Miami Heat's Nikola Jovic Makes No Excuses After Lapses In Return

Despite facing a 19-point deficit during several stretches, it is hard to ignore the Miami Heat had an opportunity to steal Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Unfortunately, Nikola Jovic, during his first return to real playing time since his broken hand, had several rough stretches during clutch moments. He shared his thoughts about how his mistakes cost the Heat.

Nikola Jovic super hard on himself after some missed opportunities late tonight:

“The stuff I did at the end was really unacceptable. I really did cost us the game.”

“I just gotta be better. This is my third year, I’m not a rookie anymore.” pic.twitter.com/YPi92geXyq
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) April 24, 2025

“Yeah, I mean, I got what I wanted, and that’s to close the game in the playoffs,” Jovic explained. “The stuff I did at the end is really unacceptable. I really did cost us the game, and I just got to be better. This is my third year, and I’m not a rookie anymore. I’ve seen what’s the deal and how to get to the playoffs. The stuff I did today is just not good. I’m really grateful the coach got me the opportunity.”

Jovic finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, and two assists on 33.3 percent shooting and 12.5 percent from three-point range. It was evident the Heat missed their sixth man off the bench due to his size at 6-foot-10 and versatility as another ball handler on the perimeter. However, shooting 1 of 8 from the perimeter and a significant late turnover were damaging.

WHERE TYLER HERRO, BAM, ADEBAYO RANK AMONG MOST IMPACTFUL PLAYOFF PLAYERS

Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo may have missed out on most of the end-of-season awards, but their elite play earned them rankings as some of the best players in the playoffs.

ESPN place Herro and Adebayo among the top 50 most impactful players. Herro was ranked No. 43, as Tim Bontemps explains how his regular-season success needs to transfer to the playoffs for the Heat to have a chance against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Through 47 playoff games, Herro averages 14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 41.3 percent shooting and 33.3 percent from three-point range.

“This was a breakthrough season for Herro, who made his first All-Star team and powered Miami through the play-in with back-to-back big games against Chicago and Atlanta,” Bontemps said. “For the Heat to have another surprise push from the play-in through the East playoffs, they'll need Herro to continue to produce to keep up with the Cavaliers' high-octane offense.”

Adebayo was ranked higher at No. 34, as Bontemps explained his strong finish to the regular season, both on offense and defense, will be crucial in helping the Heat pull off another upset against the Cavaliers. Through 75 playoff games, Adebayo averages 16.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 52.1 percent shooting and 14.3 percent from three-point range.

“Adebayo had a down season, particularly offensively, but a strong closing stretch again helped Miami reach the playoffs,” Bontemps said. “He also had a solid defensive effort in the play-in tournament as opponents went 8-25 (32%) on shots contested by the three-time All-Star. His hands will be full in the first round against Cleveland, as Miami will need its versatile center to be at his best if the Heat want to give the top-seeded Cavaliers a challenge.”

LEBRON JAMES FOUND POSITIVE IN MIAMI HEAT’S 2011 FINALS FAILURE

Throughout a historic career, it’s difficult to find any shortcomings in LeBron James’s career more infamous than the 2011 NBA Finals disappointment with the Miami Heat.

On the Mind The Game podcast, James and Steve Nash discussed how impactful that failure was for all the success of his career afterwards.

LeBron James says his finals loss vs Mavs in 2011 helped him overcome adversity the rest of his career

“Losing my first year in MIA taught me how How to go into Boston for game 6 down 3-2.. How to come back in 2016 and Handel adversity being down 3-1”

(Via @mindthegamepod) pic.twitter.com/BTW8npngj6
— Sports Legacy (@Sports_Legacyy) April 22, 2025

“It was my second year in Miami,” James said. “You know, losing that year before gave me enough experience to know how to handle adversity even more. You know, how to go to Boston for a game six down 3-2, and everybody is saying this is over. How to come back in 2016 after losing in 2015, and how to handle adversity being down 3-1. Because of the things I learned over the course of the past, and having those moments with my teammates to be like, we’re fine. And they believe that no matter how large the obstacle is for us to overcome.”

James went from several disappointing fourth-quarter performances in the 2011 finals to becoming one of the best fourth-quarter players for the next 14 years. He led the Heat to two championships and four appearances in the finals.

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook