Getty Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat.
The Miami Heat will be looking to close out their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, when they head to Fiserv Forum for Game 5.
Ahead of the pivotal meeting, Heat center Bam Adebayo was added to the team’s injury report with a “hamstring strain.” According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman, Adebayo has been listed as probable for the matchup in Milwaukee.
“Heat injury report has Bam Adebayo probable with hamstring strain,” Winderman reported in a tweet. “Otherwise, [Tyler] Herro and [Victor] Oladipo out.”
Heat injury report has Bam Adebayo probable with hamstring strain. Otherwise, Herro and Oladipo out.
With the news now out on Adebayo’s hamstring strain, his struggles in Monday’s Game 4 make a bit more sense.
The big man shot just 6-of-16 from the field for 15 points. On the defensive end he left plenty to be desired as well, aside from a key stop on Giannis Antetokounmpo late in the fourth quarter. Adebayo struggled immensely trying to defend Milwaukee’s pick-and-roll offense.
Bucks players shot a combined 12-of-20 (60%) from the floor when defended by Miami’s No. 13, according to NBA.com’s matchup data.
For the series, Adebayo has been solid, but still not quite himself. He’s averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, while making just 47.8% of his shots.
Brook Lopez Says Bucks Couldn’t Stop Heat’s Jimmy Butler
Adebayo was undoubtedly the second-best center in Monday’s key meeting. Brook Lopez led the Bucks in both scoring with 36 points, and rebounding with 11 boards in Miami Monday.
Though his night was impressive, it still didn’t compare to the record-setting performance of Heat star Jimmy Butler, who popped off for a career-high 56 points against the Bucks.
Lopez took some time, after his team’s 119-114 defeat, to acknowledge the insane series Butler has put together for Miami.
“He obviously played great,” Lopez said, via The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jim Owczarski. “He’s been great all series long. He’s been aggressive. He’s just been knocking down shots, shooting the three extremely well. There hasn’t been a thing that the hasn’t been doing. It’s a tough draw but we just gotta keep getting better, keep making life tough for him, one game at a time. I think he was playing his game. He hit big shots, got to the line, especially toward the end. He made some good plays. Jimmy just being Jimmy. I just feel like he was playing, you know? Sometimes you catch fire, you get into a rhythm and not much can be done. He played a really good game.”
Jimmy Butler Talks ‘Playoff-Jimmy’ After Heat Top Bucks in Game 4
Lopez is right, Butler has been unreal against the Bucks in this series. Through four games he’s averaged 36.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, while shooting 62.8% from the field and 52.9% from beyond the arc.
Butler has taken his game to the next level, which isn’t uncommon for him when the lights get bright. His reliable postseason play has resulted in fans gifting him the “Playoff Jimmy” nickname.
He was asked about it after he set the Heat single-game playoff-record for points.
“It’s not a thing. It’s not,” he said via Bally Sports Sun. “I just be hoopin’.”
“[Playoff Jimmy] is not a thing. It’s not. I just be hoopin’.” 😏
Jimmy Butler speaks after a 𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙮 performance with 56 points in the Heat’s Game 4 victory
However, Butler quickly admitted that he has some extra love for the competitiveness of the playoffs.
“I love the competitive aspect of [the playoffs]. I think this is where the best players show up and show out. I’m not saying I’m one of those best players. I just want to be looked at as such,” Butler said. “I want to do everything for my team to win, along with everybody else on this roster. I think [Pat Riley] and [Erik Spoelstra] wanted me here for a reason. I feel like this is part of that reason.”