Boston-Miami, the Heat thank super Bam: ‘He is a winner’

Pride and mistakes. Miami’s 2-1 over Boston comes after a roller coaster race-3, with the Heat winning 109-103 after nearly wasting a 26-point lead, losing Jimmy Butler to injury and regaining the real Bam Adebayo, the such an important center in the gears of Spoelstra’s team that after 16 points overall in the first two games he made the difference with 31. Boston made the wrong approach, then he made a mistake too, losing 24 balls and giving up despite Jaylen Brown’s 40 points. A perfect mirror match of the series: anything can happen.

Injuries

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A determining factor is likely to be injuries. Boston started without Robert Williams III, again tormented by his left knee, while Miami found Kyle Lowry and lost Butler at half-time due to inflammation in his right knee: “You won’t need the MRI – said Spoelstra indirectly confirming the first rumors that speak of a non-serious injury, which would allow the Heat star to be on the field on Monday in game-4 -. He was already sick in the first half, you could see that he did not have his usual explosiveness but as always his hyper competitiveness took over. Then in the interval the doctors decided to stop him, almost to protect him from himself. It is something that often happens to us with this group ”. Problems also for Tyler Herro, only 3 ‘in the fourth period due to a problem in his right leg. Physical troubles also for Boston, with Marcus Smart (right ankle) and Jayson Tatum (right shoulder) forced to return to the locker room momentarily due to injuries that worried teammates and fans, “I felt pain first in my neck and then in my shoulder after finishing in a strange position: I went back to the locker room, the doctors gave me tests and they told me I could go back on the pitch ”said Tatum after his worst game of the 2022 playoffs (10 points with 3/14 shooting).

Finally Bam

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Adebayo is the hero of the Heat victory. “He did his best Butler imitation, doing whatever it takes to make the team win” is Spoelstra’s praise at the heart of him. He, after a show of 31 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in 41 ‘, has a simple explanation. “In the first two games I had practically not played: for me it was a matter of pride to be seen – he says -. The defeat in Game-2 ignited a fire in me and I played with a different spirit. Thanks to Udonis Haslem for this: he has an incredible impact on the game and on the team even without taking the field “. “We needed Bam to be so aggressive – relaunches PJ Tucker, the usual warrior who added 17 points to the defense -: his versatility is one of the secrets of our success, it is essential for us that he plays well”. It was even more so in the second half, after Butler’s exit, when Adebayo put himself further into the center of the Heat game: “In the beginning Bam was the offensive push we needed, but when Jimmy came out there stabilized – explains Spoelstra -. He is the soul of this team, a winner: we know we can count on him “.

The Boston Mistakes

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For the Celtics, the knockout is a question of attitude, of a team attacked from the start despite expecting the aggression of Miami. “In the first half we dug our own pit” coach Udoka and the players repeat almost in unison. The other thorn in the side were the turnovers, 24, which led to 33 Heat points. “Every time we got closer we would end up putting together a series of turnovers and come back under,” says Al Horford disconsolately. Not even Brown, the best with 40 points, was spared: he threw away 7 balls, the best in the team, with the disappointing Jayson Tatum right behind with 6. “I did a m job in protecting the ball – says Brown -. I have to be more convinced, more confident. Of course, the referees let something go too far and every time I attacked the iron I felt at least two hands on me without receiving any whistles. But it’s my fault, I have to play better ”. Then he looks ahead to Game-4, where injuries permitting, another battle is expected, other roller coasters: “We know very well what team Miami is, how they play. If we want to win the series we have to have the same aggression as them ”. Appointment on Monday, again at the TD Garden.