Heat collapsed in the third quarter and the Trail Blazers led by 20 points in three quarters

On January 22 , in the NBA regular season game between Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers, the Heat suffered a complete collapse in the third quarter. In the end, after three quarters, they were 20 points behind the Trail Blazers at 77-97 and fell into trouble .

In the first two quarters, both teams performed relatively evenly, but the third quarter became the turning point of the game. The Heat suddenly lost their rhythm on both offense and defense. After only scoring 22 points in a single quarter, they were slashed by 36 points by their opponents, and the gap was widened by a net loss of 14 points. The Heat's offensive efficiency was low, and they missed many open shots. On the defensive end, they failed to limit the Blazers' fast attack and outside firepower.

The Heat's defeat in the third quarter exposed the team's inadequate response to high-intensity defense. The increased turnovers and untimely defensive transitions allowed the Trail Blazers to easily score through counterattacks many times. In addition, the cold touch of key Heat players was also an important reason for the score being widened.

In contrast, the Blazers' performance in the third quarter was perfect. With quick counterattacks and accurate shooting, they expanded their lead in a short period of time and completely controlled the rhythm of the game. The team's main players frequently used pick-and-roll cooperation to create open shooting opportunities, seized every loophole in the Heat's defense, and scored easily.

The performance in the third quarter of this campaign not only put the Heat in a desperate situation, but also once again showed their instability in the second half of the season. If the team wants to get out of trouble in the next game, it must find a way to solve the collapse in the third quarter, improve the defensive intensity and offensive fluency, and reduce unnecessary mistakes, so as to regain its momentum and turn the situation around.

The Heat needed to play hard in the remaining quarter to have a chance to narrow the gap and avoid a crushing defeat. However, the Trail Blazers had a 20-point lead and were more stable on both offense and defense. The final result remained to be seen.