Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo Gets Encouraging News That Could Inspire Comeback vs. Boston Celtics
The Miami Heat could use all the inspiration they could get as they look to find a way to pull off a first-round upset against the powerful Boston Celtics . Perhaps Bam Adebayo getting an official nod as a finalist in the 2023-24 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award could provide a spark for him and the Heat, who lost in the series opener versus the Celtics on Sunday on the road, 114-94.
Miami Heat Big Man Bam Adebayo Makes Final Cut for 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year
On Sunday, the NBA released the finalists for the major individual awards in the league this season, with Adebayo joining San Antonio Spurs super rookie Victor Wembanyama and three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the final cut of nominees for the honor.
Adebayo has never won a DPOY award in his career in the league thus far, and even though he’s a finalist, he appears to still be a long shot to win one this season, as Gobert and Wembanyama are ahead of them in terms of betting odds.
Nevertheless, Adebayo will have to use every ounce of his defensive abilities in this series versus the Celtics, who are stacked with great scoring options, including his big man counterpart Kristaps Porzingis, who had 18 points in Game 1.
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics is fine after a late-game collision during their victory over the Miami Heat
The Celtics were close to finishing a win in the opening game of the playoffs, but one of their top players had a hard fall.
Jayson Tatum, who had just achieved his first playoff triple-double, was going for a rebound with less than a minute left when he collided with Miami’s Caleb Martin, falling to the floor at TD Garden.
Tatum landed on his hip but quickly got back up. However, Celtics’ Jaylen Brown confronted Martin, leading to a brief scuffle and both players getting technical fouls.
Tatum calmly made two free throws, helping seal a 114-94 victory in the playoff opener.
He said he was physically fine after the collision and quickly got up because the team aims to stay composed this postseason, something they struggled with last year against Miami.
“Just knowing it’s playoff basketball. It’s physical, especially against a tough team like Miami. Things like that are going to happen,” Tatum said. “I wasn’t hurt from the hit. Just got up and knew we were in the bonus. Went down and made the free throws.”
Martin said there was no intention to harm Tatum. “I tried to help him up. I heard him hit the floor. I know I hit him hard, but momentum carried me,” Martin explained. “If Jimmy (Butler) was on the floor, I would have done the same thing.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla wasn’t worried when Tatum fell. “I was curious to see how he would react. I found the whole situation interesting,” Mazzulla said of the play. “I enjoyed watching it.”
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