Miami’s late pressure is the warning inside its 0-3 start

What changed

Miami is 0-3, but the fourth quarter in Charlotte is the better warning for Dallas. Down 23, the Heat extended their defense beyond the arc, attacked ballhandlers and used aggressive pick-and-roll coverages to fuel a 27-4 run that tied the game before Charlotte recovered for a 115-110 win.

Davion Mitchell drove the surge. He finished with 22 points and 10 assists, scoring 15 in the fourth quarter on 8-of-13 shooting overall. Reuters reports that he is averaging 17.0 points through three games while shooting 46.7 percent from three — early numbers, but enough to punish attention tilted toward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

What to watch: Dallas cannot treat Miami’s record as permission to play slowly with the ball. Clean outlets, decisive first passes and a reliable release valve against traps will matter as much as the first defender on Giannis.