The Heat have lost four games in a row after a 100-88 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Miami. This follows several games in a row where the Heat have blown double-digit leads, most embarrassingly in a loss to the terrible Wizards. At this rate, the Heat will be in the play-in tournament once again. Let’s dive deeper into this loss.
Heat 2024 Season Part 16: The Heat’s Offense Struggled Mightily
Obviously, the Heat struggled offensively against the Denver Nuggets, only scoring 88 points. The Heat only made 42.5% of their shots overall and only converted 23.8% of their three-point attempts. This is a terrible offensive showing from the Heat.
It is also not entirely surprising. The Heat have been one of the weakest offensive teams in the league this season and the Nuggets are an excellent defensive team. Aaron Gordon in particular always does a great job of guarding Jimmy Butler. Still, this was another frustrating offensive performance from a Heat team that continues to slip down the Eastern Conference standings.
The Heat’s Defense Couldn’t Do Enough Against the Nuggets
Defensively, the Heat were much better than they were offensively in this game. However, it was still not enough. The Nuggets shot 48.8% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range. Jokic only had 12 points, but Michael Porter Jr. had 25 points, Aaron Gordon had 16 points, and Jamal Murray had 14 points.
Additionally, Jokic dominated on the glass with 14 rebounds. It is quite difficult to beat the Nuggets when Jokic is dominating the glass. The Heat failed to keep him from impacting the game significantly with his rebounding. Jokic’s dominance on the glass is one reason why his jersey is so popular.
Heat 2024 Season Part 16: Jimmy Butler Had a Sub-Par Performance
Butler also deserves criticism for the Heat’s loss against the Nuggets. Butler only scored 15 points on 6/16 shooting in 36 minutes. This is not enough from Butler, especially against a team as good as the Nuggets. Butler hasn’t played particularly well lately and that is part of the reason for the Heat’s recent struggles.
The Heat Play the Pistons Twice Next
The Heat travel to Detroit to play the Pistons twice in a row next. The Pistons are terrible, so the Heat should easily go 2-0 in this stretch and need to do so after a bad run of losses. Hopefully, the Heat win both of those games and take one step toward avoiding the play-in tournament.
Check back next week for more Miami Heat content.