The Miami Heat’s route to the NBA Playoffs was outstanding, with Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. After defeating the Atlanta Hawks in the play-in round, the Heat became the first club to advance as the tenth seed and secure their berth in the playoffs, although they now face the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite Miami’s huge momentum from two away wins, Cleveland is undoubtedly rested following a week off since the end of the regular season.
According to The Miami Herald, when addressing to the media ahead of Sunday night’s game, star Bam Adebayo emphasizes the importance of stealing a game on their own court.
“Cleveland has been No. 1 in the East all year,” Adebayo added. “They’ve been enjoying a phenomenal season. So we need to grasp what is at risk for them. For us, the first priority is to figure out how to obtain one in Cleveland and then worry about everything else.
While some may write off Miami in the series because they finished the season eight games below.500, the squad has played the Cavaliers hard this season, winning the first and coming close on the road three times.
Still, the Heat remain the eighth seed and appear to be the seventh team in history to defeat the first seed, the last time being Miami in the 2023 NBA Finals.
“Everybody knows when you get to this point, anything can happen,” Adebayo informed the audience. “We can just start shooting the ball, as we have done previously. For us, we recognize we have four to seven more games and will see what happens after that.
Heat “excited” about the task against the Cavs.
Tyler Herro and Adebayo will lead the Heat after a turbulent season. Miami, on the other hand, turned things around, winning eight of their final 12 regular-season games, as well as two road games in the play-in tournament, instilling confidence in the team. While Cleveland is the No. 1 seed for a reason, with stars of frightening depth, Herro speaks for the entire squad when he says they are “ready for the challenge.”
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