Before this player’s barrage of three-pointers in the final period, Miami had only made five shots from deep.
While the Miami Heat dropped Game 1 in the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics, 114-94, there were a few bright spots in the rough outing. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke after the loss and talked about the performance of newcomer Delon Wright, who was acquired in the buyout market two months ago.
Wright has been known for his defensive ability and what he can provide on that end of the floor which was a main reason why Miami was interested in the first place. On Sunday afternoon however, he was electric on offense as he scored 17 points going a perfect five for five from three-point range as Spoelstra talks about how he has been “more comfortable” in their system.
“It was one of the few bright spots defensively. I mean throughout the course of the game, we did have some pockets here and there that looked like us,” Spoelstra said. “Certainly the three ball, the way they were shooting, it kind of took away some of our aggressiveness. But Delon has gotten a lot more comfortable in two months in our system and what he does fits what we do defensively. He was very active.”
Also from yesterday on Delon Wright…Erik Spoelstra talks about his performance.
“Delon has gotten a lot more comfortable in two months in our system…” #HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/2sUKDsl294
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) April 22, 2024
Wright believes he never made that many three-pointers in a row before
Wright’s offensive performance was a main drive in the Heat having an 18-2 run that brought down a 35-point lead from Boston to just 15 in the final period. His five threes were also a spark as before the fourth quarter, Miami as a whole had only made five shots from deep. The 31-year old talked about his barrage and even said that he doesn’t know if he “ever hit that many in a row.”
“Yeah, that was pretty crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever hit that many in a row,” Wright said. “But you know, I’ll just have to take the open shot that they gave me. I feel like I passed on one in the first half and turned it over. I feel like they were doing the opposite, they were shooting it every time they touched it, whether it was a good shot or a bad shot. They were just giving themselves a chance.”
Something from yesterday…One of the few bright spots from the Game 1 loss was Delon Wright who went 5-5 from three as he talks of his outing.
“I don’t think I’ve ever hit that many in a row…” #HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/CjYA24hjPk
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) April 22, 2024
There’s no doubt that Wright is sure to get more minutes after Sunday afternoon as he looks to continue his exceptional two-way ability which is key in trying to slow down the Celtics. He even talked about how he can be more involved with the team going forward as they look to make this a competitive series.
“I felt like if I can get more involved, scream more,” Wright said. “Just be more active on offensive and then the defensive I feel like will take care of itself. I just feel like I just have to make my man move on as much as possible.”
Wright feels Game 2 will have a “much better outcome” for Heat
While it was a dismantling loss Sunday for the Heat where Boston controlled the game right from tip-off, Wright does believe that there are positives to take away from the game. He mentioned the rough start where the Celtics went on a 14-0 run and proceeded to make 22 three-pointers, which was ties a playoff record for them.
“It was a tough one a start,” Wright said. “But I feel like once we got settled into the game, we figured out some things that we can carry over to the next game, and I feel that will be a much better outcome for that night’s game once we look at the film and see what we can do better.”
The Heat are now down 0-1 in the series as they still have their backs against the walls, still dealing with the absences of Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier. Miami hopes they can steal a win in Game 2 Wednesday night so they can head back home with a victory under their belt.
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