Miami Heat's Jae Crowder Has Been A Surprise Offensive Option In Postseason

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra figured forward Jae Crowder would be a perfect fit when they traded for him in February.

Crowder was the prototypical Heat player: a strong defender with a high motor.

What has come as a surprise is Crowder's ability to score, especially during the postseason. He is averaging 10.7 points and shooting 34 percent from the 3-point line. He shot 4 of 12 from the arc in Wednesday's victory against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, helping the Heat take a 2-0 series lead.

Game 3 is Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Orlando.

"He's a competitive guy that fits our culture, our way of being and competes on both ends," Spoelstra said. "He's detail-oriented and he's been kind of a pleasant surprise as a leader in our locker room. Offensively, we need him to be aggressive, particularly behind the 3-point line. I loved that he had 12 3-point attempts. Hopefully, we can generate some more for him. He's a great shooter."

Crowder was expected to impact this series mostly on the defensive end. Spoelstra made a surprise move by starting him out on Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the league's reigning MVP. In addition to solid defense, he has also knocked down at least two 3-pointers in the Heat's six postseason games.

"Jae is a competitor, a warrior," Heat guard Goran Dragic said. "He's accepting every challenge ... He's shooting the ball really well. We want to find him in the offense. He's already proved in his career he's hitting those big shots when the game is on the line. He's been huge for us this series."

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