Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 112-108 loss to the Denver Nuggets (40-18) on Monday night at Miami-Dade Arena. The Heat (32-26) now travels to face the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday before heading into the All-Star break:
— In a battle between Denver’s elite offense and Miami’s elite defense, the Nuggets’ offense won and that proved to be the difference in the game.
The Nuggets, which entered with the NBA’s second-best offensive rating and the top record in the Western Conference, totaled 112 points points on an ultra efficient 57.9 percent shooting from the field, 11-of-28 (39.3 percent) shooting from three-point range and 13-of-15 (86.7 percent) shooting from the foul line while committing just 13 turnovers. It was an uncharacteristic outing for the Heat, which entered with the league’s fifth-best defensive rating.
Two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 27 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the field, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Even with the Nuggets’ excellent offensive performance, it still ended up at the Heat’s league-leading 41st clutch game (one that has a margin of five points or fewer inside the final five minutes of the fourth quarter).
The Heat kept the score close with the help of 24 second-chance points on nine offensive rebounds and a low nine-turnover night to end the game with a big 89-76 edge in field-goal attempts. But the Nuggets’ negated that advantage with their efficient shooting.
The Heat still found itself in a position to escape with the victory in the final minute with the ball while trailing by four points with 50.7 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
But Denver’s Vlatko Cancar blocked a Max Strus jumper with 34 seconds to play, as Miami came up empty on the critical possession.
Christian Bruan went on to make one of two free throws to extend the Nuggets’ lead to five with 7.3 seconds left and seal the win.
It was a competitive game from the start. The first half included 13 lead changes and five ties before ending with the Nuggets entering halftime with a 65-62 lead.
The Nuggets’ offense was sharp from the start, shooting 65.8 percent from the field, 8 of 14 (57.1 percent) on threes and 7 of 7 from the foul line in the first two quarters to record an eye-opening offensive rating of 158.5 points scored per 100 possessions in the first half. It’s the highest offensive rating the Heat’s defense has allowed in a single half over the past two seasons.
Jimmy Butler nearly recorded a triple-double for the Heat, finishing with 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Heat center Bam Adebayo contributed 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field and 7-of-7 shooting from the foul line, two rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.
Max Strus scored 23 points on a team-high 20 field-goal attempts for the Heat.
In his fifth straight start in place of the injured Kyle Lowry, Heat guard Gabe Vincent closed with 15 points, two rebounds and four assists.
— The Heat continued to field a short-handed roster with just 10 available players for Monday’s game. The Nuggets were also missing key players.
The Heat was without Tyler Herro (left knee contusion), Nikola Jovic (lower back stress reaction), Kyle Lowry (left knee soreness), Victor Oladipo (right ankle sprain), Duncan Robinson (finger surgery) and Omer Yurtseven (left ankle surgery) have been ruled out for the Heat.
These absences left the Heat with just two drafted players available for Monday’s matchup against the Nuggets — Adebayo and Butler.
Monday marked the first game Herro has been unavailable for, the 21st consecutive game Jovic has sat out because of his back issue, the fifth straight game Lowry has missed because of his sore left knee, the sixth consecutive game Oladipo has been held out with a sprained ankle, the 20th straight game Robinson has missed after finger surgery, and Yurtseven has yet to play this season.
Herro was added to the list after a knee-to-knee collision during Saturday’s win over the Magic in Orlando. The Heat has labeled Herro as day-to-day.
The Heat has just one game left to play — Wednesday againt the Nets in Brooklyn — before the All-Star break. Miami resumes its schedule following the break on Feb. 24 in Milwaukee against the Bucks.
The Nuggets were without starters Aaron Gordon (left rib contusion) and Jamal Murray (right knee inflammation) against the Heat.
— The injury-depleted Heat was left with a three-man bench rotation that included two undrafted rookies who have spent time in the G League this season.
The Heat went with a bench rotation of center Orlando Robinson, forward Haywood Highsmith and guard Jamaree Bouyea.
Robinson, who is on a two-way contract with the Heat, and Bouyea, who signed a 10-day contract with the Heat last week, both have played double-digit games for the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce this season.
Robinson went undrafted out of Fresno State and Bouyea went undrafted out of San Francisco this past summer.
Robinson closed Monday’s loss with six points and six rebounds in 13 minutes. He’s eligible to be on the Heat’s active roster for just five more games this regular season as part of his two-way contract before he’s either forced to log the rest of his game minutes in the G League this season or the Heat converts him to a standard deal to make sure he’s available for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.
Bouyea impressed with his best NBA game, finishing Monday’s loss with 10 points, two rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block in 28 minutes. His 10-day contract with the Heat that he signed on Wednesday is set to expire shortly after the All-Star break.
— The Heat’s struggles against the Nuggets and Jokic continued.
The Heat has now dropped six straight games and 11 of its previous 13 meetings against the Nuggets and Jokic dating back to the 2016-17 season.
That includes a 124-119 loss to the Nuggets in Denver on Dec. 30 earlier this season.
— The Heat lost at home for the first time in more than a month.
The defeat snapped the Heat’s eight-game winning streak at Miami-Dade Arena. It marked Miami’s first home loss since falling to the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 8.
With the upcoming All-Star break putting a pause on the regular season, the Heat will have to wait a bit to start a new home winning streak. The Heat’s next game in Miami is on March 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
