Sometimes things seem obvious in retrospect.
Heading into Game 6 of the Celtics-Heat series, I’ll admit that it never once crossed my mind that the Heat’s Bam Adebayo was a terrible mismatch for the Celtics, and were he to get aggressive, he would be all but unstoppable.
Thirty-two points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists later, that has been remedied. It seems so clear now, with the benefit of hindsight.
His performance, along with some clutch shots from Tyler Herro, put the Celtics away — 125 to 113 — and will send the Heat back to another NBA Finals, this time where they will square off against their old leader, LeBron James.
There’s going to be a lot of time to look ahead to that series, but for now, it’s worth appreciating what Adebayo pulled on Sunday night.
It’s tempting to give Heat coach Erik Spoelstra credit for unleashing Adebayo with some amazing adjustment, but watching the highlights back, I’m amazed to see how many of Adebayo’s early points came off simple pick-and-rolls with Goran Dragic.
Adebayo set good picks, then crashed hard to the rim. If Celtics big man Daniel Theis ever went over the top of a pick to help with the shooter, Adebayo was running downhill at Celtics who were smaller than him. It wasn’t fair.
Then, as confidence grew, it was just time for Adebayo to feast. The big man started demanding the ball and taking Theis off the dribble. Theis is a solid defender for the Celtics, but he’s not someone ready to stop a lightning quick big ready to beat him off the dribble.
For the Heat, Adebayo’s career night couldn’t come at a better time. In the Finals, he will most likely be tasked with guarding Anthony Davis, and could square up against LeBron James at times as well.
That’s not a fun task for anyone, but if he can defend like he’s shown, and attack the basket like he did in Game 6, the Heat might actually have a chance at this thing.
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