The Miami Heat have joined the ranks of teams capitalizing on Kevin Durant\u2019s absence. The South Beach squad encountered little resistance in the second half and claimed a 121\u2013111 victory over a Phoenix Suns team that has now dropped eight of nine games without its biggest star.<\/p>\n
\u00abHe creates a lot of space for everyone,\u00bb said head coach Mike Budenholzer about the void Durant leaves. \u00abHis gravitational force alone makes everything easier for our group. You can\u2019t replicate the kind of fear he instills in opponents. Our attention to detail and our spacing have to be better. Our defense, too. Really, every little thing Durant contributes without us even noticing.\u00bb<\/p>\n
Without Durant in the equation, the Heat focused their defensive attention on Devin Booker, who posted 21 points but shot just 6-of-16 from the field. His seven assists were overshadowed by five turnovers. Royce O\u2019Neale led the Suns in scoring with 23 points, followed by Grayson Allen\u2019s 16 off the bench. Bradley Beal also struggled, adding 15 points but missing 13 of his 18 shot attempts.<\/p>\n
After a tightly contested first half, the Heat took charge after intermission behind Bam Adebayo, who tallied 19 of his 25 points in the second half, and Jimmy Butler, who finished with 24 points and was instrumental in the closing run. The South Beach squad also capitalized on another key absence for the Suns\u2014Jusuf Nurkic was out\u2014dominating in the paint (62\u201332) and breaking the game open with a 12-0 run at the start of the third quarter.<\/p>\n
After the game, head coach Erik Spoelstra praised Butler\u2019s performance. \u00abJimmy [Butler] in the fourth quarter gives you those possessions where you can settle in and know you\u2019ll make a smart play,\u00bb the coach said. \u00abHe made all the right decisions down the stretch.\u00bb The coach<\/em> also had words for Adebayo. \u00abIn five or six games, he\u2019s been close to a triple-double in each one. It\u2019s a shame people only notice when he\u2019s scoring. His leadership in that third quarter was what I saw. I tried to call for a zone, and he yelled at me. I love it. I want him to take control of the defense. He is our voice.\u00bb<\/p>\n This win allows the Heat to stay in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 11-10 record, while the Suns slip to eighth in the West, only a game and a half ahead of the 11th-place San Antonio Spurs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"