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Bam Adebayo's eighth-seeded Miami Heat upset the No. 1-seeded Boston Celtics 111-101 on the road in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday. The win shocked many, however, according to Adebayo, Miami is used to proving its doubters wrong and fully intends to pull off the series upset.
With superstar forward Jimmy Butler (knee) and starting point guard Terry Rozier (neck) sidelined, the Heat delivered a historic offensive performance. They set a franchise playoff record for 3-pointers, shooting 23-for-43 (53.5%) from downtown.
Adebayo didn't contribute to Miami's record-setting shooting night, missing his lone 3-point attempt. However, he was one of three Heat players who finished with 21-plus points. The three-time All-Star double-doubled, tallying 21 points and 10 rebounds on 69.2% shooting. He also played lockdown defense as Miami held Boston to only 101 points.
After helping his team secure an improbable Game 2 victory, Adebayo touched on the Heat's knack for defying expectations in the playoffs. He added that despite being heavy underdogs, he sees no reason Miami can't make another deep playoff run.
"For us, we've been doubted a lot through our playoff runs. As people say, we couldn't do a lot of stuff that we did. So, for me and my team, it's like, why lose belief now?" Adebayo said.
"Backs against the wall, everybody is already against us, use it as fuel. A lot of people seem to think we're gonna buy into what they say of we can't get it done, and make it seep into our locker room, and it's different. Our guys believe that we can win."
The Heat famously made an NBA Finals run as an eighth seed last year, knocking off the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in Round 1. So, they know what it takes to pull off a major upset.
However, they will likely face a tough time replicating last year's playoff magic with Butler expected to miss the playoffs' entire first round.
Bam Adebayo seemingly relieved to leave Boston after Miami's Game 2 upset win
Following the Heat's Game 2 upset victory over the Celtics, Bam Adebayo appeared relieved to head home to Miami.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra gave a postgame locker-room speech commending his team for its gutsy road win. Afterward, he noted that they were "gonna get out of" Boston, to which the star center responded, "Thank God."
The Heat stole home-court advantage from the Celtics, with the series tied 1-1 shifting to Miami for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday. However, even if they win both home games, they will return to Boston for Game 5.
It remains to be seen if the Heat can maintain their hot shooting at home. However, if they can pull off another upset in Game 3 or 4, pressure will likely start mounting for the Celtics.
