NBA highlights on Feb. 26: Never underestimate Miami Heat

The Miami Heat beat the Sacramento Kings 121-110 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, on Monday, extending their winning streak to four games.

The Heat lacked their best player Jimmy Butler who was suspended, as well as two key players in the perimeter, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier, due to injuries, in the game. In order to defeat the Kings on the road, whoever they still had able to play must do more than usually did, and they managed to do so.

Bam Adebayo shot 11-for-18 from the field to score team-high 28 points plus 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Heat. Jaime Jaquez Jr., as a 1.98-meter-tall wingman, kept attacking the Kings' paint to contribute 26 points. He outpowered Kevin Huerter who couldn't match him in weight. Even when 2.08-meter-tall Domantas Sabonis switched to guard him, Jaquez Jr. could beat him with his skillful footwork.

Duncan Robinson, who was put in the Heat's starting lineup for his 3-point shooting ability, struggled to make shots as he missed 10 of his 11 field goals (FGs), but did a good job of distributing the ball by delivering 11 assists with only two turnovers on Friday night. His backcourt partner Delon Wright, in his debut for the team, had 13 points and five assists. He, Caleb Marin, Kevin Love and Haywood Highsmith combined to knock down 10 triples out of 18 attempts.

Coach Erik Spoelstra outperformed his Kings counterpart Mike Brown in both pre-game preparing and in-game improvising. The Heat were constantly attacking the opponents' ball movement, especially when Sabonis was launching handoff plays with his teammates in the high post. They had a total of 12 steals and forced 15 turnovers by the Kings.

The game remained close in the first half, but the Heat's efforts led to the turning point in the third quarter after Spoelstra sent Love to the court to make a mini twin tower with Adebayo. As both were good passers and solid finishers, when one of them had the ball in the high post and the other appeared in the low block, they made the Kings look awkward on the defensive end. On one hand, Sabonis was their only rim protector, but not a good one; but if he had to close out to guard the ball-handler in the high post, the Kings' defense in the paint became a complete vacuum.

While the Kings were at a loss facing the opponents' smart offense, the Kings soon extended their lead to as big as 20 points (101-81) before the third period ended. Though the home team worked hard to rally in the final quarter, a gliding dunk by Martin and a bloody block by Adebayo in the following possession sealed the deal for the Heat.

Other games on Monday (away teams come first):

Toronto Raptors 130-122 Indiana Pacers

Scottie Barnes took the Raptors to their third consecutive win by dropping 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists plus five blocks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was his fourth triple-double of the season and he became the first player to do so in one season in team history.

The Raptors also witnessed surprising good work from their rookie Gradey Dick, who made seven of his nine FG attempts, including all four shots from downtown, to get 18 points. He drained three triples in less than five minutes in the fourth period in which he got 11 of his points.

Detroit Pistons 111-113 New York Knicks

The Knicks led by as many as 13 points (86-73) over the Pistons in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Monday night, but Quentin Grims scored 14 points in the fourth period alone for the Pistons, which took the lead at 111-110 when there less than one minute left.

The ball went back and forth between the two sides with a lot of physicality in the following possession until Donte DiVincenzo stole it from Ausar Thompson with a foul-looking move, but the referees let the game go on. Josh Hart made a layup to gain the lead back for the Knicks (112-111) and drew a foul. Though he didn't make the added free throw, Isaiah Hartenstein had the offensive rebound and then passed it to Hart who was fouled again. He made the first shot, missed the second, but grabbed the rebound for the game clock to run out.

Brooklyn Nets 111-86 Memphis Grizzlies

The Nets' lead grew to 30 points (107-77) in the fourth period at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday. They had seven players reach double-digit points. Though their 48.8-percent FG rate was not superb, it was good enough to win because the Grizzlies shot 38.7 percent from the field.