The Miami Heat’s approach to Saturday’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets and All-Star D’Angelo Russell was one of denial.
The Heat were aggressively blitzing Russell on Brooklyn’s pick-and-roll sets with the point guard as the ball-handler, prompting him to get the ball out. Once Russell no longer had the had the ball, Miami’s defenders were determined not to let him get it back.
The strategy worked well. Russell attempted only eight shots and scored just 10 points in the Nets’ 117-88 loss on South Beach Saturday night.
Coach Kenny Atkinson said the onus will be on the coaching staff and Russell’s teammates to make opponents pay for the strategy, via Brian Lewis of the New York Post.