Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Depleted Heat down Hawks, Morant sinks Wolves in thriller

Depleted Heat down Hawks, Morant sinks Wolves in thriller

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Victor Oladipo (left) of the Miami Heat goes up for a layup against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round. AFP

Depleted Heat down Hawks, Morant sinks Wolves in thriller

Victor Oladipo and Bam Adebayo combined for 43 points as the depleted Miami Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks 97-94 to complete a 4-1 series victory in the NBA playoffs on Tuesday.

Miami, missing injured stars Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, produced a superb defensive performance to shut down Atlanta and advance to an Eastern Conference semi-final series against either Philadelphia or Toronto.

Needing a win to stay alive in the best-of-seven series, Atlanta went toe-to-toe with Miami for much of the first half, with only a handful of points separating the two teams.

But forward Max Strus led a momentum swing with 10 points in a 17-2 Miami run to close the second quarter which left the Heat 54-42 ahead at the break.

Atlanta chipped away at the lead and got to within three points late in the game, but a resilient Miami – with Oladipo and Adebayo outstanding – held on to drag the Heat over the line.

Oladipo led the Miami scoring with 23 points while Adebayo had 20 points with 11 rebounds.

Tyler Herro had 16 points while Strus added 15 and Caleb Martin 10 from the bench.

The win marked a fairytale first start of the playoffs for Oladipo, whose career has been decimated by multiple injuries and surgeries over the past three years.

Oladipo only returned to action in March after an 11-month injury layoff following surgery to repair a ruptured quadriceps tendon. He had undergone surgery to treat the same problem in January 2019.

“There’s nothing I can’t handle,” Oladipo said after Tuesday’s win.

“There’s nothing I haven’t gone through. At the end of the day I feel like I can come back and get through anything.

“So when they told me I needed to start tonight, I just stepped up to the plate and did everything I could to help my team win...this is only the beginning.”

Adebayo meanwhile took pride with a Miami defensive performance that restricted Hawks star Trae Young to just 11 points. De’Andre Hunter led the Atlanta scoring with 35 points.

“We knew it was going to be a fight to the end, we just had to finish it with our defense,” Adebayo said. “Defense wins championships.”

In the Western Conference playoffs meanwhile, Ja Morant scored a gravity-defying last-gasp layup as the Grizzlies produced a dazzling late fightback to stun the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-109.

MOST VIEWED

  • Five-year-old Hanuman dances his way into hearts of Cambodia

    A young talent from a new-established settlement has emerged, captivating the online world with his mesmerising performances of the traditional Cambodian monkey dance. Roeun Kakada is a five-year-old prodigy who has taken the social media sphere by storm with his exceptional dance skills and dedication

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • Honda shutters Siem Reap football club

    Japanese football legend Keisuke Honda, the owner of Siem Reap football club Soltilo Angkor FC, has been forced to shut the club down, after it failed to attract sponsorship for the upcoming season. Honda, the former manager of the Cambodia men's national football team, said

  • Hun Sen warns of regional tensions

    ASIA is becoming a dangerous geopolitical hotspot, with several countries announcing that they intend to send naval vessels towards Southeast Asia and on to the South China Sea, warned Prime Minister Hun Sen. “Heated geopolitical issues can easily escalate, namely to war. I am not

  • PM declares ASEAN Para Games open

    The 12th ASEAN Para Games officially kicked off on the evening of June 3 at Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh, with a spectacular opening ceremony featuring fireworks and performances by some of the Kingdom’s most accomplished talents. Tens of thousands of sports fans

  • Waterway job still pending for Kampot tourism port’s opening

    The search is still on for a contractor to expand and deepen the Kampot International Tourism Port’s waterway and deliver additional enhancements allowing safe access for larger vessels, nearly a year after the main construction work on the 4.25ha site was completed on June 30, 2022.