Two twenty-point scorers got it done Tuesday night for the Miami Heat! Miami has now defeated the Atlanta Hawks 4-1 in the series, advancing to the second round where they’ll face either the Toronto Raptors or Philadelphia 76ers.
Victor Oladipo scored a team-high 23 points, and Bam Adebayo had a double-double (20 points and 11 rebounds) to move the hometown Miami Heat past the visiting Atlanta Hawks, 97-94 at FTX Arena.
The contest was tightly contested the entire game, but Victor Oladipo sparked Miami early on, scoring three straight baskets in his first start of the playoffs. Oladipo got the starting nod as a result of the injuries Kyle Lowry (hamstring) and Jimmy Butler (right knee inflammation) had suffered.
When examining the game as an NBA fan, you must have been thinking, “When is Miami going to pull away?”.
The dominance of De’Andre Hunter prevented the Heat from pulling away, especially towards the end of the game. Hunter had a game-high 35 points and 11 boards, but fouled out in the final seconds when Atlanta needed him the most.
Was Atlanta truly out of this game? Technically, they kept the score competitive. However, star Trae Young finished with only 11 points. His presence was not found at all, which ultimately led to Miami’s success on the defensive end.
Miami connected on many second opportunities with all of the 19 turnovers committed by Atlanta. In order for the Heat to play better in the next upcoming series, the personal fouls (25) have to be cut down. Miami is much better in the paint, attacking the glass, and hitting their layups rather than settling for too many threes.
How will Miami respond to their next upcoming challenger?
- Well, one it’s unknown.
- Secondly, the ball is on the Heat’s hardwood.
- Play consistent basketball.
- Cut the fouls and turnovers down.
- Don’t assume that this series is going to be very short.
- Get ready for a grind.
- Expect a seven-game series.
- Stay healthy.