Takeaways: Heat spoils Butler’s return, crushing Warriors behind defense and historic shooting
Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 112-86 win over the Golden State Warriors (41-31) on Tuesday night at Kaseya Center to improve to 2-2 on its five-game homestand. The Heat (31-41) closes this stretch at home on Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks: All eyes were on Jimmy Butler ahead of his return game, but the Heat’s defense and three-point shooting stole the show. The Heat dominated Butler and the Warriors on the way to a blowout win.
After snapping a long 10-game losing skid with a victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, the Heat won a second straight game behind a dominant defensive performance. With 11-time All-Star guard Stephen Curry missing his second straight game because of a left pelvic contusion, the Heat’s defense suffocated a Warriors offense missing its top scorer. With Butler held to 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field, 0-of-2 shooting on threes and 1-of-1 shooting from the foul line, six rebounds and two assists in his first game against his former team since the Heat traded him to the Warriors on Feb. 6,
the Warriors offense scored just 86 points on 39.8 percent shooting from the field and 9 of 38 (23.7 percent) shooting on threes. Golden State never led in the game. The game appeared personal for the Heat after Butler’s contentious exit from Miami, as Miami flew around to put together one its top defensive performances in recent weeks. With the Heat shooting a scorching 8 of 11 (72.7 percent) from three-point range and limiting the Warriors to 35 percent shooting from the first half and 5-of-18 (27.8 percent) shooting on threes in the first half, Miami entered halftime ahead 57-40. Butler was held to just two points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field in the first two quarters.
