Victor Oladipo Leads Miami Heat With 23 Points to Clinch Series over Atlanta Hawks
Clinging to a two-point lead with a minute remaining, Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo blew by Kevin Huerter and entered the lane. Oladipo hesitated for a second to keep Huerter on his back, and just when help-side defender Onyeka Okongwu jumped to contest Oladipo's shot, he wrapped a pass around Okongwu to find a wide-open Bam Adebayo.
This heady play by Oladipo, leading to a thunderous slam dunk by Adebayo, gave the Heat a four-point advantage and a lead they'd never relinquish. And on the game's final possession, Adebayo stole a pass to secure a 97-94 win and a 4-1 series victory in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
Oladipo was inserted into the starting lineup on Tuesday due to injuries to Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry. It was Oladipo's second playoff appearance this season and just his 10th game all year.
"When they told me I needed to start tonight I just stepped up to the plate and did everything I could to help my team win," Oladipo said in a postgame interview. "I credit my coaching staff and teammates for believing in me, my family and my God in heaven for getting me through. It's only the beginning."
Oladipo led the Heat with 23 points in this game, finishing 8-for-16 from the field and 3-for-6 from 3. The former Indiana All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year played 36 minutes – tied for his season high – and connected on all four free throws while adding three steals, three assists and a rebound.
The Heat played stingy team defense, holding Hawks point guard Trae Young to 11 points on 2-for-12 shooting and an 0-for-5 mark from 3.
"Trae is a great player, obviously," Oladipo said. "We just tried to make it tough on him, show him different bodies."
Oladipo returned to the court in March after spending close to a year and a half rehabbing a quadriceps injury. He has battled injuries for nearly four years and hasn't played more than 36 games in a season since his All-Star campaign in 2017-2018.
"Around this time last year, I was sitting in a dark room by myself and just broke down," Oladipo said. "Not because I quit, but because I was at the lowest point I could be at. And now God has put me in this position today, so I just made the most of it."
It was clear last night's performance was an emotional experience for the 11-year NBA veteran. After Adebayo stole the pass on the game's final possession, Oladipo sprinted down the court, pumping his fists and engaging with the Miami fans.
The Heat now advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals where they await the winner of the No. 4 seed Philadelphia 76ers and No. 5 seed Toronto Raptors. The 76ers currently hold a 3-2 series lead, but the Raptors have won the last two games by a combined 23 points.
This could lead to a potential matchup between two Hoosiers, Oladipo and OG Anunoby of the Raptors. Anunoby has had an impressive series so far, scoring 99 points across five game. And conversely, the Oladipo and the Heat could be tasked with defending one of the best players in the NBA, Joel Embiid of the 76ers.
After the game, Oladipo was asked about the Heat's confidence level on defense moving forward after keeping Young in check all series.
"We've been playing defense like this all year on everybody really, honestly," Oladipo said. "We know the talent is only going to keep getting better as the playoffs continue, so we're going to have to have our hard hats on the defensive end and realize that's what fuels us."
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