Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo Makes Necessary Adjustments Before NBA Finals
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo thought he let down his teammates against the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals
He atoned for it when the Heat closed out the series by recording 32 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in Game 6 Sunday.
"I let my teammates down in Game 5," Adebayo said. "I just had to realign myself and be who I really want to become."
Adebayo's teammates never questioned his effort. Adebayo had nearly a triple- double in Game 5, finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. He was also dealing with a minor hand injury.
Still, the Heat figured he would rebound.
"That's what stars do," forward Jimmy Butler said. "They find a way to win. He's done it all year long."
Adebayo played a strong role in the Heat advancing to their sixth NBA Finals and will be needed even more against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers feature power forward Anthony Davis, who is considered among the league's top 10 players.
Adebayo and Davis both played at the University of Kentucky. Davis was the No. 1 pick in 2012 while Adebayo has blossomed into an All-Star after being chosen by the Heat at No. 14 in 2017.
Adebayo is averaging is career highs in points, rebounds and assists this season.
"He's tremendous, an unbelievable talent," guard Goran Dragic said. "He's our engine."
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