Adebayo relives memorable playoff moment vs. Celtics — a block that hangs on AA Arena wall
Bam Adebayo’s game-saving block to open last season’s Eastern Conference finals series against the Boston Celtics is one that will be remembered for a long time.
With the Miami Heat ahead by two points in overtime of Game 1 of the conference finals Sept. 15, Adebayo emerged from the weak side and blocked Celtics All-Star wing Jayson Tatum’s game-tying dunk attempt with 3.7 seconds left in overtime. Adebayo, a righty, blocked it with his left hand, helping the Heat to a dramatic 117-114 victory.
With the Celtics visiting AmericanAirlines Arena for an early-season matchup against the Heat on Wednesday night, Adebayo’s block is naturally a topic of conversation again.
“I just thought it was really fitting for Bam to have an iconic defensive moment in a playoff series,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Tuesday’s practice. “Because I just think he’s a winning player. And he does it in so many different ways. If Tatum gets that dunk down, they win the game, and you just never know how that can swing a series, one way or another. But he put himself out there and made just an incredible play for our team. I think it’s a good thing, that it’s bigger than just our history. That will go down as one of the more memorable defensive plays in playoff history.”
A photograph of the block is already plastered on the wall leading into the Heat’s locker room at AmericanAirlines Arena, according to Adebayo. That hallway features multiple snapshots of memorable and meaningful Heat moments.
What does Adebayo remember about the minutes and hours after making that play almost four months ago?
“I would say after it happened, after Magic [Johnson] said something about it,” Adebayo said. “They call it the block heard around the world. Just hearing Magic say something about it, I feel that’s what caught my eye to being one of the greatest blocks in playoff history.”
Johnson tweeted minutes after the block: “Bam Adebayo’s block on Jayson Tatum’s dunk attempt was the best defensive play I’ve seen ever in the playoffs!!!!”
The Heat ended up eliminating the Celtics in the conference finals series, 4-2, before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
For that reason, Adebayo expects a motivated Celtics team Wednesday, especially after what the Heat experienced in last week’s 47-point home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Miami eliminated Milwaukee in the second round of the playoffs last season.
“I feel like they’re going to come out with the same intensity that the Bucks did just for the simple fact that we knocked them off in the Eastern Conference finals,” Adebayo said of the Celtics. “They had to watch us play in the Finals, so of course they’re going to have a grudge. That’s human nature. But it’s our job to go out there and counteract that and bring our intensity.”
THIS AND THAT
▪ What was Spoelstra’s approach entering training camp this season after such a short break and 13 players returning?
“I think every year we go into with that approach, using the entire regular season to go through the process of struggling, of improving, of taking two steps forward one step back, of trying to get more consistent to your identity,” Spoelstra said. “I thought it was important for this training camp that we wouldn’t just assume things or just do things the way we did it last year. And so we tried to approach this with an open mind and give this team the best opportunity to improve and find its best version.”
▪ Veteran guard Avery Bradley, who signed with the Heat this past offseason, said games against the Celtics still carry more significance to him than others. Bradley, who is in his 11th season, spent the first seven seasons of his NBA career with the Celtics.
“That’s my home,” Bradley said of Boston. “Being there for seven years, they’re still always going to mean something to me. Me being a competitive player, every single time I lace up against them, I want to go out there and play even at a higher level. But I enjoy every single time I’m able to play against, I guess you can say, my home team because they made me who I am today.”
▪ Forward Moe Harkless was the only Heat player who did not practice Tuesday after a hard fall during Monday’s win over the Thunder. He’s listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Celtics because of a left forearm contusion.
Every other Heat player practiced Tuesday, according to Spoelstra.
Boston will be without Javonte Green (health and safety protocols), Romeo Langford (right wrist surgery) and Kemba Walker (left knee injury recovery) on Wednesday. Guards Marcus Smart (right thumb sprain) and Jeff Teague (left ankle sprain) are questionable.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 3:53 PM.
