Haywood Highsmith Stepped Up When Miami Heat Needed It Most

With Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson sidelined because of injuries, Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith helped fill the void

Haywood Highsmith has held several roles for the Miami Heat this season. 

He's handled them all with ease and Wednesday was no different. He had 16 points, two rebounds and two steals in the victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. 

The performance was necessary because the Heat played without Jimmy Butler, Josh Richardson and Terry Rozier due to injuries. 

"He was really good defensively and he's put together three straight defensive games where he's had a massive impact on the game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

At various points this season, Highsmith has started, played off the bench and fallen out of the rotation. He's dealt with uncertainty but remained positive throughout. 

He was key in the Heat heading into the NBA All-Star break on a two-game winning streak. He made a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter that gave them a 92-91 lead. 

Highsmith then hit two free throws to seal the victory with 1 minute, 13 seconds left. 

"He hit a big three in the fourth quarter," Spoelstra said. "I love the fact that he stayed with it. He missed open ones, didn't get discouraged by that. When we really needed him to knock one down, based on how they were guarding him, he hit a big one." 

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat, a Fan Nation channel for Sports Illustrated. He has covered the NBA since 2010.

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