標籤: Miamis

After the Miami Heat’s dominant win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, the team made a quick turnaround for an important game on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets, who were two games behind them in the Eastern Conference standings. However, the Heat would come out on top against the Hornets in a 128–120 victory on the road, as head coach Erik Spoelstra explained the result.

There’s no denying how dominant Charlotte was playing before Friday night, winning six games in a row and going 16-9 in their last 25 contests. Nevertheless, Miami would get an important win in a high-pressure situation, which was an issue for the team, making the win “satisfying” for Spoelstra.

“It was really gratifying to see our guys react in these pressure moments,” Spoelstra said via the team’s YouTube page. “Our game is trending really well on both ends of the court. Our defense is becoming more consistent.”

“I really want our guys to have these types of moments, I’ve been saying that for the last month,” Spoelstra added. “It’s the best time of the year. We feel like our game is running so great on both ends of the court. Our defense is getting more consistent. You see the effort, and you see more guys making an impact. And then offensively, since the start of the new year we’ve felt like our offense has been running in a good way.”

Coach Spo on tonight’s win:

“I really want our players to have moments like this. That’s what I’ve been saying for the last month. This is the best time of the year. We feel like our game has been trending so great on both ends of the court… Now it’s about these… pic.twitter.com/NoxEBuWdU7

– Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) 7 March 2026

Heat overcomes high pressure conditions

With the Heat preparing to advance to the playoffs, Friday night’s win showed the team is playing up to its potential, despite the team being without key players like Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell, their leading scorers.

It was Miami’s longtime duo of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro (who had a game-high 33 points) who led the way, especially in the final period, though there were contributions from a number of guys like Kel’El Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Drew Smith and others.

“It was a big win … felt like a playoff game. It’s good to see Charlotte come from behind a team like that, the whole crowd, that kind of intensity … it was very physical today, which we eliminated,” Adebayo said after recording 24 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.

Bam says tonight’s matchup vs. the Hornets felt like a playoff game:

“It was a big win – felt like a playoff game. It’s good to see Charlotte come from behind a team like that, the whole crowd, that kind of intensity… It was very physical today that we overcame.”

(Via Miami Heat… https://t.co/a1niCxC7rY pic.twitter.com/1CuKYApcNn

– Heating Zone (@WadexFlash) 7 March 2026

Spoelsta will be pushing for the Heat to get a game and win like Friday’s game in Charlotte, as the atmosphere was mild, giving it a playoff atmosphere, as Adebayo mentioned. At any rate, the Heat (35-29, seventh in the East) are at home for the next 10 days, though Sunday is going to be a tough game with the Detroit Pistons coming to town.

Kasparus Jakusionis has been playing a valuable role with the Miami Heat during his rookie season. After a ball-dominant freshman season at Illinois, the No. 20 pick’s dramatic shooting improvement has allowed him to catch up with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and others.

After shooting 31.8 percent from three with Illinois, Jacusionis is shooting 44.0 percent from three on 7.5 attempts per 100 possessions this season. The 19-year-old leads all rookies in three-point percentage (minimum 30 attempts).

“Kas has really been working on it, and he’s obviously one of our better three-point shooters,” Erik Spoelstra said after Thursday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets. “I don’t know if you can make that case in July. He was a good three-point shooter, but he’s really refined it. His release is sharp. His reps are always at the top of our roster in the gym. And he’s able to do a little bit more going forward now, and it really helps us. We need that differentiation, we need his creativity, we need the things he can do off the dribble, but we look at his shooting, others. He is getting the benefits of playing. And he will get even better.”

“It’s hard to find players that can do both. They can make plays off the ball and move and get into open spaces. He’s also a very good, smart catch-and-go guy. But in his one year at Illinois, he was ball dominant, so he’s one of those guys. It won’t be as much with us right now, but you can see he’ll have a skill set that he can lean on as well.”

Jacusionis’ floor spacing has allowed him to make an immediate impact.

Kasparas Jakusionis getting attention amid shooting improvement with Heat

According to CleaningTheGlass, the Heat score 3.7 more points per 100 possessions with the rookie on the court versus off. This is the fifth-best mark in the NBA among all players under the age of 22.

“He’s not hesitating. He’s not really thinking about it. He’s just catching and just shooting it,” Bam Adebayo said. “When you’re in that kind of rhythm, we want you to just catch and shoot. Don’t overthink it. Because a lot of times that’s going to be the best shot you’re going to get. So for Kass, it’s just keeping it simple for him.”

Jaksionis would play a key role in the Heat’s playoff run in the final 19 games of the regular season. The Lithuanian guard has played 19.8 minutes per game over the past five weeks, eighth-most on the team.

The Heat are struggling to avoid falling in the Eastern Conference Play-in Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. Miami, the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic are separated by half a game for the East’s sixth to eighth seeds.

Chris Bosh said Goran Dragic’s injury during the 2020 NBA Finals significantly impacted the Miami Heat’s series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Speaking on the latest episode of the All That Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, the Hall of Famer reflected on Dragic’s plantar fascia tear in Game 1 of the Finals inside the NBA’s Orlando bubble.

“The hardest part was watching the Heat battle injuries. Seeing my guy Goran Dragic finally get there and not be able to play. It broke my heart. I can’t say they win, but it definitely would have been a different series if he played. Just to be able to play in the Finals, I don’t care where they’re playing — if it’s the Finals and the NBA, it’s a dream come true. They don’t get that whole experience. It was tough. Like he said, they still went out there and fought. I know the message was definitely there for both sides, but especially for the Heat,” Bosh said.

Bosh continued:

“I know a lot of people were writing them off and not really paying much attention to them, but you know, when you get there, you don’t get there just to lose. You don’t get there to say, ‘Ah, nice weather.’ I definitely knew they were going to prepare, they were going to fight to the last man and you have to beat those guys. And it happened, but pain is pain. I know they’ll be able to overcome this and it will make them a better team and put the Lakers down, man one. Let’s see if they can keep it going.”

Dragic entered the 2020 postseason as Miami’s second-leading scorer behind Jimmy Butler III. In 17 playoff games, he averaged 19.1 points, 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and one steal while shooting 44% from the field and 34.6% from 3-point range in 32.5 minutes per contest.

Chris Bosh believes if Goran Dragic didn’t get injured in the 2020 NBA Finals, it would have been a different series:

“The hardest part was watching the Heat battle injuries. Seeing my man Goran Dragic finally get there and not be able to play. It broke my heart man. Not like… https://t.co/5UKntMUerb pic.twitter.com/1bOzN5UWJc

– Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) 13 February 2026

Chris Bosh says Goran Dragic injury changed the fate of Heat’s Finals against Lakers

Due to injury, Dragic was limited to only two brief appearances at the end of the series. Miami ultimately lost to the Lakers in six games as James captured his fourth NBA Championship and fourth Finals MVP.

Despite the setback, the Heat remained competitive throughout the series, with Butler’s 40-point triple-double in Game 3 and 35-point performance in Game 5 forcing a sixth game.

Miami later returned to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 and lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games. The franchise made another Finals appearance in 2023 but lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games. Dragic was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kyle Lowry as the Heat reshaped their roster around Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.

With the Butler-led era now concluding, Miami enters All-Star weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles with a 29–27 record, eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Heat have advanced from the play-in tournament in each of the past three seasons and remain in contention for another postseason berth this spring.

Bosh’s comments provided perspective on how injuries, particularly Dragic’s injuries, shaped Miami’s chances against James and the Lakers during the unique bubble finals.