The Miami Heat were not shy of letting it fly against the league-best Phoenix Suns
In their 123-100 win, the Heat tied a franchise record with 22 made 3-pointers, just the fifth time in franchise history they've made that many.
NBA League Pass: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial)
The duo of Duncan Robinson and Max Strus did the bulk of the damage, combining for 12 of the 22 triples, with Robinson knocking down 8-of-16 to finish with 27 points off the bench.
THREES PLEASE@MiamiHEAT | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/tDOnngGk5y
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) January 9, 2022
Their record-tying triple came with 2:49 to play... from one of the team's star offseason acquisitions in Kyle Lowry.
Well...this is how the Heat just tied their franchise record for made threes in a game.@MiamiHEAT | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/8nfcUvk5Hs
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) January 9, 2022
Lowry, one of six Heat players to knock down a 3-pointer in this game, finished with 14 points and 13 assists. Tyler Herro, who also knocked three 3-pointers himself, scored a game-high 33 points in 34 minutes off the bench. This is the fourth time Herro has scored 30 or more, all while coming off the bench.
The Heat now sit at 25-15 on the season, staying in the hunt in the Eastern Conference, despite the extended absences of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Miami knocked down 15 of their 22 3-pointers in the first half and were on pace to break the franchise (22) and NBA record (29).
However, in the second half in Phoenix, they defended their big 21-point halftime lead, making only seven of 14 attempted 3-pointers in the second half. That's a stark difference from the first half, when they put up 30 attempts and made 15 of their 26 field goals from beyond the arc.
It was the explosive 38-point second quarter that saw them jump to a huge lead, one they would never give up despite a comeback attempt by the Suns in the fourth quarter.
The Heat have been one of the most deadly teams from beyond the arc this season, ranking fourth in 3-point percentage (37.6), with only the Bulls, Hornets, and Hawks shooting at a better clip.
In fact, three of the five times (including this game), that the Heat have knocked down 22 3-pointers have come since Dec. 8, 2021.
Through 40 games played, the Heat rank sixth in 3-point makes (13.6) and 14th in attempts. It's a marked improvement from last season, where they ranked 19th in 3-point percentage (35.8) , 14th in 3-point makes and 11th in attempts.
