Kyle Lowry, Miami Heat drawing charges at record rate

By Yaron WeitzmanFOX Sports NBA WriterThere were dozens of moments Erik Spoelstra could have chosen to highlight, but for him, one stood above the rest."My favorite play, by far, without a doubt, of the season and of the game and of everything is the double charge with Kyle and UD," the Heat coach said following a late December victory over the Detroit Pistons.It happened with a little less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The referees whistled Bey for an offensive foul, one of six the Heat drew that night, the highest total any NBA team has recorded in three seasons."It was just Miami Heat basketball encapsulated in one play," Spoelstra said during his postgame media conference.It was also the answer to an NBA riddle: How does a team that’s last in shots blocked and one of the worst in preventing looks at the rim lead the league in limiting opponent points in the paint and defend at an elite rate? He leads the NBA with 22 charges drawn, giving him 152 since 2010, second only to DeMarcus Cousins’ 184 — all despite Lowry's being 6 feet and 196 pounds."He's one of the few guys from that position that can affect the game defensively," Suns coach Monty Williams said.Williams experienced Lowry’s impact most when working as an assistant for the Sixers during the 2018-19 season. Strus said his appetite for drawing charges was born as a high schooler, thanks to a coach who rewarded players with Snickers bars and Gatorade.Vincent said his drive comes from "never being the tallest guy on my team, so it was the best way for me to impact the game defensively and help my team get more possessions."Strus and Vincent have spent years working to perfect the art.