To put the Miami Heat’s variety and depth of defenders into perspective, consider that Erik Spoelstra’s team in Sunday’s 115-91 playoff-opening victory at FTX Arena was able to contain Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young without even utilizing their Young-stopper.
Cast in that role during the regular season, as recently as the teams’ meeting a week ago Friday, Caleb Martin this time was reduced to spectator while the game was in the balance, as the Heat instead opened with Kyle Lowry as the initial defender against Young, then moved to Jimmy Butler in that assignment.
And even those assignments were fleeting, with the Heat again switching anyone and everyone on to Young when the Hawks attempted to create space for their All-Star guard on the pick-and-roll.
Young, coming off a 38-point game in Friday night’s decisive play-in round road victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, when he scored 32 in the second half, closed with eight points on 1-of-12 shooting. It was his lowest-scoring game of the season.
The Heat alleviated the need for Martin’s defense by turning to Butler as the secondary defender on Young, typical of the subtle tweaks Spoelstra is known for in the postseason.
That allowed Spoelstra to utilize Tyler Herro, Dewayne Dedmon, Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent as his first four reserves, in his preferred nine-man rotation.
For Martin, it meant a waiting game in front of his twin brother, Charlotte Hornets forward Cody Martin, who was in attendance after his team was eliminated by the Hawks in the first round of the Eastern Conference play-in round. Cody Martin visited with the Heat bench before the game.
This is the first season that the Martin twins have not been teammates, having played together in high school, at North Carolina State and Nevada in college, and then with the Hornets at outset of their NBA careers.
Collins back
The Hawks had forward John Collins, the West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman High product, back in their mix for the first time since March 11. He had been sidelined with a sprained right ring finger and a strained right foot.
Collins’ return came in the wake of Hawks starting center Clint Capela being sidelined with a hyperextended right knee sustained in Friday’s loss in Cleveland.
Capela is expected to be reevaluated in a week.
Also out for the Hawks was veteran guard Lou Williams, due to lower-back discomfort.
Collins did not start, with Atlanta going with an opening lineup of Young, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter, Danilo Gallinari and Onyeka Okongwu, who started in place of Capela.
Collins played as the Hawks’ third reserve, behind Bogdan Bogdanovic and Delon Wright, the bother of former Heat guard Dorell Wright.
Collins closed with 10 points and four rebounds in 21:19.
Respect paid
Hawks coach Nate McMillan said pregame he viewed the Heat approach similar to the way they played his Indiana Pacers in sweeping that 2020 first-round series.
“It’s a similar team,” McMillan said. “What they were doing then, when I was in Indiana, is the same as what they’re doing now. One through five will switch. And they trust that Bam can guard most guards. They’re comfortable with that matchup.”
With, McMillan said, perhaps a roster even more suitable in that aspect.
“And they’ve added Tucker to their lineup,” he said, “so defensively they’re going to switch and keep you in front. They feel that they can take away the three ball by doing that and force you to shoot over the top. So they’re doing really the same, playing the same style of basketball. They have the same personnel, so they’re very capable of continuing to play that way. And they’re very effective.”
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