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Fatigue won’t be a factor for the young Miami Heat in Game 6, says BJ Armstrong.
NBA Live: LA Lakers @ Miami GM6
Monday October 12 12:15 am
Head coach Erik Spoelstra used a seven-man rotation in Miami’s 111-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 on Friday night, with Jimmy Butler playing all but 49 seconds of the game.
Neck and shoulder issues starters Jae Crowder, Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo played more than 37 minutes, while rookies Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn played 30 minutes off the bench as the Heat reduced the Los Angeles series lead. Lakers to 3-2.
With a 48-hour turnaround between games and the intensity of the series on the rise, could fatigue be an issue for Miami’s players after their Herculean efforts in Game 5?
Armstrong, a three-time NBA champion, has no such concerns. Speaking at Sky Sports Arena after the Heat’s Game 5 win, he said: “I’m not (worried), just because of the age (of the Heat players). This is a young group, this is a group that plays with sense of despair.
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“We talk about playing being mindful of the moment. These Miami guys can play 48 minutes, 55 minutes, it doesn’t matter, this team is ready to play.
“I’m very impressed with what the Heat were able to do in Game 5. What does (Miami) coach Erik Spoelstra do? He allows his young players, his guards, to readjust and configure the screens so that his star player, Jimmy Butler, you can get to your spot. You saw Butler get to his floor spaces where he’s comfortable. Offensively, it worked.
Armstrong said the biggest concern stemming from Game 5 relates to the Lakers and All-Star forward Anthony Davis.
“The Lakers are going to be concerned about one thing: what is Anthony Davis’s health? From what I could see, he didn’t look healthy at the end of Game 5,” he said. “That may be a key issue for the Lakers and their fans.”
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The Lakers have officially listed Davis as questionable for Game 6, although the player has said he hopes to play.
Armstrong’s fellow analyst, Mo Mooncey, added that the way Miami won Game 5 should raise some red flags for the highly favored Lakers.
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“This is where (the result of) Game 5 gets a little scary for Lakers fans,” he said. “Duncan Robinson really stepped up for Miami, but Jae Crowder was only 2 of 9 right and Bam Adebayo only scored 13 points.
“We know those guys are better than that. If Robinson can repeat his performance, Crowder can improve and Adebayo can return to his usual state, then another treat awaits us in Game 6.”
Watch the Los Angeles Lakers @ Miami Heat Game 6 live at Sky Sports Arena in the early hours of Monday morning (12:15 am)
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