Thunder vs. Heat: Play-by-play, highlights and reactions
The Oklahoma City Thunder (20-49) play against the Miami Heat (24-24) at FTX Arena
Game Time: 8:00 PM EDT on Friday March 18, 2022
Oklahoma City Thunder 0, Miami Heat 0 (8:00 pm ET)
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
As this Heat game begins, we pause a moment to remember the tragedy that occurred nine years ago tonight in Boston, Massachusetts.
youtube.com/watch?v=FkxcY4… – 8:09 PM
Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305
This feels like a Gabe Vincent game where he gets back on track – 7:56 PM
Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
This is what the Thunder are starting against the Heat:
— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
— Aaron Wiggins
— Aleksej Pokusevski
— Darius Bazley
— Olivier Sarr
And they’re 20-49 and they’ve lost seven in a row. – 7:54 PM
Joe Mussatto @joe_mussatto
Thunder starters at Heat
– SGA
– Wiggins
– Pokusevski
– Bazley
– Sarr
Tre Mann will come off the bench. – 7:50 PM
Miami Heat @MiamiHEAT
P.J. from the corner 👌 pic.twitter.com/PXfmiWrZVr – 7:49 PM
Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
From earlier: Max Strus and Gabe Vincent discuss their evolving roles in the Heat’s rotation: “I was kind of preparing myself for it” miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… – 7:46 PM
Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
Spencer Dinwiddie opens the second quarter with his first bucket tonight bc Spencer Dinwiddie knows this is when Spencer Dinwiddie usually starts to heat up. – 7:39 PM
Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
With Jimmy Butler again out, Heat again opening with Bam Adebayo, P.J. Tucker, Duncan Robinson, Kyle Lowry and Gabe Vincent. – 7:34 PM
Joe Mussatto @joe_mussatto
Josh Giddey, Kenrich Williams and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (all out) warming up in Miami. pic.twitter.com/VsNHh7E5ki – 7:31 PM
Miami Heat @MiamiHEAT
Setting the tone
Starting 5 // @DoorDash pic.twitter.com/vjGQOxsjMh – 7:30 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder @okcthunder
South Beach style 🏝️ pic.twitter.com/9SCe01QUYc – 7:00 PM
Krishna Narsu @knarsu3
Poole vs. Herro pic.twitter.com/fCmnXQl483 – 6:55 PM
Joe Mussatto @joe_mussatto
Still no injury update on JRE or Kenrich Williams.
Robinson-Earl (right foot fracture) is at the six-week mark, which was his reevaluation timeline.
There’s been no info on Williams (left knee sprain). Asked if Kenrich will return this season, Daigneault said he’s hopeful. – 6:55 PM
Indiana Pacers @Pacers
that Texas heat 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1OD1IVxIL9 – 6:51 PM
Joe Mussatto @joe_mussatto
There will be an update on Josh Giddey (right hip soreness) at the end of next week, per Mark Daigneault. – 6:43 PM
Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle soreness) will play tonight for the Thunder at the Heat. – 6:40 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
SGA will play tonight vs Miami.
An update on Josh Giddey is coming next week.
Jimmy Butler is out for Miami – 6:39 PM
Joe Mussatto @joe_mussatto
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle soreness) is available tonight, per Daigneault. – 6:38 PM
Christos Tsaltas @Tsaltas46
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is available to play vs the Heat. #thunderup – 6:38 PM
Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Thunder say Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right ankle) will play tonight vs. Miami. – 6:38 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder @okcthunder
Louis Vuitton Don 🐬 pic.twitter.com/ebVDH6Ftrv – 6:31 PM
Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
Erik Spoelstra on Victor Oladipo’s back spasms: “I think this is just the added workload. You can do everything behind the scenes and all the conditioning and it’s not like real game action. But we’ll definitely be able to manage it. He’s already starting to feel a lot better.” – 6:30 PM
Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Erik Spoelstra on Jimmy Butler not taping his ankles, “Everybody’s got an opinion about everything. We’ll handle it. Jimmy’s going to handle it. Our training staff is great. We’ll take care of it. Thankfully, this is not something that’s long term, but we’ll manage it.” – 6:29 PM
Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305
To all those asking why PJ doesn’t sit:
It seems to me like he’s the hardest player to do that to in recent Heat time, and for good reason
If he’s healthy, he wants to play
If he goes through warmups, he’s going to play
It’s been a pattern, just through pure competitiveness – 6:26 PM
Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
NEW: Heat’s Jimmy Butler and Victor Oladipo out vs. Thunder. Caleb Martin ready for return miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… – 6:26 PM
Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Erik Spoelstra on Victor Oladipo back spasms, “I think it’s just the added workload. You can do everything behind the scenes and all the conditioning and it’s not like real game action. But we’ll definitely be able to manage it. He’s already starting to feel a lot better.” – 6:25 PM
Miami Heat @MiamiHEAT
#OKCvsMIA UPDATE: Caleb Martin and P.J. Tucker will both play in tonight’s game vs the Thunder.
Jimmy Butler and Victor Oladipo have both been ruled out. – 6:19 PM
Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
Jimmy Butler and Victor Oladipo will not play tonight.
Caleb Martin and P.J. Tucker will play. – 6:17 PM
Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305
Erik Spoelstra says Jimmy Butler and Victor Oladipo are OUT tonight
Caleb Martin and PJ Tucker WILL PLAY
@5ReasonsSports – 6:17 PM
Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Heat tonight vs. Thunder:
Victor Oladipo (back) out
Jimmy Butler (ankle) out
Caleb Martin (knee) playing
P.J. Tucker (knee) playing – 6:17 PM
Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Heat status updates …
Jimmy Butler, out (ankle)
Caleb Martin, in (knee)
PJ Tucker, in (knee)
Victor Oladipo, out (announced earlier today, back spasms) – 6:17 PM
Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
2022 is the first year in which both Miami’s men’s and women’s basketball teams each won an NCAA Tournament game.
(Which, by default, makes today the first day in which it has ever happened.) – 5:52 PM
Mike McGraw @McGrawDHSports
Between Drew Peterson (Libertyville) and Charlie Moore (Morgan Park), Chicagoans scored 10 pts in final 35 seconds of that USC-Miami game – 5:48 PM
Christos Tsaltas @Tsaltas46
Olivier Sarr on what he learned as player in the NBA: “I learned a lot offensively and defensively. Those lessons helped me to grow”. #Thunderup – 5:45 PM
Joe Mussatto @joe_mussatto
Olivier Sarr said before he hit a growth spurt, he mainly played wing and his specialty was shooting threes.
Small samples, but last season at Kentucky he shot 12-of-27 from three. He’s 5-of-13 from three in 13 games with the Thunder. – 5:44 PM
Christos Tsaltas @Tsaltas46
Asked Olivier Sarr on the confidence level his teammates have to him on the floor. “The confidence that my teammates have means a lot. That means everything I have the respect from my treammates”. #thunderup – 5:43 PM
Alok Pattani @AlokPattani
Charlie Moore just hit GW FTs for Miami…remember seeing him as a freshman at Cal 5+ years ago! More surprising: he actually played for 2 other schools in between (Kansas, DePaul) – as part of a 6-year(!) NCAA career (*1 redshirt year after KU transfer): sports-reference.com/cbb/players/ch…. – 5:43 PM
Miami Heat @MiamiHEAT
Shoutout to both @CanesWBB & @CanesHoops 🙌 Survive and Advance! #BasketballTown – 5:38 PM
Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Awaiting the last call of this game to be pass interference on Miami. – 5:35 PM
John Hollinger @johnhollinger
Miami choked the lead away so quickly that it still had time to go last-shot for the win. That was impressive. – 5:34 PM
Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
USC now within 65-64 of Miami on back to back 3s by Peterson – 5:33 PM
Jason Anderson @JandersonSacBee
It’s that time of year again. Time to figure out what channel TRU TV is on. Miami 65, USC 64 with 25.3 seconds to play. – 5:32 PM
Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Asked Doc, who has said there is a rest plan in place for Harden and Embiid, if both of them could get a game off during this stretch of three games in four nights at home (Dallas tonight, Toronto Sunday, Miami Monday). He admitted it was possible, but wouldn’t say either way. – 5:21 PM
Joe Mussatto @joe_mussatto
Made it to Miami. pic.twitter.com/dW0kwfMr4g – 5:13 PM
Miami Heat @MiamiHEAT
As we take time tonight to honor @ChrisBosh’s enshrinement into the @hoophall, @CoupNBA looks back at CB’s amazing career and how he became everything and anything he needed to be – 5:00 PM
Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
Max Strus and Gabe Vincent discuss their evolving roles in the Heat’s rotation: “I was kind of preparing myself for it” miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… Also, Victor Oladipo out tonight vs. Thunder – 4:03 PM
Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
📅 On this day in 2007, the @Miami Heat‘s Shaquille O’Neal became the ninth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career FG made.
There are now 15 players in that group. O’Neal has the highest career FG percentage among them (58.2%). pic.twitter.com/VrZqwIMano – 4:01 PM
Miami Heat @MiamiHEAT
A familiar face will be in the building tonight 👀 we’re looking forward to honoring @Chris Bosh‘s 2021 @HoopHall enshrinement! pic.twitter.com/MzI2S6WmYL – 3:53 PM
Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Heat’s Strus credits Vincent for assist amid rotation waiting game; Oladipo out with back spasms. sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 3:37 PM
Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
Victor Oladipo is out tonight because of lower back spasms.
Butler, Martin and Tucker still questionable. – 3:33 PM
Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
The Heat have ruled Victor Oladipo out of tonight’s game vs. Thunder due to lower-back spasms. Butler (ankle), Morris (knee) and Tucker (knee) remain questionable. – 3:32 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder @okcthunder
Check out a few of our favorite highlights from the past few games in the @SonicDriveIn Sizzle Reel! pic.twitter.com/u0J4rgu4Df – 3:17 PM
Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Heat’s Max Strus credits Gabe Vincent for assist amid rotation waiting game. sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… – 2:44 PM
Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
It’s not an NBA arena, but a Miami Heat “Whiteside” jersey in a Los Angeles Trader Joe’s should count for something, @Sean Highkin. AK pic.twitter.com/KTF38oZD6v – 2:02 PM
