Miami Heat will look for improved shooting and the hawks will continue to search for ways to integrate their new players into the rotation when the team meets on Monday in Atlanta.
This will be the second of four meetings between the two clubs, which are head-to-head for the playoffs in the eastern conference. The heat is eighth in the position, a game before the hawks.
The six best teams automatically qualify after the season.
Atlanta recorded a victory 120-110 at home over Miami on December 28. The team will meet again on Wednesday and March 27, both times in Miami.
The heat comes from a loss of 120-113 to Milwaukee on Sunday and will be outscored 35-20 during the fourth quarter. Miami has fought at the offensive end while losing five of his last six matches.
“The offensive intention, I have to look at it, but it felt better and it is frustrating, but we make some progress and we just have to stay,” said Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra. “We have to show collective gravel and determination. The head coach can see that there are some good trends that happen.”
There has been no offensive deficiency from Tyler Herro, who received 40 points on 40 points against Dallas on February 13 and matched the total on Sunday.
Herro is on average a team high 24.2 points. He got 28 points against the hawks in the first meeting.
“Tyler’s skill level and trust is to come to a point where he can do it against all the different coverage and he can do it with or without the ball,” said Spoelstra. “He is wrong now, which is important, especially on the road.”
The heat lost Nikola Jovic to a hand injury, a fracture of the second Metacarpal in her right hand, on Sunday. Jovic is on average 10.7 points.
Atlanta lost its third straight match with a setback of 148-143 to Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
The hawks continue to have a good effort from the three newcomers acquired at the trade deadline – George’s nation, Caris Levert and Terance Mann – but there is still a learning curve to overcome.
“Sometimes you don’t get the result you want, but you get better if you learn the things that happen to court,” said Atlanta coach Quin Snyder. “This is a team with a bunch of guys who haven’t played together all year. You start counting and we have six or seven new players.
“I don’t say it as an apology, but as a compliment to how linked these guys is and how hard they play and how hard they try to play together in certain situations that are difficult.”
The constant has been Trae Young, who had 38 points and 13 assists on Sunday. Young is on average 24.2 points and an NBA best 11.4 assists.
“As frustrating as it is to lose, especially against a team that is right there with us in the position, we still have some new guys that we try to get used to,” Young said. “I mean, play how we play and understand how I play. We get it right.”
-Field level media
