At the end of the stretch, the Pelicans are torn apart in Miami

A second clash between Miami and New Orleans this week, and this time a second victory for the Floridians, who fought until the final seconds to win. Because New Orleans, still without the Williamson-Ingram duo, was solid until the end.

Surprisingly, despite this, we were able to qualify for a roaring start to the match for the Pelicans, who were left with three consecutive defeats. That little bit of form didn’t show early in the game, and Miami was certainly surprised by an 18-8 run early on, with a 3-pointer from CJ McCollum and a dunk from Trey Murphy III. crown them all. Facing resistance built around Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry, the Pelicans then went on a 13-2 run between the end of the first half and the start of the second to make it 25-41, followed by two rockets by Devonte ‘Graham!

However, the Heat saved the day with a 10-0 run in the final two minutes before halftime, capped by Tyler Herron’s 3-pointer and dunk, as well as Jimmy Butler’s 2+1. -6 (41-47). The most difficult part for New Orleans began when the trio of Herro-Butler-Adebayo tried to tie the two teams (55-55). There was a fierce fight until the last curtain, then the tension went up a notch (69-72).

Tyler Herro started the “money-time” with two 3-point rockets, but New Orleans refused to let go, especially through the aggressive Dyson Daniels (84-84). Kyle Lowry scored 9 points in a row and thought he was doing the most difficult job, but the McCollum-Murphy tandem answered him with 3 points to maintain the tension (97-94).

The game was tied until Dyson Daniels was called for a 5-second possession violation with 15 seconds left, giving Miami the high road 98-96 and the ensuing possession.

Willie Green’s men still had match point after a tricky Heat throw in between and gave the ball back to the Pels. CJ McCollum attempted a 3-pointer, missed, and Victor Oladipo finally ended the doubt with two free throws (100-96).

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– Exciting finale. Since the two teams did not let go in the middle of the third act, it was as if the “play-off” took 15 minutes. Which twists and turns, including this crazy Kyle Lowry pass that was destroyed by the rockets of the McCollum-Murphy duo, all ended with the zeal of the referees, who sanctioned Dyson Daniels with a 5-second foul on the inbounds. then the Pelicans were -2 with 15 seconds left. In the end, Willie Green’s players can only blame themselves, as they were in a firing position to win…

– There are many disadvantages for pelicans. The finale highlighted two problems New Orleans faced in this matchup, namely turnovers (24!) and chronic 3-point clumsiness (8/30). Miami was hardly more skilled from distance, but two 3-pointers by Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry made the difference. On the other hand, New Orleans also lost important possessions in the money, like a Dyson Daniels pass that slipped through Larry Nance Jr.’s fingers but was perfectly placed under the rim.

MATCH ACTION

Zion Williamson hasn’t been dressed to test the tight end, but the Pelicans can count on Jaxson Hayes to make great runs, which was especially true in the third quarter of this game. As the Heat battled back, the lanky pivot masterfully dunked on the bonus foul.

TOPS/FLOPS

✅ Kyle Lowry. It’s nice to see the veteran guard be as effective late in the game as he was against the Pelicans. His efforts were not in vain as Miami captured the decision. 17 points, 2 assists and 4 steals for a game that will do him good.

✅ Tyler Herro. A consistent benchmark in scoring in a game marked by air holes in shots for Miami. The game’s leading scorer, he also finished as his team’s second-leading rebounder with 8, showing his presence on both ends of the floor.

✅⛔️ Dyson Daniels. Still, the Australian rookie, who continues to learn, should be credited with a good game against the Heat, especially with his aggressiveness late in the game to keep the Pelicans in the game. A welcome response after 0/6 in the last match against Orlando, even if there were obvious negatives, such as his handling of the ball which was sanctioned by the umpires at a fateful moment in the match. He saw Larry Nance Jr. alone in the circle, but his teammate couldn’t catch his pass. Once it was the fault of failure.

⛔️ CJ McCollum. We expect more from him on nights like this, especially when his teammates put in the work to see the possibility of winning. A restrained game, he missed an opportunity to redeem himself in his last over, the selection of which was also questionable. In the end, between his 2/8 from distance, at +/- -16 and 7 turnovers, that’s a lot!

NEXT

Miami (25-22): The Floridians continue to work hard as Boston introduces themselves on the Heat floor this Tuesday (01:30).

New Orleans (26-20): Same goes for the Pelicans as they prepare to host Denver on Tuesday (2:00 p.m.).