The Miami HEAT fell to the Indiana Pacers 86-83 Monday night at Amway Center in the Orlando Pro Summer League. Bam Adebayo led the way for the HEAT with 29 points and 11 rebounds.
1. Bam Goes Off
There are quick starts and then there are the kinds of starts that Adebayo had against the Pacers. Simply put, the rookie dominated on both ends of the floor in the first half. As usual on the offensive end, Adebayo rolled to the rim with purpose, skied for nearly every rebound and absorbed a lot of contact inside. Oh yeah, this alley-oop jam was pretty cool too.
While that was impressive, Adebayo’s defensive disposition was fantastic. Not only did he compete hard against Jarnell Stokes and fellow first round pick T.J. Leaf…
…but he also had this superb steal and euro-step finish.
That wasn’t all, though. The former Kentucky Wildcat carried over his sharp play into the second half, where he continued to get to the line, finished plays inside and threw down dunks like this.
Needless to say, there’s a lot to be excited about with Adebayo. In addition to his 29 points on 8-of-14 shooting and 11 rebounds (six offensive), the 19-year-old also amassed two blocks, a steal and an assist.
2. Robinson & Odum Make Most of Opportunity
With London Perrantes out, both Justin Robinson and Jake Odum took advantage of some extended playing time. In particular, Odum kept Miami’s offense under control (he led the team with a game-high seven assists) and was not afraid to hit the deck for loose balls. In fact, the 26-year-old tallied a plus-13 rating to go along with seven points, five boards and two steals.
Robinson, meanwhile, looked comfortable with the ball in his hands and also showed quickness on defense. The former Monmouth star ended up with 12 points, two rebounds and an assist.
3. Irvin Shows the Stroke
Although the HEAT fell short in the end, Zak Irvin scored six of his 10 points in the fourth quarter to help the team get back into the game. As a whole, the 22-year-old was quite poised on his pull-up mid-range jumpers. In addition to his 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting, he also grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists.
Other Takeaways:
-After not playing in Miami’s first two Summer League contests, Zach Auguste made his presence felt early on Monday. How so? Check out this massive flush in transition.
In 15 minutes of action, Auguste tallied four points, two boards, one block and one steal.
Game Note:
-Okaro White and London Perrantes sat out.
Looking Ahead:
-Up next for the HEAT are the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday at 5:00 PM. You can follow the game here.