Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo has been struggling offensively over the past 11 games. During that stretch, the big man averaged 11.4 points on 37.1% shooting. Adebayo also hasn’t been reliable from deep during that span, and only made 21.7% from deep. On Tuesday, however, he silenced the noise around his shooting slump with 29 points, leading the Heat to a 127-121 win against the Phoenix Suns.
Adebayo had a strong start to the game with 10 points in the first quarter. The 6-foot-9 big man shot 80.0% from the field and made both of his attempts from 3. He continued his decent shooting game in the second and third quarters. But he turned on the switch in the final period, when he scored 13 points.
Late in the game, he knocked down two crucial shots from long-range to push Miami’s lead.
Following the contest, Adebayo addressed his recent shooting slump. He pointed out that amid his struggles, he still anchors the Heat’s defense, which is fourth in the league.
“Throughout this offensive slump, I’ve still been doing the defensive part,” the three-time All-Star said. “We’re still ranked 3rd best defense and nobody is talking about that. They just talk about my offense. It feels great to see the ball go in. I’ve been in a slump for two weeks but you don’t overreact to it. You see some of the greats go through slumps.”
Bam Adebayo’s confident shooting night urged the others to step their game up. Veteran forward Norman Powell had 27 points and five rebounds on 55.6% shooting. All-Star guard Tyler Herro added 23 points and three assists.
The Heat will continue their three-game homestand on Thursday when they face the Boston Celtics.
Bam Adebayo sought help from Heat legends amid his shooting slump
Bam Adebayo didn’t ignore his shooting struggles and sought advice from former Heat stars. The 6-foot-9 forward revealed that he reached out to Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, two of the most iconic players in Miami’s franchise.
“One of them lives with me (A’ja)… When your frustrated you contact some scorers. I reached out to D Wade and UD because i see myself as mix between the two,” the star said. “Being able to score and have those moments where its consecutive points and you know what the flow feels like. UD when it’s the other end and you still have to take care of business on the defensive end. Being a two way player where the offense isn’t swaying your way.”
Whatever Wade and Haslem told Adebayo, it worked out well and it helped him regain his confidence.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
