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TCA/DPA
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
No fireworks this time between Jimmy Butler and T.J. Warren.
Then again, perhaps the two were merely sparring for the main event - next week’s start of the NBA playoffs.
Meeting for the first of two games this week, and seeded for a potential best-of-seven postseason series that would start next week, the Miami Heat pushed past the Indiana Pacers 114-92 on Monday night at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.
The last time the teams met, back in January, the Heat’s Butler and the Pacers’ Warren got into a heated series of words and gestures that left both eventually fined by the NBA. This time, the matchup was more subdued in the game played in the void of fans, amid the new coronavirus pandemic.
“It was a great team win,” Butler said.
In the personal matchup, Butler took an easy decision, closing with 19 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Warren finished with 12 points, five rebounds and no other stats of note. Warren entered averaging 35 points in Indiana’s previous five games in the Disney bubble. Butler shot 5 of 13, Warren 5 of 14.
“We just made everything tough for him,” Butler said. “When you go against the Miami Heat, we always have something in our back pocket.” The difference was that Butler was supported by several across-the-board Heat efforts, including 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists from Jae Crowder; 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists from Bam Adebayo; and 11 points, nine assists and six rebounds from Goran Dragic.
There also were 18 points from Derrick Jones Jr, off a series of lob feeds and 17 from Tyler Herro, off series of 3-pointers.
With Butler and Dragic back from injuries, the Heat moved to an 18-point lead in the third quarter, after the teams stood tied at 48-48 at the intermission, and were up 85-71 going into the fourth, with the lead again climbing from there.
Five degrees of Heat from Monday night’s game: 1. The showdown: To refresh, the last time Butler and Warren met, in a January 8 Heat victory in Indianapolis, Warren was ejected for wagging a middle finger, with Butler then blowing a kiss in his direction. Both were fined.
Following that game, among Butler’s locker room gems were: “He’s trash” and “He’s not even in my (expletive) league” and “I can guard him and he can’t guard me” and “I’m going to tear his (expletive) up every time.” This was that next time, put on hold by the NBA’s fourth-month shutdown due to the new coronavirus pandemic.
Butler opened defending Warren, but the Pacers opened with Malcolm Brogdon on Butler. Warren had 12 points at halftime, but only two when Butler was his defender. Butler had 10 at the intermission.
Warren then went scoreless in the third quarter.
2. Do it again: The Heat and Pacers remain on a potential collision course for a first-round playoff meeting.
Both teams attempted to downplay the possibility of up to nine games against each other over a 10-game span that began Monday.
“That’s certainly unusual, unusual circumstances,” Pacers center Myles Turner said. “But, at the same time, we can’t change the way we play, just because of how our schedule is lined up.” 3. Playoff picture: If the Philadelphia 76ers lose Tuesday to the surging Phoenix Suns, it would eliminate the possibility of the Heat dropping to number six in the East, with that seed to face the Boston Celtics in the opening round.
With such a 76ers loss to Phoenix, it would mean the Heat’s first-round playoff opponent would be either Indiana or Philadelphia in a number four-number 5 opening-round series.
The Heat’s remaining regular-season games are Wednesday at 8 pm (0000 GMT Thursday) against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Friday at 4 pm again against the Pacers.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
No fireworks this time between Jimmy Butler and T.J. Warren.
Then again, perhaps the two were merely sparring for the main event - next week’s start of the NBA playoffs.
Meeting for the first of two games this week, and seeded for a potential best-of-seven postseason series that would start next week, the Miami Heat pushed past the Indiana Pacers 114-92 on Monday night at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.
The last time the teams met, back in January, the Heat’s Butler and the Pacers’ Warren got into a heated series of words and gestures that left both eventually fined by the NBA. This time, the matchup was more subdued in the game played in the void of fans, amid the new coronavirus pandemic.
“It was a great team win,” Butler said.
In the personal matchup, Butler took an easy decision, closing with 19 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Warren finished with 12 points, five rebounds and no other stats of note. Warren entered averaging 35 points in Indiana’s previous five games in the Disney bubble. Butler shot 5 of 13, Warren 5 of 14.
“We just made everything tough for him,” Butler said. “When you go against the Miami Heat, we always have something in our back pocket.” The difference was that Butler was supported by several across-the-board Heat efforts, including 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists from Jae Crowder; 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists from Bam Adebayo; and 11 points, nine assists and six rebounds from Goran Dragic.
There also were 18 points from Derrick Jones Jr, off a series of lob feeds and 17 from Tyler Herro, off series of 3-pointers.
With Butler and Dragic back from injuries, the Heat moved to an 18-point lead in the third quarter, after the teams stood tied at 48-48 at the intermission, and were up 85-71 going into the fourth, with the lead again climbing from there.
Five degrees of Heat from Monday night’s game: 1. The showdown: To refresh, the last time Butler and Warren met, in a January 8 Heat victory in Indianapolis, Warren was ejected for wagging a middle finger, with Butler then blowing a kiss in his direction. Both were fined.
Following that game, among Butler’s locker room gems were: “He’s trash” and “He’s not even in my (expletive) league” and “I can guard him and he can’t guard me” and “I’m going to tear his (expletive) up every time.” This was that next time, put on hold by the NBA’s fourth-month shutdown due to the new coronavirus pandemic.
Butler opened defending Warren, but the Pacers opened with Malcolm Brogdon on Butler. Warren had 12 points at halftime, but only two when Butler was his defender. Butler had 10 at the intermission.
Warren then went scoreless in the third quarter.
2. Do it again: The Heat and Pacers remain on a potential collision course for a first-round playoff meeting.
Both teams attempted to downplay the possibility of up to nine games against each other over a 10-game span that began Monday.
“That’s certainly unusual, unusual circumstances,” Pacers center Myles Turner said. “But, at the same time, we can’t change the way we play, just because of how our schedule is lined up.” 3. Playoff picture: If the Philadelphia 76ers lose Tuesday to the surging Phoenix Suns, it would eliminate the possibility of the Heat dropping to number six in the East, with that seed to face the Boston Celtics in the opening round.
With such a 76ers loss to Phoenix, it would mean the Heat’s first-round playoff opponent would be either Indiana or Philadelphia in a number four-number 5 opening-round series.
The Heat’s remaining regular-season games are Wednesday at 8 pm (0000 GMT Thursday) against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Friday at 4 pm again against the Pacers.
