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Bam Adebayo didn’t hold back on the Miami Heat following the team’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Miami Heat are likely headed to their fourth straight play-in tournament appearance, and center Bam Adebayo is starting to get annoyed.
Following a 124-117 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on February 26, Adebayo was asked by the media about the possibility of yet another season in the play-in. He didn’t hold back in his response.
“I don’t want to be in this s*** anymore,” Adebayo said. “We’re better than being in the play-in for the last four years.”
While the Heat have gained a reputation as a dominant play-in team, anybody in the organization would tell you they’d rather not be in the tournament at all.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra responded to the possibility of being in the play-in again, saying that he “likes the pressure” needed to avoid it.
After losing two consecutive clutch games to the 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks on February 24, Spoelstra again reflected on what the team needs to do in order to string some wins together.
“There’s going to be a lot more clutch games in these last 20-plus,” Spoelstra said. “We’re going to continue to get better at them and win these games.”
The Miami Heat will Have an Opportunity to String Wins Together
GettyThe Miami Heat play at home in seven of their next eight games.
After playing on the road in four of their past five games, the Miami Heat will have an opportunity to win games at the Kaseya Center.
The Heat host the Houston Rockets on February 28, before playing two consecutive games against the Brooklyn Nets on March 3 and 5.
If the Heat can win two or three of their games at home, it would go a long way toward closing the gap between the six-seed Philadelphia 76ers. They also play seven of their next eight games at home.
“Take home court,” Bam Adebayo said. “We’ve been struggling on the road, so we go home, win some games. Be in our atmosphere, in our habitat where our fans are cheering for us and see if we can string some W’s together.”
Additionally, it’s not just upcoming games that favor the Heat. The Heat are in the bottom half of the league in strength of schedule for the rest of the season. They will have opportunities to pick up wins if the team can play consistent basketball.
Bam Adebayo has Expressed his Frustration Multiple Times Throughout the Season
Bam Adebayo is the official captain of the Miami Heat, and part of being a team captain is being a vocal leader.
Multiple times throughout the season, Adebayo has expressed his frustration with the team and the need to reflect on how they’re playing. When the Heat lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 6, Adebayo again didn’t hold back on his team’s performance.
“We have a lot to work on,” Adebayo said. “We have a lot to work on as a team. We can’t lose our focus when somebody makes a run or shots aren’t falling. We have to continue to play our style of basketball.”
Four straight seasons in the play-in could be the breaking point for Adebayo to become seriously frustrated with the organization. It will be worth noting how he interacts with the team and media.
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