling pretty good about this series. I'm guessing these teams split the next two in Miami, this series goes 6 or 7 games, and once we get late in the series Michael Porter Jr., KCP, or Aaron Gordon literally shit their pants on national television. Shoutout to former Heat victim Paul Pierce.
HEAT IN SIX!
The Heat are getting a lot of new fans. It turns out that people like to see a good scrappy underdog TEAM.
Welcome aboard.
It must be so confusing to those who don't follow the Heat and they keep saying that playoff Jimmy needs to show up for the Heat to have a chance.
We've never been a one man show. Opponents never know who will do damage on any given night.
Name your style of play. We can play that way.
People love underdogs. Just see movie scripts, stories. Large number are all abt underdogs. Heck even fans of other teams with "blind hate" (their term) on the Heat are making them believers at least. Lots even say why cnt our team be more like Miami? Culture effect throughout the league.
Has anyone watched an NBA game on TV muted? I find it much more pleasing. It was by accident I discovered it in game 7 of the Heat/Celtics series.. Having been so downcast from the straight losses by the Heat in that series, I was fed up hearing the pro Celtics commentaries from all the analysts for game 7. So, I decided to watch the game muted. I felt so at ease and calmer watching the game. Since then, I have watched games 1 and 2 of the Heat/Nuggets series muted. I find it more rewarding, more peaceful and calmer to watch. I am able to pick out nuances from the game better objectively and do not rely on the filters from the commentators. You see what Heat or Denver are doing or not doing unfiltered. After the game, I now watch the post game analysis unmuted. I highly recommend watching the game muted and your experience might be like mine, less adrenaline and more of endorphins.
Kevin Harlan is must listen TV
For better or worse, I can only see the Finals games with the announcers turned off. It's cool because you also get a better feel for the crowd. For anyone that's interested, its ESPN3
Agree but I like the crowd noise muted. Every man to his own taste.
good news. Aside from the big run in the 2nd quarter, the crowd was pretty muted for most of the game
One better. DVR it and start watching about 30-45 minutes into the game. You can fast forward through all the talking heads and commercials and wind up watching finish at same time as everyone else. Works for me.
Not beeing native english speaking has the same effect.. its like background noise,you dont have to pay much attention to it.
Not exactly, the highs and lows of the crowd noise is also eliminated when muted.
Heat struggles with size against the Nuggets. We have seen how even the Lakers struggle against the Nuggets with size & length. Against the Lakers, even with AD, Jokic’s size & length outmatched AD. And the nuggets offense was to lure AD out of the pain for others & Jokic to attack.
But here Heat played a rotating Zone Defense to keep Bam in the paint as much as they can. With the wings rotating over the front Jokic in the high post as much as they can & to help on the roller in PnR situations so Bam can stay out of the action & be ready for help side rim protection. When Jokic is on the high post, the 2-3 zone becomes 1-3-1. Credit to the coaching staff that reviewed those past denver tapes.
Interestingly, every time Murray gets the ball & initiates a PnR, the Zone Defense always blitz Murray, even tho it is a Zone Defense. Very obvious they want to force the ball out of his hands & let the others take the shot, but the Nuggets have players who are very willing to take that shot. It will be tough if the other players knock their shots down and I doubt Spo and his team will not adapt. But this adjustment so far seems to be the best in keeping the paint as protected as they can with Bam.
I was just imagining if the Miami Heat big three had this experienced Spo as a coach. Lebron's take of multiple championships will be probably facts by now.
Damn. Playoff coaching is really a migraine to do. If i was the Head Coach. I will probably be like Doc Rivers and just let my Superstar play and hope that we win.
To get out of such problems with bigs in future, Heat have to stop their half hearted measures to get bigs, unlike their efforts to get wings and PGs from the sky force. They should get bigs in the G league who are ready to play now in the NBA, as their wings and PGs have. Not get bigs they will rather keep on the bench like Yurt and Orlando. This small ball mindset is ok, I have no issues with it if you are prepared to play bigs when you need them most. Golden state the mastermind of small ball, have bigs on their bench that they are willing to throw into the fray when they need them. GSW do not get bigs and keep them on the bench when the situation calls for them to play. That is my issue with Miami small ball mind set.
Heat need a big center who can shoot 3's and defend the paint, like Brook Lopez (who is a free agent). That leaves Bam free to roam and maybe develop a 3 of his own. (I see Big Guac eventually developing into this kind of player down the road, whether with Miami or elsewhere).
Who is big Guac?
Big Guac.
https://youtu.be/R2fbSCKrqtM
Omer Yurtseven
Yes, I know him. I did not know that he also goes by big Guac.
We can cool down on the sweep talk. :P
Heat could still sweep them at home
Bam keep dropping those......!
I love the way defenders chase Duncan around tenaciously. Ironically, they may boost his confidence in the process. Maybe in his mind Duncan is saying "Oh, I must be very important for you to be sticking so close to me". Duncan, please keep doing what you are doing...those cutters to the rim, hitting opens 3 and have them tire out by chasing you around, they are contributing to the team's success.
Go Heat, Go!
Michael Malone is scared as hell. I said it before during game 1, that the way he calls time out for his team, made it look like he is scared of the Heat. Today, he confirmed that to me with his post match media conference of game 2. He stated that even though they won game1, that he has been saying to the team that they did not play well in game1 and that finally caught up with the team in game 2. Hmmmm. Let's enjoy the moment, Heat fans. Few hours from now, we shall start talking about what the Heat needs to clean up before game 3. A scared enemy is an irrational and dangerous foe.
Go Heat, Go !
I don't think he's scared. I think he preaches hustle and hard work as much as the Heat coaches do, and he sees the Heat outhustling and outworking his players out there. He's not scared, he's smart!
He is scared and nervous! He wants double digits lead not single digit lead with the Heat. Anytime the Heat cuts the lead down to 10, he calls timeout. With other teams, I did not see him call many timeouts frequently, even when his team is lagging behind and playing catch up, he lets them play through it.
He's not used to seeing his team get outworked. Say what you will about the talent on the Wolves, Suns, or Lakers, but none of those teams scream "hard working bunch of dudes" to me. The Nuggets have been the big bully, pushing people around. The Heat are the first team to push back
I am not surprised that Heat got the W. This is Playoff Miami Heat, not Season Miami Heat. Miami's winning this conference comes down to physicality in defense and 3-point shooting. Heat needs to do the Ray Allen method: shoot threes all day long in practice. Bam's jump shot has improved, but he needs more practice. Bam and Zeller need to control the ball in the paint. Most important: when the Joker throws his classic pass to Jordan, et al, treat the pass as being sent to the Heat and try to get the pass. Gordon is always lurking. Block him below the basket. Basket Ball is shoot the ball into the basket , block the opponent's ball going into the basket, AND ... "get the ball coming out of the basket". Lastly, Denver may have more individual talent, but the HEAT has a unique "team talent". Heat is on fire! GO HEAT!!!
I am with you on this. Go Heat, Go!
kcp is the new jalen brown thank u very much sir keep up your good work
YOU MAKE THE CALL...
“It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog."
-or-
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
-or-
"I love being the underdog."
GO HEAT!!!
I think Jimmy Buckets would go for #3.
All good, but I’ve always liked the first.
Great game. That Denver elevation is no joke. Crazy to see our "best conditioned" athletes labor through the game. All good, though, because we came out with the win. Much respect to Denver, they're a real good team. At the end of the season, if you told me we'd be in the finals with a chance to win, I would have thought you were off of your rocker. Yet... Here we are. Good times!
Yeah I was wondering about that so-called mile high Denver. Anybody been there and felt the difference? Thanks!
Yes... I live close to sea level and vacationed there a few years ago. The air is so dry there compared to the high humidity here. I felt like I constantly had to drink water and I experienced headaches that I normally wouldn't have. When hiking or climbing up stairs, I was more out of breath than normal. It's a real thing.
nothing tires dunc out great endurance .like to give duncs endurance to jimmy
Dunca stole Yurt's guac since he wasn't using it
Dunca? When did he graduate from Uncan?
Sweeterswish! Cool!