After the Heat blew another double-digit lead to the Knicks, Bam Adebayo has a request from his team.
MIAMI – As the Miami Heat lost in a heartbreaker to the New York Knicks in overtime, 116-112, it was once again another game where the team led by double-digits and blew it. Though the Heat were short-handed without Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Andrew Wiggins, the team led for a majority of the game until the Knicks came roaring back as the performance garnered the attention of Bam Adebayo.
Miami's captain had an impressive game finishing with 30 points on 12 for 16 shooting from the field to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. The team led by as much as 19 points and played well in every aspect compared to their opponents, but New York would explode with their offensive talent as Adebayo gave the demand to his group.
“I would say we played 24 minutes of great basketball, and then it kind of dwindles from there,” Adebayo said. “We got to be able to play 48 minutes of great basketball, not just 24, 36, not even just 40. Because we're not a type of team where we can just rely on offense to just get the dub. We've got to get stops, we've got to do the harder things, because we're not that type of team.”
“We gotta be able to play 48 minutes of great basketball. We’re not a type of team to reply on offense to get the dub, we gotta get stops, we gotta do the harder things cause we’re not that type of team.” - Bam Adebayo on paint points going away in the second half #HeatNation
One of the frustrating aspects was their performance in the paint as at halftime, Miami outscored New York 40-20, but ended up losing the battle 58-56. Adebayo would say to ClutchPoints “that was the deciding factor of the game.”
“We just didn’t get in the paint enough and obviously that was the deciding factor in the game. It was right there again,” Adebayo said.
Asked Bam Adebayo about what changed in the second half in terms of effectiveness in the paint as in the first, Miami out scored NY 40-20. “We just didn’t get in the paint enough and obviously that was the deciding factor in the game. It was right there again…” #HeatNation
Heat's Bam Adebayo on what “stings” about the loss to the Knicks
The Heat's fatal flaw had been blowing double-digit leads, where, after the loss to the Knicks, that makes 15 total, which is second in the league behind the Utah Jazz. While there is no doubt that the loss was frustrating, Miami has a game Monday night as Adebayo spoke about the balance of having short-term memory, but also learning from their mistakes.
“Got a game tomorrow night,” Adebayo said. “That's about as short term memory as possible you can get to, you know. It just stings when his is like our tenth game being up double digits and losing. So for us, it's when are we going to hold the fort to have a 10 point lead, go to 20 and win by 20.”
Asked Bam Adebayo about the balance of having short-term memory, but learning from the mistakes going into a game tomorrow night. “It just stings being up double-digits and losing. For us, it’s when are we going to hold the fort to have a 10-point
Miami would end up shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from three-point range as they had an immense amount of opportunities down the stretch to close out another quality win. The team's lone All-Star Tyler Herro finished with 22 points on eight for 24 shooting from the field, two of 11 from deep, with seven assists as he mentioned after the game how the Knicks “made more plays down the stretch” than them.
“Think they just made more plays down the stretch than us,” Herro said. “It was a back and forth game, two competitive teams going at it.”
