Norman Powell, Jaime Jaquez Jr lead Miami Heat past New York Knicks, and other takeaways

The Miami Heat are traditionally known for going smaller in lineups, mostly since the make-up of the roster usually causes it. But Erik Spoelstra has been trying to go bigger, and that doesn't just mean starting Kel'el Ware next to Bam Adebayo. The in-between lineups continued to lean heavily into their bigger wings, most of the time leaving four wings on the court with a big man, which only was tested after Davion Mitchell picked up an early three fouls. A mixture of Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez, Simone Fontecchio, and Pelle Larsson were simply increasing the defensive levels with their size and grit to match New York. Holding the Knicks to 21% shooting from deep in the first half was a byproduct of this decision.

2. The Heat's bench continues to provide an element of surprise.

When giving out the keys to this match-up prior to the game, the bench battle was always going to be a key one. Why? The current Heat starting lineup shouldn't outscore the Knicks' starters on paper, but the bench boost would be able to put them over the top. In the first half, they continued to be highly effective and efficient. Nikola Jovic is the one asterisk since his role has been sort of odd when he comes off the bench. They've leaned heavily into Jaime Jaquez Jr's direction on the ball for good reason, since he's really found himself again as a scorer. But it's sort of been at the expense of "point Niko." Dru Smith did a lot of the usual things that continually has drawn Spo to him, such as simply not making many mistakes and hitting his open looks. Pelle Larsson gave a quick stint of defense and sprinting as the tenth guy as well behind Simone Fontecchio, who continues to fill it up as a shooter in this role. Depth was always a strength of this team, but it's coming from areas that weren't expected at all.

3. The Heat finding ways to consistently score, and it's time to credit two players.

With the Miami Heat moving into a winning record following this win, it's time to credit two specific guys for the offensive bump. Number one is Norman Powell. The Heat wouldn't have stayed linear with the Knicks in the first half if it wasn't for Powell. He doesn't do it in a loud fashion either, as he plays off the ball and finds crevices to shoot when they appear. The mix of some foul baiting helps his numbers and impact as well, since they've needed a guard without Herro to get to the line a bit. Another extremely strong Powell showing. The second name maybe isn't the big name your expecting. Jaime Jaquez Jr needs his flowers. Again. He's legitmately leading his units and being asked to both score and play-make not just in transition, but in their half-court sets as well. He doesn't look like rookie Jaquez, he looks like an even further improved third year Jaquez. Credit to those two guys for their recent offensive impact.