By Joel Perez 
Last night, the Golden State Warriors visited Kaseya Center to face the Miami Heat, but let’s be
real… this was all about Jimmy Butler—a former franchise player—returning to face his old
team and make a statement.
The Heat, sitting at 30-41 and clinging to the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference, have little to
no hope of success in the next couple of months—unless you count wishful thinking that the
lottery odds turn in their favor, allowing them to climb up the draft board and land a top pick to
acquire a star asset. But again… WISHFUL THINKING.
With that said, last night’s matchup was the 72nd game of the season, leaving just 10 games
remaining. And let’s just say—it was probably the most important game of the season for the
Heat. The entire organization had something to prove, given how bad this season has looked for
Miami as a whole.
Still, there’s plenty to be proud of as a Heat fan. You’ve got one of the best coaches in the
league—if not the best—in future Hall of Famer Erik Spoelstra. Tyler Herro made his first
All-Star appearance this season and absolutely showed out in the first half. The second half?
Not as much. But he’s still had stellar performances all year, and it’s good to finally see
opposing teams game-planning around him, treating his offensive prowess as a primary threat.
He can score from anywhere on the court, and with his ability to drop 30 on any given night,
defenses are making him their main focus. That’s honestly a sign of respect, and I’m happy to
see Herro getting the recognition he deserves.
Bam has had a down year, but I wouldn’t dwell on that too much. Given his track record and the
adversity he’s overcome, you can expect him to come back next season looking to
dominate—or at least, that’s what Heat fans are hoping for. He remains the heart and soul of
this roster.
Kel’el Ware has been a great surprise, steadily improving and gaining Spoelstra’s trust with
each game. He’s solidified his role with this group, and the expectation is that he’ll only get
better. With his size and athleticism, his two-way impact should continue to grow.
And then there’s Andrew Wiggins—a crazy good athlete with plenty of playoff experience.
People forget, but he was the second-most important player during the Warriors’ 2022 Finals
run that ended in a championship. He’s also played well in his short stint with the Heat so far.
Alright, enough about the Heat’s future—let’s talk about last night’s matchup!
The first half was electric for Miami, as they went into the break with a 57-40 lead. The
dominance continued into the second half, where the Heat put together arguably their best team
performance since the trade. Bam Adebayo had a hell of a first half, putting up 16 points on
5-of-10 shooting with six rebounds, a block, and a steal. He also started the game matched up
against Jimmy Butler on defense, and seeing him continue that assignment in the second half
made it clear—this game meant something to Bam, even if most didn’t expect it to. He was the
best player on the floor on both ends.
In the second half, Miami showed pure resilience, constantly finding ways to score—whether
through aggressive drives or smart ball movement leading to open threes. But more importantly,
their defensive intensity was on another level. They forced turnovers, poked the ball loose, and
capitalized on nearly every mistake Golden State made.
Everyone stepped up, and it was obvious that Butler’s return had something to do with it. As for
Jimmy? He didn’t live up to expectations. I, like many, thought he’d come out on fire trying to
prove a point, but that just wasn’t the case. In reality, this game didn’t mean as much to the
Warriors. They weren’t at full strength, missing Steph Curry, while Miami had its entire roster
available and locked in.
The odds were in Miami’s favor from the jump. Bam set the tone early with a poster dunk over
Butler, and from there, it was all Miami. Everyone in a Heat uniform played out of their minds,
and it showed in both their effort and the final box score. The Heat shot an impressive 55% from
the field and a ridiculous 68% from three.
Although this was a great win for Miami, at the end of the day, it doesn’t drastically change their
outlook for this season. A deep playoff run is still highly unlikely. But for team morale? This was
a big one. It’s a win they can build on heading into the offseason, hoping to improve in every
way possible and get back to competing at a high level in the near future… or at least, that’s the
hope.
Angel Rivera