Miami slams the door late, beats shorthanded Suns 111-102
The Heat walked into a tricky spot and walked out with a win. Miami handled Phoenix 111-102 on Sunday night, leaning on defense, poise, and a steady fourth quarter. The Suns were missing Devin Booker and Green, and the shots that usually splash from deep kept rimming out. The Heat did not blink. They closed with purpose, and they earned this one.
The game tilted in the final minutes
This was tight for most of the night. Phoenix chased, Miami answered, and the rhythm never felt wild. The difference came in the last six minutes. The Heat strung together stops, hit clean looks, and protected the ball. That is the formula on the road or at home. That is also Miami’s identity in clutch time.
Bam Adebayo set the tone on both ends. He challenged drives, switched comfortably, and cleaned the glass when it mattered. Tyler Herro gave Miami needed punch, using pump fakes and quick relocations to shake free. Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. spaced the floor and cut with purpose. Those little plays add up in the fourth quarter when legs are heavy.
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Final: Heat 111, Suns 102. Miami tightened the screws late. Phoenix ran cold from deep all night.
Phoenix felt the weight of missing Booker
Without Booker, the Suns lost their lead shot creator. That changes everything. It affects spacing, pace, and where the ball starts. Green was also out, and that trimmed the wing rotation. Kevin Durant took on a larger load and saw bodies in his path. Bradley Beal hunted midrange. Grayson Allen kept firing but did not find rhythm from three. Jusuf Nurkic did good work on the boards, yet the margin came on the perimeter.
The Suns got quality looks early in sets. Many were open. They just did not go down. That forced longer possessions, and it let Miami set its defense. When Phoenix did draw help, the kickouts were a touch off or late. That is the ripple effect of losing a primary initiator. Timing slips. Catch-and-shoot turns into catch-and-think.
Booker’s absence strips a layer of spacing and shot creation. Phoenix had to live on tough twos and late-clock bailouts.
Heat culture showed up in the details
Erik Spoelstra kept the rotations tight and the matchups sharp. Miami mixed coverages, then closed with switching. They chased Allen off the line and stayed attached to Durant’s catch spots. On offense, the Heat attacked mismatches without forcing hero ball. One more pass, one more cut, one more screen, again and again.
What stood out tonight:
- Adebayo owned the middle, then sprinted into early offense
- Herro kept the floor balanced, even when he did not shoot
- Robinson’s gravity pulled Phoenix’s help away from the rim
- Miami’s bench held the line and won minutes clean
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The Heat also won the hustle stats that never get the headline. Two-tap rebounds to save a possession. A toe-on-the-line closeout that turned a three into a long two. A scramble that ended with a deflection, not a foul. That is how you bank regular season wins in January, when your legs are not fresh but your habits are.
Miami’s switching and communication took away Phoenix’s pet actions, especially in the corners. That turned a cold night colder.
What this says about both teams
For Miami, this is a proof-of-concept night. The Heat leaned on defense and composure, and it traveled. They did not need a flamethrower quarter to separate. They trusted the system, attacked the weak links, and trusted the next man up. That echoes what we know about this group. They bend, they do not break.
For Phoenix, the film will sting, but it is instructive. The Suns need a cleaner plan when Booker sits. Secondary ball handlers must trigger actions faster. The weak side has to be ready to shoot or cut, not pause. Depth has to carry a bigger slice, at least until bodies return. Mike Budenholzer will harp on pace and quick decisions. This roster still has star power. It just needs more easy points when the stars are trapped.
There is also the mental side. Misses stack up and tempt players to chase shots. Phoenix cannot fall into that habit. The best teams create the same looks, again and again, and trust the math. The Suns got many of those looks. They will live with them on most nights. Tonight, they lived with a loss.
The bottom line
Miami earned a road-quality win with home-quality focus. The Heat embraced the grind, then finished with clarity. Phoenix fought but lacked the extra creator and the hot hand from deep. The margin was not talent, it was timing and touch. If you are Miami, you pocket it and move on. If you are Phoenix, you watch the tape, you get healthy, and you remember how thin the line is between a tough night and a big win.
