BBNBA: Heat, Suns fend off rivals behind hot shooting
Folks, they’re at it again. It’s college basketball’s biggest week of the year, but the NBA is doing all it can to steal the SportsCenter headlines from under Coach K’s nose. On Friday, LeBron James scored 50 points; on Sunday, Kevin Durant showed him up with a 53-piece; on Monday, our guy Karl-Anthony Towns had the night of his life and scored 60; and Tuesday night, Kyrie Irving matched him with 60 of his own. MADNESS!
However, the KSR bylaws put a strict kibosh on Kyrie Irving discourse over two sentences in length. Anyway, who wants to talk about Dukies at a time like this? So today we’re focusing on the few ex-‘Cats who did show out in Tuesday’s brief four-game slate. Let’s get right to it.
Herro, Heat steal late victory in Butler’s absence
The No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, for the time being, is the Miami Heat. They entered Tuesday with a two-game lead over the Bucks in second, having won seven of 10 since the All-Star break. But things looked shaky in South Beach for a moment on Tuesday night when leading scorer Jimmy Butler was sidelined against the Pistons. Butler sprained his ankle in the second quarter and didn’t return after halftime. Detroit surged ahead in his absence, holding Miami to its lowest third-quarter total all season with just 11 points.
The Heat was able to escape with a win thanks to the unlikely duo of Tyler Herro and Max Strus, who combined for 25 points and five three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Herro led all scorers with 29 in the game, including this dagger that gave his team the separation it needed late:
As for Strus, he scored all 16 of his points in the final period while filling in for Butler. Bam Adebayo chipped in 16 points and eight rebounds after battling foul trouble in the first half. The Pistons were led by 22 points from Jerami Grant, while Hamidou Diallo sat out his third straight game with a sprained finger. But the true story is Herro, who has all but locked up the Sixth Man of the Year award with his play off the bench this season.
Miami now holds a 2.5 game lead for first place in the East, trailing only Phoenix, Memphis and Golden State for the best record in the league. They’re due to take on SGA and the Thunder next up on Friday.
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Booker, Suns polish off Pelicans early
Unlike Kyrie Irving (or Max Strus, for that matter), Devin Booker is a man with enough March Madness experience to respect this sacred week. He did his job efficiently on Tuesday, dropping a clean 27 points in three quarters as Phoenix secured their NBA-leading 55th win. Looking for a blueprint on how to put a team away on the road? Take note.
With 45 seconds left in the third quarter, the Suns led the Pelicans by seven. Booker grabbed a rebound and dribbled down court. He made his move around the 35-second mark, driving to the elbow and elevating for this and-one finish:
After a miss on the other end, Booker wasted no time getting right back down the floor to let another shot fly before the buzzer. Just like that, the seven-point lead became 13.
The Suns pulled away early in the fourth, and Booker ended up sitting the rest of the way. Phoenix held on 131-115 to collect their fourth win in eight days, maintaining a 7.5 game lead over the Grizzlies. That’s Suns basketball in a nutshell right there.
Booker & co. will be back in action Wednesday night, facing off against the Rockets at 8:00 E.T.
News & Notes:
- If you missed it, check out Coach Cal’s Twitter thread from Tuesday detailing his hilarious exchange with Karl-Anthony Towns after KAT’s big night. That man will NEVER forgive him for not letting him shoot threes in college…
- Herro and Towns may not be the only ‘Cats earning award consideration this year. Tyrese Maxey is a serious candidate for Most Improved Player, says one CBS Sports writer.
- With no ‘Cats on national TV, Wednesday’s BBNBA Game of the Day is Lakers @ Timberwolves at 8:00 on NBA League Pass. I know you’re thirsting to see Wenyen Gabriel vs. Jarred Vanderbilt (plus some other guys, I guess).
Full stats from Tuesday:
Player | Result | Points | FG (3PA) | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | Turnovers | Minutes | +/- |
| Tyler Herro (MIA) | 105-98 W vs. DET | 29 | 8-15 (4-8) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 34 | +1 |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 131-115 W @ NOP | 27 | 11-20 (4-9) | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 30 | +30 |
| Bam Adebayo (MIA) | 105-98 W vs. DET | 16 | 4-8 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 | +25 |
| Isaiah Jackson (IND) | 135-102 L vs. MEM | 9 | 3-9 (0-1) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 21 | -32 |
| Hamidou Diallo (DET) | 105-98 L @ MIA | DNP – Finger Injury | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Today in the NBA
7:00 – Hawks (Knox) @ Hornets (Washington, Richards)
7:00 – 76ers (Maxey) @ Cavaliers (Rondo)
7:00 – Nuggets (Cousins, Murray*) @ Wizards
7:30 (ESPN) – Mavericks @ Nets
7:30 – Trail Blazers (Bledsoe*) @ Knicks (Randle, Quickley, Noel*)
8:00 – Suns (Booker) @ Rockets (Wall*)
8:00 – Lakers (Monk, Gabriel, Davis*) @ Timberwolves (KAT, Vanderbilt)
8:30 – Thunder (SGA, Sarr) @ Spurs (Johnson)
9:00 – Bulls @ Jazz
10:00 (ESPN) – Celtics @ Warriors
10:00 – Bucks @ Kings (Fox, Lyles)
10:30 – Raptors @ Clippers (Boston Jr.)
* – inactive
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