It was a role reversal for Miami Tuesday night. Bam Adebayo hit the big buckets. And Tyler Herro did it with defense.
Adebayo finished his second career 30-15 game with a huge go-ahead jumper with time running down.
And just like they did in the final seconds against the Golden State Warriors last week, Coach Joe Mazzulla chose not to take a time out to set up a play. This time it backfired, as Herro picked off a Jayson Tatum pass.
It’s only the fourth time Boston has lost while leading after three quarters. But Miami held them to just 13 points in the final quarter, while Adebayo took control on the offensive and defensive end.
He scored six straight points mid-quarter to give the Heat a two-point lead, and they never trailed again.
Adebayo and Tatum put up almost identical lines — Adebayo had 30 points and 15 rebounds, Tatum had 31 and 14 — in a game where each team was missing an All-Star guard (Jimmy Butler and Jaylen Brown).
Butler was ruled out with an illness before the game, disappointing a Jimmy Butler superfan who flew in from Argentina to see him.
In another surprising comeback, the kid got a bunch of gifts and a visit to the court to meet … Gabe Vincent? Look, you take what you can get.
It was a big win for the Heat, who held onto sixth place in the East. But with All-Star selections happening soon, it was also a big game for Adebayo, who delivered a convincing case for his spot on the team.
And in case his dominant fourth quarter wasn’t clear enough, he made it explicit in his postgame interview.
