Trail Blazers Ruin Jimmy Butler’s Return, Causes Anxiety in Miami

Jimmy Butler returned to the Miami Heat lineup on Tuesday when they played the Portland Trail Blazers in the only corner of the country not to be held in the ravages of winter. As it turns out, the weather in Miami wasn’t the only thing hot in South Florida. The Blazers shot 49.4% from the field en route to a 116-107 win over Butler and company. The only thing more fun to watch than the game might be the hand-wringing in Miami over the next few days.

Butler scored 13 on just 9 shots — the fewest of any Miami starter — in his return. He had 8 assists on the side. Anfernee Simons led the Blazers with 24. Seven Blazers scored in double figures.

Here are some of the trends that defined the game.

Avdija Chasing

In the absence of Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija took the role of “everyone guard” for Portland’s starting lineup. He went to the perimeter to try to stymie Duncan Robinson on three-point attempts and stood in the paint to body up against Bam Adebayo. Avdija’s heart was in it. The results were not quite the same as Camara produces. Both Robinson and Adebayo scored. But the effort was appreciated.

Avdija also became a one-man foul drawing machine at the other end. He committed to the drive, absorbed contact and got shots up to force whistles against his colleagues. It was a nice little wrinkle that made Miami think twice about Bam’s minutes, for one.

Avdija finished with 16 points and drew an impressive 10 foul shots (although he only hit 5). He also had 5 assists and 2 steals.

Lane and Three

Portland struggled to close down the court against Miami, falling to a flurry of drives in the opening quarter that soon became drive-and-kicks as the Blazers collapsed to try to help. Deandre Ayton’s general lack of mobility compounded the absence of Camara, leaving the Blazers without any of their usual zing. These blunt penetration attempts quickly became a flurry of threes.

The situation normalized a bit when Jabari Walker checked into the middle, which allowed for a little more mobility. Dalano Banton’s length at point guard also helped. But becoming mobile in the big spots left Portland undersized as he guarded Kel’el Ware and became a pick-your-poison situation.

Fortunately, Portland righted the ship in the second half, playing faster and with more commitment. They tied Miami in paint points at 46, holding the Heat to just 33.3% shooting from the arc. It was a tale of two halves, and that made all the difference.

Size pays off

Making a seven-footer isn’t all bad news, though. Ayton had 14 points and 10 rebounds at halftime. Ayton led the Blazers with 6 offensive rebounds and finished the game with 15 to go with 22 points. If Portland had problems with Miami’s frontcourt, the Heat at least had some problems with Portland’s as well.

Ayton limped to the bench with 1:38 left in the game. We will keep you updated on any damage reports.

Simons on fire

Anfernee Simons never met a three-point shot he didn’t like tonight. Rightly so too. Simons finished the game 6-12 from beyond the arc and filleted the Heat like a swordfish. Maybe he was auditioning…uhhhh… and showing off his skills in his home country.

Turnover

Almost every time we mention turnovers this season, it’s about how painful it is to watch the Blazers cough up the ball. The story was the opposite tonight. Portland committed zero (0) turnovers in the first half and only 6 for the game. It’s like a single quarter for them under normal circumstances. It’s amazing how much easier it is to build and maintain a lead when you’re not throwing points at the opponent.

Swell Grant

Jerami Grant scored 9 points in the first 6 minutes after the break and became the main contributor to the streak that gave Portland the game. The final score in the third was 36-22, Portland. Grant finished with 18 points and a pair of blocks for the game. Maybe he was auditioning…uhhhh…showing off his skills in Anfernee Simons’ home state.

Transition game

The Blazers put on a clinic in transition, outscoring Miami 21-5 in fast break points. Credit the low turnover numbers we just mentioned. Instead of messing through the game with a “your turn, my turn” series of layups, Portland actually made the opposition pay for playing slower. First of all, this made the game easier. Let’s hope the Blazers learn their lesson and get on with it.

Reversal in the fourth quarter

As often happens with the Blazers, the opponent reversed almost all the good things we said in the final quarter, closing the lead back enough to threaten the game. Portland’s defense stalled and so did their speed down the floor. Their attacks also went cold, although this was more of a side effect than a main problem.

Injuries don’t help the Blazers. Portland’s offensive prowess—tonight Simons and Ayton—doesn’t help the defense much. Some of their best defenders are out. They need guys like Camara and Robert Williams III who can come in and credibly close out a game while playing under control. Failing that, they are almost forced to flash their way to victory. When the shots don’t fall, they don’t have a very good back-up plan.

Thank goodness it was a moot point tonight, but a 30-19 final frame to Miami nearly ruined Portland’s night.

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Box score

The Blazers hit the road to face the Orlando Magic at 4:00 PM in the Pacific on Thursday.