This one is going to bother the "Heat", it's going to be create doubt in their minds. They were right there and it then a bomb hit. Philly started the third quarter 4-0 too, just as they did the 4th. But in the 4th the run went up to 7-0. Now it's a double digit lead again after being as low as one. The "Heat" had to have subconsciously, briefly checked out mentally at that point. They had expended so much mental energy keeping the game within striking distance. And when it got back up to ten they lost their focus for a couple of minutes. And then the game just blew up in their face.
Jimmy Butler and to a lesser extent Tyler Herro were all Miami had for offense in the 3rd and Tyler disappeared in the 4th. Everybody else disappeared. Everybody is a lot of bodies to disappear. Tucker, Adebayo, Lowry, Strus, Herro, Oladipo--all guys who played 20'+ Poof! What is the reason for that? Six guys just disappear!
Spo emptied the bench. Everybody but U.D., Markieff Morris, and...Duncan Robinson. Why? When the deficit gets into the teens and you haven't been able to score all night (and ended up with 79) why put in Oy Vey and Highsmith and not the one guy most capable, theoretically, of getting points back quickly in bunches? Duncan hardly played in the 2019/20 (the "bubble") playoffs. He has hardly played in this series (I don't think a minute) or the Atlanta series. That's two out of the last three playoffs Duncan's playoff time essentially has been a donut. It is clear Spoelstra thinks he is surplus to needs. Does more harm than good. But if my memory is correct that he signed his $16M/year extension after the bubble Finals, why do that? He played two minutes fewer than Omar Yurtseven tonight, two minutes fewer than H. Highsmith whatever the fuck his first name is. He played the same number minutes as 69 year-old Udonis Haslem. Why?
