By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Miami Heat are going through a rough patch, mostly due to the Jimmy Butler trade saga, and Nikola Jovic stepped up at the right moment, leading the team to a road victory over the Golden State Warriors.
The young Serbian forward had one of his best games in a Heat jersey, topping the scoring charts for his team with 20 points. After the game, he spoke about his responsibilities.
“I’m responsible for helping this team look better. I’ve got to get in, make the right play, move the ball, and I think that’s what I did really well,” Jovic said in a postgame interview.
Without the suspended Butler, the Heat had six players scoring in double figures.
“Everybody can score, especially from the first unit. It’s easy to play with them, as long as we put the ball in the right position. I feel like we can score every time.”
After emphasizing the defensive impact of his team, he talked about what was most gratifying after the much-needed win that halted the losing streak at three games.
“Just staying together, that’s what we do. That’s why we are here, to do what we wanted to do and show people that we’re worth being talked about and looked at. We stayed together, and that’s the most important part. We showed that we can win,” Jovic concluded.
Coach Erik Spoelstra praised Jovic’s performance but emphasized his continued growth.
“He has to be ready. Again, it’s all these moments that lead up to the game—shootarounds, practices, film sessions, walkthroughs. How you do anything is how you do everything. He’s learning how to prepare to play well and impact winning. He’s still very young and he wants to do it as a competitor. We are seeing growth. I don’t want to say too much about it because I want him to continue making strides and not take any steps back,” Spoelstra said.