Miami Heat: 3 things to watch for in Game 5 against Milwaukee Bucks
Will Bam Adebayo continue thriving in a Giannis-less world?
One of the more notable developments of Giannis Antetokounmpo being off the floor in Game 4 was Bam Adebayo‘s flat-out dominance within the post. It lead to the 23-year old big finishing with a career-performance: 26 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists.
Adebayo’s been noticeably more aggressive without Antetokoumpo on the floor, as he should be, and as the Heat as a whole should have been when he left the floor on Sunday. Look at his averages for Games 1 and 2 versus Games 3 and 4:
- 1 and 2: 13.5 points, 13 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals.
- 3 and 4: 23 points, 14 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1 block.
A small sample size on both ends, but with huge factors at play. Miami’s second All-Star made the most of his size and versatility when the Bucks lost their MVP.
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Without the Greek Freak to stand in his way, big man Brook Lopez saw much more one-on-one time with Adebayo, and things didn’t always go his way. Miami’s big was drawing everything from foul charges to lob passes and was largely credit for the game being so close going into OT.
Per NBA.com’s Matchup stats, Adebayo has gotten the best of Lopez for the majority of this series. He’s scored 28 points on 57.9 percent shooting when matched up the Milwaukee big.
Don’t think this matchup is over yet though. Lopez was a legitimate contender to finish as a finalist for Defensive Player of the year this season, and we’ll see him make adjustments for Game 5 if Antetokounmpo’s ankle isn’t well enough to get him out on the floor.