After a highly disappointing start to the regular season, Bam Adebayo has returned to form and is a key reason the Miami Heat are on a four-game winning streak.
Adebayo finished with 21 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists on 47.1 percent shooting and 33.3 percent from three-point range in the Heat’s victory Thursday over the Toronto Raptors.
During the game, Adebayo became the Heat’s all-time leader in games with at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists. It is a legendary accomplishment, considering several Hall of Fame forwards and big men, such as LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Shaquille O’Neal, and Alonzo Mourning, have played on the Heat.
The only unfortunate takeaway from this feat is Adebayo would have had this record five games ago in a loss against the Raptors had he not struggled with his efficiency. In this loss, he finished with 13 points, 20 rebounds, and seven assists on 38.5 percent field-goal shooting. Because of the following game against the Boston Celtics, where he shot an even worse 33.3 percent from the field, Adebayo had the worst field-goal percentage on layups for any center in the NBA.
Thankfully, Adebayo has improved in the last six games, shooting 50 percent from the field, averaging 13.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. As long as he consistently averages close to these numbers, Adebayo can add to his record, making it difficult for anyone else to surpass him.
Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook.
