All Bam Adebayo could do was stop and stare after towering high for a monster dunk on Domantas Sabonis. The Miami Heat may have lost the game 109-106 to the Indiana Pacers but they won the highlight-reel war.
Adebayo’s thunderous jam early in the third quarter drew reactions from far and wide on Twitter, including a priceless reaction from Dwyane Wade. The legendary Heat guard posted a link to the vicious dunk along with a GIF featuring Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors from back in the day. Adebayo took off from just inside the foul line and jumped over Sabonis who was trying to draw the foul. He didn’t. Instead, the Pacers big man turned himself into a poster.
Wade was one of many players and fans to react to the ridiculous play on Sunday. The cameras even caught Adebayo laughing out loud after glancing up at the scoreboard to watch the replay. Meanwhile, Sabonis crashed to the floor hard as the Heat center celebrated and pumped up the crowd at AmericanAirlines Arena.
“It shocked everybody because I don’t usually jump up on one leg, off the rip,” Adebayo told reporters after the game. “So it was a shocker to everybody that I jumped up with one leg and, uh, great play.”
Photographer @dsantiagophoto caught @Bam1of1‘s vicious slam over Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis during Sunday’s OT loss.
Read more here: t.co/nRauKeeWAM
Of course, one nasty slam wasn’t enough to make the Heat forget about their tough overtime loss to the Pacers. Adebayo’s squad has now lost three straight games and four of their last nine contests.
“Losing sucks. It’s either winning or misery,” Adebayo said. “There’s no in-between on how to feel after a loss. It’s either winning or misery. Nobody wants to lose three games in a row, especially considering we fought back from being at the bottom of the East. We gonna figure it out.”
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Jimmy Butler Comments on ‘Karma’
The Heat had every opportunity to win Sunday’s game in overtime, especially after holding a five-point advantage. They dominated the fourth quarter — winning the final frame, 28-19 — but some sloppy habits from the first half eventually doomed them. Miami now sits fifth in the Eastern Conference standings at 22-21.
“We did so much bad throughout the game. It was the karma of it. We didn’t deserve to win,” Butler told reporters. “I’m not worried. We’re not worried Just play better, keep playing basketball the right way … stay together through the Ls, through the Ws, and we’ll be just fine. We’ll be fine.”
“I’m not worried. We’re not worried…We’ll be just fine.”
Jimmy Butler speaks postgame after today’s emotional rollercoaster of a loss to Indiana
They also suffered another horrific shooting night and went 9-for-37 (24.3%) from deep. They rank fourth-worst in that department in the entire NBA. Butler is convinced those shots will start dropping in due time.
“They’ll fall, just got to keep taking them,” Butler said. “That’s just part of the game. I want our shooters, we all want our shooters to continue to hunt shots and they’ll start falling. We just got to take ’em.”
Heat Making Push for Kyle Lowry?
The trade speculation won’t die down in South Beach right now. The latest rumor has the Heat pursuing Toronto Raptors All-Star guard Kyle Lowry “harder than anyone.” According to The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor, Miami is Lowry’s preferred destination because of his close friendship with Butler.
Lowry’s interest in the Heat is nothing new but it does differ from a previous report claiming his preferred destination was his hometown. Remember, he grew up in Philadelphia as a devoted Sixers fan and went to Villanova University.
“League sources say the Heat are pursuing a deal for Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry harder than anyone
If he gets dealt, league sources say his preferred destination is Miami because of his close friendship with Jimmy Butler.”
Per: @KevinOConnorNBA
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Miami Heat Legend Reacts to Bam Adebayo’s Nasty Dunk [WATCH]