Heat players explain Jovic’s unique skill set after his impressive 24-point game vs. Bucks
There are nights when Heat forward Nikola Jovic looks very much like a 20-year-old developmental project, still finding his way playing 5,500 miles from where he grew his game as a teenager in Serbia.
But then there are also nights like Tuesday in Milwaukee, when the tantalizing, intoxicating skill set is on full display.
The silky smooth three-point shooting. The deft passing. The relentless pushing in transition. The aggressiveness on the boards.
Making his 13th start of the season and 21st of his career, Jovic made everyone take notice with a career-high 24 points, along with seven rebounds, three assists and a steal in Miami’s 123-97 drubbing of Milwaukee.
Afterward, teammates spoke of the possibilities for the gifted 6-10 forward.
“You almost don’t want to put a ceiling on” how good he can be, said Heat center Kevin Love, who scored 19 points in 23 minutes against Milwaukee. “You saw flashes of everything [Tuesday]. Especially at that size, him playing downhill, rebounding the ball, pushing it. His size on defense; he’s able to get in the passing lanes. He’s still learning it because he’s so young.
“But then he’s able to hit threes, get in the paint, find guys. You look up and he has 24, 7 and 3. The upside is there. You see it. We celebrate him. He’s an amazing guy to have in our locker room. He has his moments where you’re like, ‘He’s 20 years old’ and other moments, where you’re like, ‘He’s ahead of his time.’ He’s precocious. He [features] so many different things in his game. You love to see it.”
Jovic helped the Heat build a 15-point early lead with 11 points in the first quarter, then scored 10 points in the third quarter to stymie a Bucks rally.
“He completely changed the game with his pace,” said Heat guard Duncan Robinson, who started and scored 23 against Milwaukee. “Being able to take it off the backboard, rebounding, pushing. There’s not a lot of guys that can do that and decision-make and have that sort of feel.
“I’ve watched him hammer away every single day. Days where he doesn’t want to be there, days where he does. Day in and day out, working on his game. I love seeing him be successful and have moments to put that on display because he has earned those opportunities.”
The Heat went 5-5 during a stretch of 10 consecutive games when Jovic started several weeks ago, but he was removed from the starting lineup after the Heat lost three games in a row to begin a seven game losing streak.
“That helped for sure,” Jovic said of that taste of starting.
Erik Spoelstra said those 10 starts in a row “were really important games for us where he played well and helped the unit function at a high level, and he handled it well when everyone got back to being healthy and waiting for his opportunity again. He stayed ready.”
Where has the most growth come in his game?
“Probably being more physical, using my body more, being a better defender,” he said.
Spoelstra acknowledged that defensive growth on Tuesday night, citing Jovic’s improved “attention to detail, the discipline, understanding the schematics, the multiple efforts. He’s been making progress for a couple of years. It’s not improvement that’s been linear. There have been ups and downs,... going to [the Heat’s G League team in] Sioux Falls, having his stints with us.
“He’s been very dedicated. I see a maturity and growth from last year to this year,... not getting discouraged. He continued to work, including after the Boston game. He went into the gym after the game and got more work in with the coaches. When guys start to do that, you start to see things change.”
Jovic was 5 for 8 on threes against Milwaukee and is now 24 for 53 for the season (45.3 percent). “He made shots,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Another young guy that knows how to play.”
THIS AND THAT
The Heat - which went 7-6 on the road in postseason last year - improved to 3-8 on the road against teams that hold a top eight seed entering Wednesday’s game in Philadelphia, the Heat’s final game before the All Star break.
▪ Adebayo’s triple double on Tuesday (16 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists) was the seventh of his career in the regular season and eighth overall. “It was just in the flow of the game, just reading the game,” he said.
▪ Rivers bemoaned that “the one thing you can’t do against [Miami] is hold the ball, dance with the ball. They’re a great load up team. They move without the ball; they share the ball. That’s how they play. They were quicker on everything.”
▪ The 76ers said they would hold out Kyle Lowry against his former team on Wednesday as he begins to ramp up to play again. He hasn’t played since Jan. 21, two days before the Heat traded him to Charlotte.
