Miami Heat: 3 takeaways from Game 2 vs. 76ers
By Ivan Mora
3. The Heat got their bigs involved early on
Hassan Whiteside got involved early on, but still couldn’t find his niche down low. Despite playing three more minutes than Game 1 (he finished with 15 for the night), he contributed with only four points for the night.
He made up for his offensive scoring woes with five rebounds before exiting the game, but not before adding a great Wade-side highlight for the night.
If you want to take advantage of the other team going "small", this is the type of pass you do it with. Not with brute-force post-ups. pic.twitter.com/rkHeLX2jlS
— Couper Moorhead (@CoupNBA) April 17, 2018
Miami will take it.
In Whiteside’s absence though, it was actually Kelly Olynyk who once again made his presence known. Even if it didn’t immediately reflect in the box score, his hustle was all over the place and his improved versatility on both ends shined throughout the night. He was a +11 in this win.
James Johnson and Justice Winslow also did their homework as they kept the pressure on Simmons, occasionally switching to stop the shooters in their open slots. Dario Saric made it difficult to defend while slipping in 23 points for the night, but was completely shut down from the perimeter, only making three of his 10 3-pointers for the game.
Johnson finished with 18 for the night and Winslow’s defense was a nuisance for Simmons despite his solid line ending with 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the night.
Miami’s bigs knew their role and never stopped switching on pick-and-rolls, limiting Philadelphia’s offense early on. This was the momentum change the Heat desperately needed and will need going back to Miami for Game 3.