The Heat weren’t looking forward to the second of a back-to-back set that had them going up against West powerhouses over the weekend. After having absorbed a hard-fought loss to the Lakers at home, the last thing they needed was an encounter versus the Mavericks on the road. Still, they were determined to show their best; true to their fight-to-the-end culture, they saw the twin tests as opportunities to prove they deserve to be mentioned alongside the acknowledged league elite. And, in this regard, the outcomes mattered to them only in the context of the work they put in en route. If they’re going to be beaten, then so be it; let it not be said, though, that they didn’t give their all.
Yesterday, the Heat once again left nothing in the tank. They certainly got a break when Most Valuable Player candidate Luka Doncic needed to exit the game for good just a minute and 20 seconds in; he twisted his right ankle after inadvertently stepping on Kendrick Nunn’s left foot on a drive to the basket. And they promptly took advantage, building on a lead that grew to as many as 24 points shortly before halftime. Unfortunately, fatigue set in, and the Mavericks rallied on the strength of methodical execution. The advantage was down to single digits a little over two minutes into the fourth period, and then became a deficit with a third left to play.
From then on, the Heat competed on grit. Slotman Bam Adebayo was particularly relentless, once again doing all the grunt work to keep them afloat — and so much so that he put up a second triple-double in three outings. They were clearly running on fumes, though, with best player Jimmy Butler — pegged by advanced statistics as the best closer in the pro ranks — opting to take an ill-advised three-point shot from the center to win when a drive could have been a better option. Never mind that he had hitherto gone one of four from beyond the arc, and that he had ample time to make use of an open court off a timeout with 8.6 ticks left in regulation.
In any case, the Heat knew well enough to dust off their aches and mistakes, and to concentrate on the task at hand. Toiling in an extra period was nothing new to them. And toiling with purpose in an extra period was everything to them; not for nothing had they gone four and zero in previous overtime stints for the season. As prepped as the hosts were, they simply had institutional knowledge on their side to eke out a victory. That said, the Mavericks can take solace in the fact that support from such unexpected sources as Maxi Kleber, Jalen Brunson, and even J.J. Barea came and nearly resulted in an unlikely triumph.
Of course, there can be no downplaying the effect Doncic’s sidelining will have in the short term. The good news is that tests revealed no structural damage to his ankle. The bad news is that he’s the engine driving the Mavericks, so they’ll be handicapped unless and until he returns. In this regard, the Heat are relatively better prepared to handle unforeseen setbacks to vital cogs. For all the pluses Butler has, the system’s the star. Yesterday proved it.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
