Bam Adebayo Made It A Point To Use Pistons Game As Chance To Break Slump
Welcome back, pre-All-Star break Bam Adebayo.
That's how it must have felt for the Miami Heat after Friday's victory against the Detroit Pistons. Adebayo broke from a mini-slump by scoring 22 points to help the Heat snap a four-game losing streak.
"What Bam is about is being a great competitor," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He wanted to make sure he was going to impose his will on this game and he did it on both ends of the court."
It was Adebayo's first 20-point effort in five games. During that stretch, he only shot 50 percent once and had one game in single-digits (five points on 1 of 9 shooting against the Oklahoma City Thunder).
Things were finally back to normal Friday.
Adebayo shot 10 of 14 while also grabbing nine rebounds and three blocks. He scored 12 points in the second quarter.
"He was setting the tone in that second quarter and it wasn't just that scoring," Spoelstra said. "Obviously, that was big but he had some impactful plays, momentum plays and defensively he was everywhere. That's what your leaders do in these tough moments."
The Heat return to action Sunday in a rematch against the Pistons.
Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat, a Fan Nation channel for Sports Illustrated. He has covered the NBA since 2010.
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