Tag Archive for: Bam Adebayo

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Season Ending Loss in Finals

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It was a tough night for the Miami Heat in game six against the Los Angeles Lakers, which led to a loss 106-93. Nothing seemed to be clicking for Miami throughout this game, and was a tough way to go out after this incredible run. Well, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Bam Adebayo just clearly isn’t 100%.

One of the biggest keys for the Miami Heat to win game six was a healthy Bam Adebayo. And it was clear from the jump, that wasn’t the case. He did not have that same energy or bounce on either end of the floor and it showed. Although Jimmy Butler has had some huge games in this finals run, Bam is still the engine to the team. So when he isn’t bringing it, it’s hard for others to do so. And once again, that’s clearly because of the injury that occurred in game two, but he has tried to battle through it. It did showcase his toughness, but it took a toll on this Heat team. Without that Bam Adebayo that they had in the Eastern Conference Finals, it’s tough to close out a talented Lakers team.

#2: Miami going away from Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn early was problematic.

The biggest takeaway from this game was that Erik Spoelstra made some questionable substitutions in the first half. Duncan Robinson clearly had it going and Kendrick Nunn seemed to have picked it up where he left off, but they somehow found themselves on the bench. The insertion of Goran Dragic into the game was meaningful for the Heat organization and fan base, but may have hurt them in game six. Especially since Miami’s shots weren’t falling and the spacing was off, it was interesting for Spo to go that long without subbing them back in. This isn’t to say that the Lakers wouldn’t have gone on that run if he went this route, but seemed as if it may have given them a better shot.

#3: Offensive issues led to turnovers, which led to a flowing Lakers offense.

The offensive issues that occurred in game six were pretty obvious. For one, they just weren’t hitting shots. And when this Heat team isn’t hitting shots, it’s a hard game to win. Another thing was that the spacing was completely off for Miami. That may have had something to do with the fact that the offense was stagnant, but the answer isn’t to have three guys stand in one corner. This ultimately led to a ton of Miami turnovers, and that’s one thing you can’t do against this Lakers team. Once LeBron James gets going on the open floor, it’s hard to stop, and that’s exactly what he did tonight. The Lakers took advantage of Miami’s mistakes, much like the Heat did in game five. An overall tough night for Miami led to this loss.

#4: LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been tested all series long, but that wasn’t the case in game six.

You can only go so long without two of the five best players in the world dominating. As mentioned previously, on a night where mistakes are constantly being made by Miami, these guys will take advantage of them. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were assertive throughout, taking control on both sides of the floor. Miami’s plan coming in was to double team LeBron and AD, and make the role players beat you. And well, they stepped up as well, due to Rajon Rondo and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope having huge games on the offensive end. The defense for Miami wasn’t the problem though, but the offensive issues led to defensive breakdowns. LeBron and AD made sure to pounce on a troubling Heat team in game six, and they came out with the victory.

#5: Although a tough outcome, what a run it has been.

It’s hard not to focus on the actual loss that Miami endured in game six, but you have to take a look at the big picture as well. This Miami Heat team wasn’t supposed to even be here in this situation, but their grittiness and will to win got them here. This is not a time to be down after a loss in the finals, it’s actually a time to celebrate for the development and future of this team. For Miami to beat the MVP, in Giannis Antetokounmpo, in five games, and go on to take down the highly talented Boston Celtics squad, it speaks major volume. And now in the NBA finals. Pushing LeBron James and Anthony Davis to six games, barring injuries from 2 of your 3 best players. This team may not be raising the Larry O’Brien trophy tonight, but they should be holding their pride up high.

3 Keys for the Miami Heat to Win Game Six

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The Miami Heat pushed this series to six games after a huge win on Friday night. They are now two wins away from an NBA championship, so here’s what Miami will need to do in game six to force a game seven…

#1: Bam Adebayo will need to play like Bam Adebayo.

It’s pretty obvious that Miami needs an aggressive and energized Bam Adebayo to win basketball games, but that wasn’t exactly the case in game five. It could’ve had something to do with the fact that he’s not exactly 100%. But even a 70% Bam Adebayo is useful for this Heat team right now. They don’t necessarily need him to score 25 points, but they do need him to do the small things that he has done for them all season. Even the dribble hand-off, that they’ve used so much throughout this season, wasn’t used as much as they’d like throughout game five. And since Miami was rolling with Bam as their only big, he will need to be that energetic presence. There is no doubt that he won’t be, since that is just who he is, but if Bam can bring it, there’s a good chance they will be playing another game on Tuesday night.

#2: Miami’s ball-dominant players will need to help out Jimmy Butler.

Jimmy Butler has been scoring the ball at will in this finals run, mostly since he is stepping up when it is needed, especially with Goran Dragic out. Even though Jimmy will need to continue to do that, Miami’s other ball-dominant players will be essential to take a bit of the load off of him for stretches. That starts with Tyler Herro, who has the ability to take control of the offense through his play-making and his scoring. The only problem is that the Lakers’ defense has seemed to try and eliminate Tyler offensively, which is impressive for a rookie to put that much pressure on an opponent. Kendrick Nunn stepped up in the first half, which was exactly what Jimmy needed. Since Jimmy plays both sides of the ball so hard for 47 minutes, by running the offense on one end and guarding the best player in the world on the other end, he will need help. As mentioned, Tyler will need to find a way to take back the offense during spurts.

#3: Miami will need to continue their show-and-go defensive scheme against this Lakers team.

One thing that I noticed in game five was Miami’s defensive scheme seemed a little different. When LeBron James had the ball and had somebody setting a pick, Miami would switch and have Jimmy run over to double. This meant that a guy like Danny Green or Alex Caruso would be left open around the free throw area, with Bam Adebayo or Jae Crowder standing between the player at the basket and him. This is exactly what Miami needs to do, since you want to put the ball in the hands of the Lakers role players as much as possible, just like they did on the final possession in game five. Duncan Robinson has been quite a defensive liability, but this allows him to play more free. The only time it’s a little harder to do this is when Rajon Rondo is in the game, since if he gets the ball at the free throw line with one defender in front of him and a lengthy Anthony Davis by the rim, he will most likely make the right read. If Miami continues this defensive scheme to try and throw LeBron and Anthony off, Miami will just need to capitalize on their offense.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Late Win Over Lakers

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The Miami Heat came away with the win in an intense battle with the Los Angeles Lakers in game six, 111-108. Late free throws from Jimmy Butler iced the game for Miami, after a great attack to the basket. A late defensive stance on LeBron James and company officially iced it. Here are my five takeaways…

#1: Kendrick Nunn steps up early offensively for Miami.

It wasn’t even expected that Kendrick Nunn would be inserted back into the rotation, yet he was and absolutely shined. I’ve always said that a confident Kendrick is a productive Kendrick, and that proved true once again. That falls onto the trust that Erik Spoelstra put into him though. Even when nobody else believed he could be a viable option to help out in game five, he still threw him right in. He scored an impressive 11 first half points, but the scoring wasn’t even the most noticed trait. The play-making abilities were on display tonight as well, which is something else that comes along with confidence. 0 first half turnovers was another huge stat for him. He proved throughout the season that he can play, and that didn’t just disappear over time.

#2: Yet again, Jimmy Butler puts on a show in the first half.

This may be the story line for every Heat game in the first half, but he showed up once again. This time putting up 22/6/6 and 7 for 10 from the field in 23 out of 24 minutes. His will to win was going to be needed in game five, and that’s exactly what was shown. He truly does everything on the floor that you need. Lead, defend, play-make. His two-way abilities are very special, and they clearly improve in a playoff setting. Adjustments were going to be necessary as well, due to the fact that he would have Anthony Davis guarding him. Instead of just attacking the paint against that defensive specialist, he began to utilize pull-ups in the mid-range area and three point shots to make AD have to worry about more than just attacking the rim. Once again, he proved that there’s not many guys that you’d want as the leader of your team over him.

#3: Andre Iguodala has trouble impacting offensively, but finds other ways.

If you took a look at the stat line in the first half that showed 0 points for Andre Iguodala, you may think he didn’t impact the game. But well, that wasn’t the case. He was a team best plus-10 in the first half, even when going scoreless. That’s because he found other ways to contribute, mostly on the defensive side of the ball. It has been obvious that Andre’s quick hands on the defensive end have been great throughout the season, and it was shown once again in game five. He has some tough defensive match-ups with this Lakers team, and he showed he can utilize his high IQ play to his advantage. Andre has been in this position before, and it is showing.

#4: Bam Adebayo had a tough time getting going on both sides of the floor.

It was obvious that this wasn’t the same Bam Adebayo that Heat fans are used to. There was a lack of that offensive firepower that he always seems to bring. When his activity around the rim increases, the offensive production increases. He also didn’t seem to have that same aggression when attacking Anthony Davis. He was very reluctant and hesitant when being guarded by AD, which is unlike Bam to do so. He also lacked a bit of intensity, which may have something to do with him not being totally 100%. He seemed to become energized in the fourth quarter, once he realized he was needed to step up. Either way, Bam knows that he could’ve played much better throughout.

#5: One game at a time.

One game at a time. That’s the best way to describe the Miami Heat’s current situation. They all believe there’s no need to look at this series full picture, but instead focus at the task at hand. As talked about previously, Jimmy Butler clearly did his part with an incredible all around game. Duncan Robinson also stepped up, not only by his shooting, but through his winning plays. Kendrick Nunn was also huge by the way that he stepped up as the scorer he has been all season. But instead of looking at individual performances, this was a team effort. A team that bought into each other, and stayed focused no matter the situation. Now the next focus is game six on Sunday night.

Down 3-1: “It’s Not Like It Has Never Been Done Before”

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“It’s not like it has never been done before.” That’s what Bam Adebayo had to say about being down 3-1 in the series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

If there were ever a team that can sustain a confident mindset of winning three straight games, it would definitely be this Heat team.

Jimmy Butler made sure to say that their confidence will stay high over the next few days, saying “I know we can do it.”

The reason that they know they can do it is because the issues that they’ve endured are fairly obvious. They have done a pretty good job defensively, but ultimately open shots will need to be made to beat a team like the Lakers.

It was also clear that the role players had a tough time in game four, especially since the rotation changed once again. Meyers Leonard went back to the role of getting no playing time, while Kendrick Nunn played a rough 25 minutes. When your offensive engine, in Goran Dragic, is not playing, somebody will have to step up and replicate some of the things that he usually does.

“The series is not over.” That is what Tyler Herro had to say about their current situation. Once again, there was a mutual theme between players after the game, which was that they know what they need to fix. And that ultimately falls on everybody on this roster.

Jae Crowder has mentioned many times that they need to take it game by game. And now that they’re focused on just getting a win in game five, it’ll make for an interesting Friday night.

This team led by Jimmy Butler will not just lay down after getting this far. They will battle and compete in game five since it’s just yet another testament of that Heat culture.

Jimmy Butler has thrived in these types of situations, not only in basketball but in life. He’s endured the feeling of being down 3-1 since he was 13. He has been doubted and counted out his whole entire life, and he will get to display some more of that will to win on Friday.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Tough Game Four Loss

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The Miami Heat fell short in game four against the Lakers, 102-96. Miami once again displayed their toughness and grittiness, but ultimately couldn’t pull out a win. Here are my five takeaways…

#1: Miami’s defense looked strong once again.

Miami decided to switch over to play more man in the last game, and stuck with that in game four. This caused disruption against both Anthony Davis and LeBron James. For starters, Miami’s ability to throw a bunch of guys at AD, especially with Bam Adebayo back, holds much importance. Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala continue to try and play physical with Davis, which is needed when you can’t match his length. LeBron James on the other hand also had a tough time against Miami’s defense. They forced LeBron to have 5 first half turnovers, and only score 8 points. For Miami, that was a huge plus going into halftime, since they did what they had to do on that end of the floor. The shooting is actually what seemed to hurt them early.

#2: Jae Crowder’s impact was on full display, even when he isn’t scoring.

When taking a look at the impressive first halves from Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder’s impact may have been lost. But ultimately, this was a huge reason for their defensive success. He went scoreless through 17 minutes in the first half, but somehow they missed him when he went to the bench. Anthony Davis began to gain confidence offensively once he didn’t have the physical Crowder matched up with him. This was yet another representation of these role players impact, which hold much value in an NBA finals game against LeBron James and company. He also brings an element of intensity when on the floor, which is always a spark to the team, especially the young guys. Jae’s defensive performance in game four should not be overshadowed, since it played a huge part in only going into the half down by two.

#3: Bam Adebayo’s injury doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Bam Adebayo returned to play in game four of the finals, but there were question marks if he would be 100%. And well, it was clear right out of the gate that he was. He hit the floor two times in the first quarter, and continued to play through it like nothing happened. Once again proving the toughness of Bam Adebayo. He also took initiative to be offensively involved early for Miami, which was much needed. But ultimately, his true impact came by doing everything else on the floor. His defense, passing, and rebounding abilities continued to shine in game four. And more importantly, the level of comfort he brings for teammates when on the floor. Even though this team has Jimmy Butler, Bam is the engine of this Heat team.

#4: Three-point shooting woes continue for Miami.

The Miami Heat have harped on their outstanding three-point shooting all season, but these NBA finals games haven’t proved that to be true. It was discussed that Miami were in need of a bounce back shooting game in game four, but that wasn’t exactly the case. Jae Crowder and Tyler Herro had a tough night shooting the three ball, which is needed with Goran Dragic out. The problem wasn’t only that they weren’t hitting these shots, but they were missing open shots. And when you are in an NBA finals game against a team like the Lakers, you must capitalize on those open jumpers. Miami will need to clean this issue up going forward, after shooting 11 for 32 from beyond the arc.

#5: The lack of role player production hurt Miami.

Miami has been a team all year that has thrived on the production of their bench unit and role guys. But ultimately, they didn’t show up in game four, since Kendrick Nunn, Kelly Olynyk, and Andre Iguodala had a tough time being offensive factors. Even though I mentioned the impact of Jae Crowder throughout as well, he wasn’t able to be the scoring factor that he usually is. And without Goran Dragic, there was a need for somebody to fill the shoes offensively. Kelly Olynyk did it in game three, which was a huge reason for their win. But once again, this Heat team missed Goran Dragic in game four. There were many instances in the fourth quarter where Goran would usually step up and get a bucket in a time of need. When you don’t have that offensive engine, it’s a tough game to win.

Game Three Heroics to Game Four Adjustments

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After a huge win that the Miami Heat capitalized on in game three over the Los Angeles Lakers, you may not expect many changes. But there will be.

For starters, there may be yet another rotational change in game four, since there is a chance that Bam Adebayo could return. But what does this mean for Miami’s starting lineup?

Many would probably expect Bam to enter the lineup in the place of Meyers Leonard, but I’m not sure that’s the route Coach Erik Spoelstra will go. It has clearly been effective when using Meyers Leonard or Kelly Olynyk when Dwight Howard is in the game, which means they will probably give Meyers the first 6 minutes to take that match-up.

So if it’s not Meyers, who will Bam Adebayo start in front of if he plays?

I believe the move will be to put Tyler Herro back into a bench role. Now, he’s clearly one of their most effective scorers, but just because he’s not starting, doesn’t mean he won’t play 35+ minutes.

This means that Jimmy Butler will play the one, which matches up well with the Lakers since LeBron James has been playing the point for them. And obviously with an adjustable coach like Erik Spoelstra, he can make a switch at any time.

If Miami doesn’t decide to go this route, they will probably decide to just put Bam Adebayo back at the five as they did in game one. This means that their starting lineup will be the death lineup that I’ve talked about prior to the NBA bubble. Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder, and Bam Adebayo would look to try and blow the doors off early in the first quarter, which is usually when they throw their strongest punch.

Miami also will have to keep some strategic things that they used in game three.

For one, they will need to continue to be physical with Anthony Davis and other bigs. Since their offense runs on the production of AD, it’ll be crucial to try and slow him down. This also means to continue to be energetic and emphatic on grabbing rebounds. Miami made it clear that they were going to make sure to dominate in that area, since the film showed that’s what lost them game two.

Another thing they will have to continue defensively is going away from the zone. That adjustment in game three gave them the defensive edge that they needed. The zone may have got them here in some instances, but it ultimately isn’t effective against this team, which was a huge adjustment on Erik Spoelstra’s part.

As much as the Lakers have been talking about watching film and making adjustments for game four, so is Miami. They will be physically prepared, and more importantly mentally prepared.

It is that next man up mentality, but as Jae Crowder said after game three, it is also that “next game up mentality.” Jimmy Butler and others will be ready for the challenge.

 

Bam Adebayo Will Miss Game Two

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It’s official that Bam Adebayo will miss game two of the NBA finals with a neck strain.

The only good news reported with this injury, is that there is hope that he can return in game three. Bam hasn’t missed many games over the last two seasons, but this one is pretty crucial.

This does mean that some other role players will need to step up, including Kelly Olynyk who will most likely be starting in his place. Kelly will be looked towards to take advantage of some things that Bam doesn’t do, which is spreading the floor with his shooting abilities. If he can get going, it’ll be a big help for this Heat team.

But obviously Bam can’t be replaced, since he just does so many things on the court. Jimmy Butler will be looked towards to step up as the star he is for game two, and hopefully get his co-star back in game three.

Without Bam Adebayo it’ll be tough, but it’s not impossible.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss in Game One of NBA Finals

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The Miami Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 116-98, on a tough night for Miami. The loss wasn’t the worst part of the night for Miami, since they suffered some tough injuries throughout. Here are my takeaways from this game…

#1: Jimmy Butler lives up to “Jimmy Buckets” nickname out of the gate.

The beginning of the first quarter was looking pretty promising for Miami, since their offense was clicking behind the attack of Jimmy Butler. He came out with that offensive aggression once again, even hitting two early threes in the corner. He’s a guy that is fairly capable of doing this, but he knows that the team plays better when everyone else gets rolling. Jimmy went down with an apparent ankle injury towards the end of the second quarter, but seemed to be okay. It’s clear that Miami needs a 100% healthy Jimmy Butler for Miami to win some games in this series, but ultimately it’ll take a lot more than just Jimmy.

#2: Los Angeles Lakers’ role players step up, which were shots that Miami was going to allow.

Miami’s game-plan heading into this series with the Lakers was clear, double team LeBron James and Anthony Davis when they get the ball in their spots, and make the others around them beat you. And well, that’s exactly what the role guys did. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope got going early, while Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, and others followed right behind. Ultimately, this will not be the case going forward. Miami will continue to make those guys hit shots, and if they do, they will live with that. A lot of that though falls on their defensive issues, which will be discussed next.

#3: Miami’s defensive issues allow Lakers to pull away.

It was expected that Miami would be ready to compete defensively in this series, throwing many different schemes out there on the floor. But that wasn’t exactly the case. For starters, Miami’s defensive movement wasn’t where they’d like it to be. And also, although the role guys were hitting threes, containing the paint was the issue. You are not going to stop LeBron James and Anthony Davis from doing what they do, but you must make it tough on them. They were pretty much doing what they wanted when attacking the rim, and obviously AD got to work on the glass against the smaller lineups. These issues were clear, and it’ll be looked to be tweaked by game two.

#4: Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo injuries hold some question marks.

The Jimmy Butler injury occurred late in the second quarter, when he tweaked his left ankle. He ended up staying on the floor, but then even more news came in. Tyler Herro started in place of Goran Dragic to start the second half, and it was reported that he was doubtful to return with a left foot injury. Some fear that this is a series ending injury.

Bam Adebayo also went to the locker room in the third quarter, after getting his left arm tangled up, which appeared to re-injure his shoulder. He ended up not returning, which they listed it as a shoulder strain, but luckily the x-rays came back negative. Miami is already facing some on-court issues against this Lakers team, and these injury issues aren’t making it any easier. Miami’s depth is their advantage though, which means if anything is significant, they will be plugging in some guys down the roster including Kendrick Nunn, Kelly Olynyk, and others.

#5: Eyes are now on Erik Spoelstra.

Erik Spoelstra has had an outstanding playoff run since he’s implemented so many successful things on both sides of the ball. But now, it’s time for him to adjust once again. This doesn’t mean to flip their defensive game-plan, but they need to get back to their roots and increase intensity yet again. This could mean that we see a rotational change, maybe even seeing some Kelly Olynyk or Meyers Leonard minutes to get some bigger bodies on the floor. We will probably see Kendrick Nunn back in the rotation as well if Goran Dragic is out for the rest of the series. Either way, an adjustment will be made for game two. And there’s no better coach to do it than Erik Spoelstra.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Series Ending Win over Boston

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The Miami Heat are going to the NBA finals, after beating the Celtics, 125-113, in game six. Bam Adebayo showcases his excellence in an outstanding performance. Here are my five takeaways…

#1: Jimmy Butler comes out firing.

Jimmy Butler had a game-plan heading into game six, when he didn’t even shoot around before the game since he “had it covered.” Well, he seemed to have it covered in the first quarter, when he continued to attack the basket and control the mid-range. He seemed fairly confident taking those jumpers, which is always important with Jimmy. This ultimately leads to getting the rest of the team going, since it opens up shooting. Miami’s shooting wasn’t looking good to start the game though, which led to Jimmy trying to play-make around the rim to cutters. When Jimmy is assertive like this, he’s hard to slow down.

#2: Bam Adebayo showcases first half paint presence on offense, but so did Boston.

Bam Adebayo was controlling the paint on offense early once again, drawing fouls due to his aggressiveness. But his ability to play above the rim was on full effect tonight. Although you’d think that would give Miami an early lead, Boston was getting busy down low as well, utilizing Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter, and Robert Williams. The zone defense seemed to be a bit of an issue, most likely since Boston’s preparation for it was starting to show. But ultimately, Bam mentioned he’d need to take initiative in game six, which he did. The offense was once again running through him, but shooting ultimately helps him even more. This team runs on the production of Bam Adebayo.

#3: Jae Crowder not having his best game shooting the ball, finds other ways to be impactful.

Jae Crowder came out in game six once again cold from beyond the arc. When you’d think that would his confidence, it does the complete opposite. It then forces him to be productive in other areas. Instead of just sitting around by the three point line, he cuts to the basket back door for layups and attacks the basket. And now to the defensive end, he is truly a disruption on each and every play. Contesting shots, battling for rebounds, active hands on help defense. It was all on display tonight. Even on his toughest of shooting nights, he finds ways to help this team win.

#4: Andre Iguodala is familiar with these moments, and he shows up once again.

Andre Iguodala is the true definition of not showing up in a stat sheet. Not a natural scorer, just a natural winner. Well, that’s wasn’t the case tonight, since he was playing like a natural scorer. It was evident veterans were going to need to step up in this game, but not many would’ve thought it’d be a big time shooting performance. During Miami’s most crucial stretch, he showed up big time. And once again that’s not even discussing the other things he does every single game. Facilitating, defending, play-making. But ultimately, the scoring shined through those things, since he’s very familiar with these big moments.

#5: The Miami Heat will be facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals.

The Miami Heat have earned themselves a trip to the NBA finals. The outstanding play in the fourth quarter from Bam Adebayo is the reason they are here. He further showed that he’s a proven winner. Big time baskets, huge passes, defensive stops, needed rebounds. It was all on display tonight. Tyler Herro also scored a couple of crucial baskets in the fourth, that got the team going. Now they will face a familiar face, LeBron James, in the NBA finals, four wins away from hoisting up the Larry O’Brien trophy.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Huge Game Four Win Over Celtics

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The Miami Heat came away with a huge game four win over the Boston Celtics, 112-109. This gave Miami a 3-1 lead in the series, behind big time performances by Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Here are five takeaways…

#1: Tyler Herro unconscious early once again.

Tyler Herro once again put on an absolute scoring display in the first half, scoring 15 points. The scoring though is not what stood out from Tyler, it was his feel for the game. He took control of the pace of the offense, when Goran and Jimmy weren’t. This was finally the dribble penetration Miami was looking for, which led to some nice dishes down low to Bam and others. It seems as if it’s the same story-line every game from Tyler, but ultimately it is. He’s a 20 year old rookie who may be the most consistent Heat player right now. Not only is he the future, but he’s the present.

#2: Bam Adebayo brings needed intensity on both sides of the floor.

Many speculated Jimmy would need to be the aggressor early in game four, which he was, but it ultimately falls on Bam Adebayo. It’s clear that he controls the dynamic of how their offense will flow. And tonight, he brought the energy on both offense and defense that they needed. For starters, the defensive plays Bam was making you won’t see in a stat sheet. He’s a guy that forced so many Boston Celtic misses both around the rim and perimeter. He truly impacts the game in a special way. On the offensive side, he was assertive early with his pick and rolls with Goran Dragic. He also made himself useful on the boards, especially since Miami went with smaller lineups. Once again, Bam’s the motor to this team’s success.

#3: Jayson Tatum scoreless first half was a game changer.

Jayson Tatum went scoreless in the first half of tonight’s game, which was far from expected. He’s arguably Boston’s most deadly and needed scorer, but when he’s off it’ll hurt you. His struggles had a lot to do with the constant adjusting defensive schemes. This led to him settling for more jump shots from beyond the arc, instead of just attacking the rim. But well, it was inevitable for this to be the case all night, since he exploded for 16 third quarter points. There’s not many games where you’ll hold a star to 0 first half points, which is why you must take advantage of those moments.

#4: Both teams struggle shooting the ball from deep.

After Miami didn’t shoot the ball particularly well in game three, it seemed as if they’d clean that up easily for game four. And well, the three ball wasn’t there best friend throughout the night, especially for Duncan Robinson and Jae Crowder. Somehow, they still controlled the pace for most of the game, mostly since Boston didn’t shoot well either. As mentioned before, that was mostly because of the early Jayson Tatum struggles. Brad Stevens made sure to tell the team to step into their shots and control the mid-range. Miami, on the other hand, stuck with their shooting and attacked the rim when needed.

#5: Miami takes 3-1 lead, one win away from the NBA finals.

The Miami Heat have officially taken a 3-1 lead over the Boston Celtics, which means they’re one game away from an NBA finals appearance. This game was a full representation of this team’s grit. Not shooting the ball well, two of your starters non-offensive factors, but they still find a way to get the win. This was behind the outstanding performance by Tyler Herro, as mentioned before. Although I expanded on Tyler previously, he’s the reason they have this 3-1 lead. He once again showed up when others did not, due to his outstanding feel for the game. Bam Adebayo also controlled the paint on both sides of the floor, which was a major contribution to this win. And now, as mentioned before, they’re one win away from reaching the NBA finals.