Atlanta Hawks: Takeaways from Last-Second Loss in Miami

The Absence of John Collins Hurt

Atlanta fought hard in tonight’s one point loss but it was clear that the team missed the presences of their star forward in John Collins.

Collins missed his third game tonight due to flu-like symptoms, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Chris Vivlamore. In Collins absence, Lloyd Pierce opted to start Alex Len in his place.

The Hawks finished the game with 42 rebounds which was two more than the Heat’s 40 rebounds. Obviously, Atlanta missed the 9.5 rebounds that Collins produces per game which could have helped the team in the last second loss to the Heat.

If Collins played in tonight’s game the team may have grabbed a few more boards and been able to create more second-chance points. The team played with solid energy and effort but when Collins is in the lineup the Hawks frontcourt is hard to match up with.

Dwyane Wade’s Last Dance

Sadly, the 2018-19 season will be the last time we see Wade suit up in the NBA. However, the flash broke another record in tonight’s game.

With 49 seconds left in the first quarter, Wade recorded the 1,052 block of his career placing him over Michael Jordan (1051). This accomplishment makes D-Wade the best shot blocking guard the league has ever seen.

Wade finished the night with a firm 23 points, 5 assists and 2 rebound stat line which helped his team come out with the victory. Even though Wade comes off the bench he still manages to demonstrate the meaning of being an authentic leader.

Not to mention that D-Wade swapped jerseys with Kevin Huerter who was a big Wade fan growing up (respect).

Monday’s win over the Hawks put the Heat one step closer to the eighth seed in the east. Hopefully, the world will get to see D-Wade compete in one more playoff series.