Takeaways From The Miami Heat’s Loss Wednesday To The Brooklyn Nets

The Heat enter All-Star break on a losing note

The Miami Heat couldn't take advantage of the new-look Brooklyn Nets. 

With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant gone, Mikal Bridges scored a career-high 45 points to lead the Nets. Bridges had a stretch of 15 straight points. 

Here are some major takeaways from the game:

-After his recent struggles, Bam Adebayo finally adapted. He finished with 24 points on 52 percent shooting. He had scored under 20 points the last two games. Adebayo was able to stave off double-teams by Nic Claxton and Cameron Johnson. 

-Jimmy Butler wasn’t himself in this game. He finished with just 13 points but it was his lack of aggression that stood out. He took just 11 shots and only had two free throws in the fourth quarter. Instead, he relied on his teammates, finishing with six assists.

-With Adebayo and Butler struggling, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus carried the load in the first half. They combined for 23 points but slowed down in the second half while Adebayo scored 16 points.

-After being sidelined for 20 games due to a finger injury, Duncan Robinson finished with six points, all of them coming from the 3-point line. But it was Haywood Highsmith who led the bench with seven points.

-As usual, the Heat found their way to the free throw line but they couldn’t take advantage of it. They shot 72 percent on 29 attempts, the ninth-worst this season.

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog: https://substack.com/profile/114079068-cory-nelson?utm_source=account-card