Home Basketball Herro scores 28 points, Adebayo adds 22, and the Heat defeat the Rockets 120-113

Herro scores 28 points, Adebayo adds 22, and the Heat defeat the Rockets 120-113

Basketball — 01/09/2024

On Monday night, the Miami Heat defeated the Houston Rockets 120-113 thanks to 28 points from Tyler Herro and 22 points and 12 rebounds from Bam Adebayo.

The Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Duncan Robinson each scored fourteen points, while Kevin Love tallied fifteen for the Heat. For Miami, Josh Richardson scored twelve points. In the fourth quarter, Adebayo scored ten of his points.

As the Rockets began their six-game road trip, Fred VanVleet scored 32 points, which was the most of any Rocket. With 11 points each from Cam Whitmore and Jalen Green, Houston was led by Alperen Sengun, who added 11 boards to his 22 points. Dillon Brooks missed Houston’s seventh straight game due to a right oblique strain.

Jimmy Butler has missed eight of the Heat’s last nine games due to a right toe joint injury; during his absence, Miami has gone 6-2. While defending a layup attempt by VanVleet—his former Toronto teammate and backcourt partner on the Raptors’ 2019 NBA championship team—Klein Lowry seemed to hurt his left hand or wrist, and the Heat lost him in the third quarter.

Compared to the previous three seasons, Houston’s current 18-17 record after 35 games is somewhat disappointing. They finished with 17, 20, and 22 wins in 2020–21, 2021–22, and 10–25, respectively, in those seasons.

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka expressed his displeasure at the news. You know you got the proper guys on your team when you observe their competitive spirit and mentality from the very first day. We could have won five or six games if things had gone differently.

Despite the Heat holding a 20:48 lead and the Rockets holding a 1:26 lead in the first half, there was no indication of this disparity on the scoreboard. At halftime, the score was 59-59, but in the final 1:27 of the half, Houston scored 8 goals, tying the game.

Both clubs have only tied at halftime twice all season.

However, after halftime, Miami never trailed again. A 3-pointer by Herro with 4 minutes and nine seconds remaining in the third gave the Heat their first lead of the game, 85–75, and they would go on to lead by as many as 15 points in the fourth.