The Miami Heat played their final game of the regular season on Sunday. With Bam Adebayo entering the league’s Health And Safety Protocols, he wouldn’t be the only starter out on Sunday.
None of Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, P.J. Tucker, or Tyler Herro would go in the game for the Heat either. There was one starter-level player that did go though.
And boy did Victor Oladipo go! Never mind the final result of the contest, a defeat to an Orlando Magic team that had one of their best games of the year, tying their own franchise record for threes made in a game at 23.
The Miami Heat would eventually lose by 14, 111-125, but still had a chance due to the massive output of Victor Oladipo. As he slowed down late, the fact that the Orlando Magic played more of their regular guys than Miami began to show.
Again, the final team results weren’t important here. You saw Victor Oladipo look like his old self again.
Following up a very impressive showing in Toronto a week ago, his last heft dose of minutes, he would show you everything that he has in the bag again on Sunday. He got to the rim off of dribble-drive penetration.
Victor Oladipo is just showing off@MiamiHEAT | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/wyClPYE9DV
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) April 10, 2022
He would do so to finish for himself and to get his teammates easy looks.
The Miami Heat took an L in the final regular-season game, but they won one aspect. If they still weren’t sure on Victor Oladipo, the case is closed at this point.
He would hit shots from all over the floor.
He would create those looks, on his own, before finishing them too, and from deep range. The man was on fire Sunday.
O-LA-DI-PO 👏👏👏👏👏🤣@MiamiHEAT | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/Jk6NJm4vVu
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) April 10, 2022
He would do it all. Again, the final results of this one weren’t as important as the happenings in the midst.
Victor Oladipo is back. He actually had a couple of hard falls in this one too.
That’s great though, from a mental and physical standpoint. One, he mentally trusts his body again.
Not only does it allow him to go out and be a high-level player again, but he trusts that he can take a lick and keep ticking. Secondly, from a physical standpoint and on top of the personal physical aspect for Dipo, it gives teams (hopefully the Miami Heat) all the confidence they need to see in his body moving forward beyond this year.
While it may not be in the cards for him to see a ton of minutes in the playoffs for Miami, with the synergy in the rotation being the most important thing for the team at this point, you do hope that both sides can find a way to extend this relationship beyond this season.
Again, because he is back, the 40 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists should say so, anyway. With a full season of this Dipo—the Miami Heat can surely be a top team again next year!