“He’s there fire starter” – Skip Bayless believes Gabe Vincent’s absence made all the difference in Heat vs Celtics Game-5 

Boston Celtics v Miami Heat - Game Three
Skip Bayless believes Gabe Vincent’s absence made all the difference

As the Eastren Conference finals reages on, Gabe Vincent became the latest Miami Heat player to sustain an injury. The sharpshooting guard suffered an ankle sprain that forced him to sit out Game 5.

Gabe Vincent has been a key piece for the Heat as they make their deep playoff run. Throuhg 15 games, he is the team's third-leading scorer at 13.9 points per game. Vincent has also been one of their top three-point shooters, knocking down close to 38% of his attempts in the postseason.

Without another starter, Miami took the floor in Game 5 with a chance to put away the Boston Celtics for good. That did not end up being the case, as Jayson Tatum and company managed to extend the series to a sixth game.

Following their Game 5 loss, Skip Bayless went on "Undisputed" and spoke about how big the loss of Vincent is for Miami in this series.

"He is their fire starter, he is their initiator. They missed Vincent, handling the basketball, playing some point guard."

Before getting injured, Vincent was having a stellar series against the Boston Celtics. Through the first four games he was averaging 17.5 points and shooting an incredible 50% from beyond the arc.

The Miami Heat need Gabe Vincent back for Game 6

As of now, Gabe Vincent is listed as day-to-day with an ankle sprain. This keeps the door open that he'll be able to make a return for Game 6. If the Miami Heat want to punch their ticket for the NBA Finals, they'll need him in the lineup.

Being healthy is key for making a deep playoff run, but that hasn't been the case for Miami. They loss Tyler Herro in round one against the Milwaukee Bucks, and it doesn't look like he'll be back anytime soon. Now, they are without another guard in Vincent.

With Herro out, Vincent has stepped up in a big way. If he sits again, the Heat will be forced to keep Kyle Lowry in the starting lineup. While he is a former champion with experience, his play has been subpar.

The Boston Celtics are a deep team and are currently riding high with momentum. If the Heat plan on putting them away, they'll need all their firepower in the lineup.

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