Gone are the worries of Miami Heat fans over their slow start as the team continues to flex its muscles on opponents, with the Brooklyn Nets being their latest victim.
Coach Erik Spoelestra's squad is the hottest in the NBA right now as they extend their streak to seven after a 1-4 start.
The Heat were in complete control of the game although they were not able to get away that far throughout the whole 49 minutes. They did it without second best scorer Tyler Herro was out due to injury.
Jimmy Butler led the way with 36 points, 5 rebounds, and three assists. Bam Adebayo also came out to play as he put up 20-7-4. Duncan Robinson is the surprise performer as he finished the game with 26 points.
The seven-game winning streak saw the team slay ghosts of the pasts and shake off jitters. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from this unbeaten run.
1. Ends win drought over the Nets
The Heat hasn't been that lucky against the Nets since the 2021-2022 season. They came into the game with 0-5 record against Brooklyn but the combination of Adebayo, Butler, and Robinson finally ended the ugly run.
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2. Butler is serving again
Jimmy Butler is back in his top form. His best game so far is the Nets win but the last seven games were a build-up to that.
Before Thursday, he put up 32 points against the Charlotte Hornets and 19 against the San Antonio Spurs.
He was only averaging 18.5 points during their 1-4 run in the first five games.
3. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is a legit rotation player
Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. is proving himself game per game that he belongs to the league. He played the entire fourth quarter of their last four games.
He scored in double digits in all those four games to average 14.7ppg.
Coach Spoelstra has nothing but praise for the growth of Jaquez.
"The grit, the perseverance, the mental and the emotional stability," he said before the Brookyn game.
"He's learning things, but he typically doesn't make the same mistake twice.
"He's earned the trust of the staff, but more importantly he's earned the trust of his teammates. They feel comfortable with him out there and he knows how to fit in. And defensively he can do a lot of different things, which fits into our system."
4. Caleb Martin is integral to the system
Martin has proven in their sensational NBA Finals run last season that he is legit.
He missed a number of games this young season and that is among the reasons behind their early struggle.
The 28-year-old is back in the lineup and this means a little more tinkering on the part of the coaching staff. That is a problem they welcome.
Against the Nets, he is still adjusting as he only recorded 6 points in 12 minutes on an efficient 2-out-of-3 shooting.
Spoelstra said his presence allowed him to adjust his roster on the fly, thanks to Martin's ability to play multiple positions.
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