The Heat’s aim for the subsequent two playoff video games is obvious: Do not let the Hawks get a glimmer of hope.
After successful the primary two video games of its first-round playoff sequence towards Atlanta, Miami desires to ship a fast knockout blow in Georgia. The Heat can take the subsequent step towards advancing after they face the Hawks at 7 p.m. on Friday.
“That can change the series if they win,” Bam Adebayo mentioned. “They can look at the series different. Our job is to keep wearing on them and then get that third and fourth win.”
Miami, the highest seed within the Eastern Conference, noticed different greater seeds drop video games at residence. New Orleans took a sport from top-seeded Phoenix, seventh-seeded Minnesota beat No. 2 Memphis and six-seed Chicago beat third-seeded Milwaukee.
“We see it, but we’re focused on ourselves,” Tyler Herro mentioned. “Playoffs, anything can happen. It’s one game at a time. We got first two at home, took care of business. Now we’re moving on to the next game.”
The Heat acquired a style of Atlanta’s prolific offense on the finish of Game 2, with the Hawks outscoring Miami 29-28 within the fourth quarter and occurring a 15-2 run.
“They have great shooting,” coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned. “They have very gifted gamers. You can’t final a complete season, 82 video games, and be the second-rated offense with out creating some actually good habits. You must have expertise as effectively, and it’s not simply Trae Young. They have a variety of different guys that may actually harm you and also you noticed that with [Bogdan] Bogdanović. We had some actually good defensive positions and so they nonetheless scored. [De’Andre] Hunter was in a position to get going. [John] Collins, and it’s solely his second sport again, presents a bit little bit of a special problem together with his capability to attain. And [Kevin] Huerter and on down the road.
“They’ve got a lot of weapons, and they can score in bunches. And that’s what they did to us in the fourth. I thought we played pretty well, and yet they still went on a 15-2 run. And that’s what they’re capable of, and I mentioned that earlier. They put 133 or 132 on Charlotte in a really important play-in game. That makes you take notice.”
The Heat took care of enterprise within the first two video games in Miami. They will purpose to maintain the Hawks from getting going at residence on Friday.
“Last time they played there, they put up 132 on Charlotte in a pressure-packed game,” Spoelstra mentioned. “They win a lot of games there, particularly last three months. It will be comfortable for them in front of their fans. We’ll have to exceed that level of urgency and edge. Our vets understand how hard it is to win the playoffs. Each game is a totally different adventure.”
Although a loss in Game 3 would absolutely not encourage panic within the Heat, they know that even one Atlanta win may spark the Hawks.
“One game can change the series,” Adebayo mentioned. “They get that life back and they start believing again. The biggest thing for us is just try to finish the job. Job’s not done yet.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com