Even without Kyle Lowry (hamstring) and Jimmy Butler (knee), Miami was able to close its home streak on Tuesday night. Carried by its defense, the team imposed itself 97-94 and therefore qualifies for the conference semi-finals (4-1), where it will find the winner of the Philadelphia – Toronto series. Victor Oladipo scored 23 points at 8/16, Bam Adebayo 20 points at 7/11, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, Tyler Herro 16 points, Max Strus 15 et Caleb Martin 10, for well-balanced scoring.
Trae Young has as since the beginning of the series been well padlocked, he finished this time with 11 points at 2/12, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Over the 4 games, he will have been held to 15.4 points at 32%, with as many assists as turnovers in total (30 for each). De’Andre Hunter has signed 35 points (11/21) and 11 rebounds but he came out for 6 faults with 41.6 seconds remaining, his team led by 3 points. Back in his place and Miami in the lead 97-94, Danilo Gallinari first missed a shot from 4 meters to reduce the gap before losing the ball on a bad pass 1.3 seconds from the buzzer. Led by up to 15 points, the Hawks had returned to 79-76 on a 2+1Onyeka Okongwu at the start of 4th grade. Miami (54 points to 28 in the paint) quickly regained an 8-point lead at 7’29 with a shot from Herro, a step and a 3-point from Oladipo.
Atlanta played without Bogdan Bogdanovic, hit in the knee. It was on a 17-0 – including 10 in a row from Strus in 67 seconds – in the 2nd quarter that the Heat took control of the match 54-40, then 67-52 on a shot from Adebayo at 2 ‘ 55 from the end of the 3rd, and 75-64 before starting the 4th. The second round will not start until next Monday for the Floridians.
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