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Observations and other notes of interest from Sunday’s 122-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets:
– The work for all those two-point shots is laudable.
– It takes effort to work inside the arc.
– It also isn’t sustainable.
– So another game where the Heat trade twos for threes.
– Arguably playing into the opposition’s hands.
– Yes, that’s what Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo do.
– And they do it very well.
– Wit Butler doing it again Sunday.
– But it also leads to chasing the scoreboard when the other wide is converting threes.
– As Charlotte and P.J. Washington did in Sunday’s third quarter.
– When the game turned.
– It was as if it was Tyler Herro or bust beyond the arc.
– After he entered with his own 3-point struggles.
– Kyle Lowry was supposed to be offering more of that.
– Or at least some of that.
– And Max Strus’ inconsistency continues.
– With Caleb Martin continuing to shy from even launching from beyond the arc.
– Yes, Erik Spoelstra points to defense.
– And hustle.
– But the NBA is a 3-point league.
– And the Heat have fallen way beyond the curve.
– Don’t take enough.
– Don’t make enough.
– Closing 10 of 31 from beyond the arc.
– Ultimately, it wasn’t as much the overall differential as the Heat lack of launches and conversions.
– This team and this roster is built to take more, with hopes of making more.
– The Heat again were able to open with their preferred starting lineup of Adebayo, Martin, Butler, Herro and Kyle Lowry.
– With the start, Lowry moved past Luol Deng and Marvin Williams for 92nd on the NBA all-time list.
– With his start, Butler tied Shaquille O’Neal for 18th on the Heat all-time list.
– Victor Oladipo and Orlando Robinson entered together as the first two Heat reserves.
– So another game where Dewayne Dedmon was bypassed in the rotation.
– Gabe Vincent entered as third Heat substitute.
– And then Strus.
– That had Haywood Highsmith shuffled out of the mix.
– And Dedmon and Haslem as the others not in the rotation.
– Butler’s first steal moved him past Gerald Wallace for 95th on the NBA all-time list.
– Butler’s second defensive rebound moved him past Michael Beasley for 22nd on the Heat all-time list.
– Martin’s first steal was the 150th of his career.
– Former Heat guard Mario Chalmers was among those in Sunday’s crowd.
– As was Hornets legend Kemba Walker.
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