Joel Embiid was taking notes. That grew to become clear in Friday evening’s Game 3 of this best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal sequence.
So after Bam Adebayo averaged 23 factors and 10.5 rebounds in serving to the Miami Heat take a 2-0 lead over his Philadelphia 76ers, Embiid mentioned it was time to set issues straight at middle in what was the 76ers’ Game 3 win.
“The big fella, Bam, was dominating, and I was really pissed off watching that other big man go and play well against my team,” Embiid mentioned of his return Friday after sitting out with a concussion and orbital fracture.
Saturday, a day after being restricted to 9 factors on 2-of-9 capturing and three rebounds, Adebayo acknowledged he must be higher.
“I still got to be aggressive,” Adebayo mentioned after follow at Wells Fargo Center. “That’s part of the game. You see different lineups, you see different personnel and then you’ve just got to adjust your attacks.”
He mentioned getting higher angles on screens might be a precedence in Sunday’s Game 4.
“They definitely made an emphasis to not let the pocket pass go through,” he mentioned. “That’s one of the biggest things I noticed throughout the game. It’s just adapting and trying to figure that out.”
He additionally mentioned nothing from Embiid got here as a shock, “I’ve been competing with Joel for five years now.”
But he acknowledged it did change how the Heat defended.
“We can’t switch one through five like we used to,” Adebayo mentioned. “Now, we’ve got to be more strategic with our switches.”
Tough sufficient
Part of a double-technical foul with the Philadelphia’s Matisse Thybulle in Friday evening’s fourth quarter, Heat energy ahead P.J. Tucker has not been shy about mixing it up with the 76ers.
“P.J. does what he does,” 76ers guard Danny Green. “We don’t have comfortable guys on this group. We don’t again down. At the identical time, we have now to be good. Not going to get right into a tussling match and get double-technicals. You know, simply play good and don’t take any low cost stuff occurring. Don’t give any low cost stuff, both. Just play basketball.
“But, at the same time, be physical, just as physical as they are.”
Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers had pushed for pushback from his group after the 2 series-opening losses.
“They play tough,” 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey mentioned. “They are a veteran team, and they are gritty, and you’ve got to hold your own and come together as a team. At the end of the day, it’s a fight. Like I said, we are going to take the fight to them instead of being on our heels and being a counterpunching team.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra took observe of the 76ers’ Game 3 grit and of Tucker’s feistiness.
“I think they beat us to a lot of hustle plays and 50-50 plays in the first half,” Spoelstra mentioned. “Tuck actually kept that conversation open, a lot of his plays. But other than Tuck. I think we were getting beat first to the ball too often.”
Tucker is hoping others will observe Sunday.
“I feel like we need to be more aggressive, more intentional on our side is what we need to do,” he mentioned.
Schedule updates
With the Dallas Mavericks-Phoenix Suns Western Conference semifinal now to go a minimum of 5 video games, the beginning time for the Heat’s Tuesday evening Game 5 towards the 76ers at FTX Arena has been locked in as 7:30 p.m. It would have began an hour later had the Suns swept the Mavericks.
If a Thursday Game 6 of Heat-76ers is required at Wells Fargo Center, it is going to both begin at 7 p.m. if Suns-Mavericks requires a Game 6, or at 8 p.m. if Suns-Mavericks ends in 5 video games.
A possible Heat-76ers Game 7 at FTX Arena on Sunday May 15 might be both at 3:30 p.m., 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., relying on the lengths of different sequence.
Should the Heat advance, the Eastern Conference finals will start both May 15 or May 17, relying on the size of Heat-76ers and Milwaukee Bucks-Boston Celtics.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com