Pinpoint full-court outlet passes have been a signature aspect of Kevin Love’s skill set for years. But Sunday was a banner day even by the Miami Heat veteran’s high standards.
Love recorded three assists on outlet passes that traveled more than 60 feet during a critical 2:25 span in the third quarter that helped fuel the Heat’s Game 1 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The first ended in a Max Strus layup to give the Heat a one-point lead, the second resulted in a Jimmy Butler dunk to push the Heat’s lead up to four points and the final one led to another Butler dunk to extend the Heat’s lead to eight.
It marked just the second time in Love’s 15-year career that he’s finished a game with three assists that traveled at least 60 feet and no other player has done it during the past 10 seasons, according to Second Spectrum. And Love did it in a single quarter Sunday.
“That’s just an incredible skill,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said ahead of Game 2 of the team’s second-round playoff series against the Knicks on Tuesday night in New York. “There aren’t many guys in this association that can throw it 90 feet, much less see the play happen and then on time, on target. That’s an incredible skill set that he has.”
Love, 34, began to form that skill set nearly 30 years ago as a 5-year-old when he was playing with his older brother and other 8-year-olds. Love didn’t have the strength yet to shoot the ball from above his head, so he relied on a shooting motion...
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