Getty Images Heat star Bam Adebayo.
Bam Adebayo stepped up big for the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals with Jimmy Butler sidelined, sparking his squad to a 2-1 lead in the series.
Adebayo scored 31 points with 10 rebounds in the 109-103 victory, taking the lead with Butler sidelined with a knee injury. Adebayo said he was motivated by a pitiful Game 2 performance, with the Celtics thumping his Heat from start to finish.
“Well, as everybody knows, in the previous game, they beat us like we stole something,” Adebayo told reporters after Game 3. “That should wake anybody up, getting beat like that at home. From my point of view, that says it all.”
The Celtics made a strong run to get within a point in the fourth quarter but the Heat did enough to pull out the win on the road.
“I mean, mentally-wise, I feel like everybody walked into this arena locked in from the jump,” Adebayo said. “Just having that bounce-back mentality and being able to execute and finish the game, I feel like that’s a plus for us.
Jimmy Butler Sparked Teammates With Strong Statement
It was clear that the Heat players were not happy with the beatdown the Celtics put on them in Game 2, going wire to wire and winning by 25 points. Butler sent a message to his teammates after the game, hoping the loss would provide a sense of urgency.
“They whipped our tail on our home floor,” Butler said. “I don’t see us doing that again.
“You do got to move on, but I don’t like to move on from this because it has to hurt. They tried to embarrass us,” Butler added. “They did embarrass us. We gotta realize that, use it as fuel.”
While Butler wasn’t on the floor for the second half of Game 3, it was clear his message resonated with Adebayo and Co.
Heat Laud Adebayo for Versatility in Win
The 31 points from Adebayo nearly doubled his output in the first two games of the series combined. He also added four steals and a block on the defensive end, showing off the skill set that made him an All-Defensive Second-Team selection. Veteran teammate PJ Tucker said the team values when Adebayo ups his aggression.
“We need Bam to be aggressive and make plays for himself and for everybody else. The way our team is built, he triggers the most out of everybody,” Tucker told reporters after Game 3. “His versatility just opens everything up for everybody. You’ve got to attack and you’ve got to be there when he gets the rolls. Offensive rebounding. He’s such a force. His versatility, people got to be there and it helps open the threes up, be able to get in the pocket, pick-and-rolls, a lot of stuff.”
Adebayo said that nothing changed in terms of play-calling or coaching. The change came in his mindset.
“Same old play calls. Just different mentality,” he said. “Like I said, they beat us like we stole something in Game 2. So that woke a fire up in all of us.”
Game 4 is scheduled for Monday in Boston.