Analysis: Miami doesn’t need Adebayo to outplay Jokic or even hold him to a draw. All it needs is for its undersized center to remain in the middle of the action, Ben Golliver writes.
Game 5: June 12 at Denver, 8:30 p.m.For the Heat to become the first eighth seed to win an NBA championship, Adebayo must continue to apply pressure on Jokic on both ends. Miami found success by shifting to a bigger starting lineup in Game 2, but Jokic still tallied a game-high 41 points and 11 rebounds.
“Just trying to take away the cuts,” Adebayo said. “That’s a big part of [Denver’s] offense. [Jokic] is a great passer and sees open guys.”What Adebayo lacks in raw size he makes up for with quickness and leaping ability. Comfortable defending both the rim and the three-point arc, he competes to alter shots even when physically overmatched. However, the Heat’s most effective counter for Jokic’s playmaking might be Adebayo’s own offensive involvement.
“Bam is the heart and soul of what we are doing at both ends,” Heat forward Duncan Robinson said. “He sets the tone for us defensively with his versatility and then offensively he does a lot. Gets people open. A lot of stuff that doesn’t show up in box scores: screens, assists, all that sort of stuff. And when he’s aggressive, it’s usually when we’re at our best.
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