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Bam Adebayo has his moment as he leads the Miami Heat to a spot in the NBA Finals
After the Miami Heat squandered a golden opportunity to beat the Boston Celtics in Game 5, Bam Adebayo immediately took the blame for the loss. It’s what a leader often does, even when it’s not justified.
Bam said he had to be better and that he had let his team down in Game 5. That feeling of disappointment (although, I find it hard to believe the team really felt that with the way it has played so far in the NBA playoffs ) was quickly swept up in an epic performance in Game 6 that will live on forever in team history.
Bam finished with 32 points, 14 rebounds and five assists en route to beating the Celtics in Game 6, sending the Heat to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2014. Bam took control of the game late, allowing the Heat take advantage of an injured and fatigued Celtics team.
Not only did the Heat finally break through (after two closing games against the Celtics), but Bam had his trademark playoff moment. This time there was no getting around it: Bam was the main reason the Heat were advancing again. Over the course of the Eastern Conference Finals, Bam was the biggest difference maker and the best player on the court most nights.
In the series, Bam averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds and five assists on 60 percent shooting from the field. He was also the heart and soul of Miami’s defense and was the key cog in their impressive zone defense that played for the Celtics at crucial moments throughout the series.
If you recall closely, this series began with an emphatic exclamation point from Bam in Game 1 in which he literally stole a potential attempt to tie Jayson Tatum’s game at the rim.
From that point on, it seems that Bam burst onto the national scene and never relented at any point in this series. He closed the Eastern Conference Finals with possibly his best performance in a Miami Heat uniform to date.
Sure, the Heat wouldn’t have been to the Eastern Conference Finals in the first place without players like Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, Jae Crowder, Duncan Robinson and Andre Iguodala, but make no mistake, the Heat will go as far as Bam. Adebayo can carry them.
We saw that in Game 5 and then Game 6.
Bam Adebayo has had his key NBA playoff moment so far. The Miami Heat are now in the NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Miami will be overlooked and will be questioned again.
But this is exactly where the Heat, Bam, and Jimmy love to operate. This is your DNA. Bam Adebayo is a superstar. And the Miami Heat are a real threat to win the NBA Championship. Between the narratives and star power (both young and old), this is shaping up to be an NBA final for the history books.
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