On Wednesday, April 23, Nikola Jovic made his return to the Miami Heat rotation. The 22-year-old has been out since February due to a broken hand.
However, in game two of Miami’s opening playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Erik Spoelstra inserted Jovic back into the rotation. Unfortunately, Jovic showed some signs of rust, especially during the latter part of the fourth quarter.
When speaking to the media after the game, Jovic accepted blame for his team’s loss. The third-year forward believes his poor decision-making cost his team.
“The stuff that I did at the end is really unacceptable. I really did cost us the game, and I just have to be better,” Jovic said. “This is my third year. I’m not a rookie anymore. I’ve seen what the deal is and how to get to the playoffs, and the stuff that I did today was just not good… I just think I wasn’t smart enough. I’ve got to be better. It’s not the regular season. If we took this one, it’s 1-1, we are headed back home, and we’re feeling great.”
Miami is now 0-2 against the Cavaliers. However, Spoelstra’s team will have home-court advantage in the next two meetings with Cleveland. The hope will be that Miami can begin clawing its way back into the series.
Heat’s Davion Mitchell Calls for Hustle
When speaking to the media following Miami’s April 20 loss to Cleveland, Davion Mitchell called for his team to show more hustle.
“We got to be the hardest playing team,” Mitchell said. “They’re a really good and talented team. They can score the ball with the best of them, so we got to be the hardest playing team. That’s what we got to do.”
Mitchell is one of the most intense defenders in the NBA. As such, he will likely attempt to lead by example throughout the remainder of the series.
Kenny Atkinson Praises Mitchell’s Style of Play
During his own postgame news conference on April 23, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson praised Spoelstra’s decision to insert Mitchell in to the starting lineup.
“They obviously made the adjustment, starting Davion Mitchell,” Atkinson said, “It’s just a really good move by Spo. He gets into you. He obviously forces a lot of turnovers. We’ve been a low-turnover team all year.”
Mitchell will undoubtedly have an important role within the Heat’s defensive system moving forward. Spoelstra must find ways of forcing the Cavaliers into making mistakes while also limiting the impact of both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.
As such, it makes sense for the Heat to lean on Mitchell, especially given his ability to anchor the point-of-attack and guard in space. Both he and Bam Adebayo provide the type of versatility Miami will need if it wants to pull itself back into the series.
However, Spoelstra may need to find a better way of hiding Tyler Herro. Garland told the media that targeting the former Sixth Man of the Year has been a key part of Cleveland’s approach.
“Pick on Tyler Herro,” Garland said. “Take care of the ball. Don’t play in tight spaces. And pick on their weak defenders.”
Miami and Cleveland will face off for game three on Saturday, April 26. If Miami loses that game, the series will be all but over.
