Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 106-92 NBA playoff victory over the Philadelphia 76ers:
– This is what you wanted to see, needed to see.
– If the disrespect for Bam Adebayo was such that the 76ers were willing to start the player formerly known as DeAndre Jordan, then attack mode had to be activated.
– And it was.
– Adebayo was aggressive as any Heat player at the outset.
– Too quick for Jordan, too skilled for whomever else followed.
– Yes, Adebayo’s day of Joel Embiid reckoning could soon follow.
– Perhaps as soon as Friday’s Game 3 in Philadelphia.
– But this was a moment seized.
– Unlike playing mostly as a passive player when the Hawks began the previous series in the injury absence of Clint Capela.
– The playoffs can be about different horses for different courses.
– This was a court perfectly set up for Adebayo’s skill set.
– So he set his skills in motion.
– And dominated.
– But there still seems to be a learning curve ahead.
– The minutes with Jimmy Butler and Victor Oladipo together lacked any semblance of space.
– So perhaps Duncan Robinson back in the meaningful mix.
– And Caleb Martin also remains a bit off.
– Almost too tentative.
– But as with all of it, you take it and move on.
– Especially if P.J. Tucker is going to offer this type of effort.
– He. Was. Relentless.
– As expected, Gabe Vincent again started in place of Kyle Lowry (hamstring) just as he did in the final two games the previous round against the Hawks.
– Otherwise the new usual of Adebayo, Butler, Tucker and Max Strus.
– That starting lineup played 12 minutes together in the first round.
– With the start, Butler passed Andre Iguodala for 92nd on the NBA all-time playoff list and tied Danny Ainge for 91st.
– With the appearance, Adebayo tied Eddie Jones for 20th on the Heat all-time playoff list, as did Butler.
– Jordan started in place of sidelined Embiid for the 76ers. The other four 76ers starters remained Tobias Harris, Danny Green, Tyrese Maxey and James Harden.
– Jordan’s time in the 76ers’ previous series was measured in seconds.
– With the appearance, Harden tied Charles Oakley and Reggie Miller for 51st on the NBA all-time playoff-appearance list.
– Also, the 76ers’ Green now has as many playoff appearances as Wilt Chamberlain, tying him for 33rd on the all-time NBA playoff list.
– Jordan looked and played as expected at the outset.
– And it now has become clear that Harden no longer is a one-man show.
– Not at this stage of his career.
– The Heat went up 15-6 before Jordan was pulled in favor of Paul Reed.
– The Heat lost an early basket when after-the-fact video review showed Strus stepped out of bounds before hitting an early 3-pointer.
– Tyler Herro and Dewayne Dedmon entered as the Heat’s first two reserves.
– With Oladipo following.
– And then Martin.
– All as Robinson watched from the bench.
– Both teams went zone early.
– It produced some not-so-satisfying offense.
– Butler’s first assist moved him past Bob Dandridge and into 93rd on the NBA all-time playoff list.
– Butler’s first 3-pointer moved him past Penny Hardaway, Hedo Turkoglu and Carmelo Anthony for 93rd on the NBA all-time playoff list, tying him with Bradley Beal and Brent Barry for 91st.
– Butler’s second rebound was the 500th of his playoff career.
– Butler’s 11th points moved him past Serge Ibaka for 97th on the NBA all-time playoff scoring list.
– Butler’s fourth defensive rebound moved him past James Posey for 12th on the Heat all-time playoff list.
– Butler’s fifth rebound moved him past Joel Anthony for 10th on the Heat all-time playoff list.
– Adebayo’s third defensive rebound moved him past Mario Chalmers for seventh on the Heat all-time playoff list.
– Tucker’s first 3-pointer moved him past Antoine Walker, Patty Mills and Jeff Hornacek for 66th on the NBA all-time playoff list.
– Herro’s third basket moved him past Jamal Mashburn for 12th on the Heat all-time playoff list.
– Herro’s ninth point moved him past Eddie Jones for 12 on the Heat all-time playoff list.
– Herro’s second rebound moved him past Mike Miller for 18th on the Heat all-time playoff list.
– 76ers coach Doc Rivers, pregame, about life without Embiid, “You have to be free enough and fearless enough to try a lot of different things that you probably wouldn’t try.”
– And, “It’s a hard game to script without your big guy.”
– Rivers said players don’t get nearly as caught up about who is missing as outsiders.
– “I don’t think athletes, players, and certainly coaches, don’t pay attention to the narrative very much,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what anyone else says; it matters what you do. I’ve lived my life that way as a player and a coach.”
– Rivers on Harden as playmaker, “The thing I loved about James is his willingness to pass the ball to anyone. James doesn’t care. If you’re open, he’s going to get you the ball. In a lot of ways it helps our guys as rollers and cutters, because they know if they do it they might get the ball.”
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Source: Berkshire mont
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