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The Miami Heat seemingly felt as if they were disrespected heading into the postseason and for good reason. After an extremely impressive regular season where they secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference, it feels as if Miami is still not considered a legitimate contender. Heading into the postseason the Heat had the 5th shortest championship odds. Miami has made a statement through the first two games and won both by a combined total of 34 points.
While they have looked dominant in the first two games the series is far from over. The two teams will head to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4 and the tenacious Hawks team will not roll over either. Expect these three factors to play a major role ahead of the Game 3 matchup.
Heat-Hawks Game 3 Predictions
Jimmy Butler will come down to Earth
Through the first two games of the series, Jimmy Butler has been nothing short of terrific. Highlighted by his 45-point performance in Game 2, Butler has brought his usual intensity for the playoffs. During this heroic performance, Butler also connected on four of his seven three-point attempts. This was somewhat of a surprise considering the 23.3% he shot from beyond the arc on the season. While his play is certain to be impactful elsewhere, the Heat should not be confident in Butler being able to produce at this volume moving forward.
Jimmy Butler is an excellent basketball player. However, he is at his best when he is able to play within his game and make a positive impact defensively. Butler has been extremely impactful in rattling Trae Young who has shot just 34.4% from the field and 11.8% on three-point attempts through two games. The defensive intensity and effectiveness will continue but the Heat will likely have to look for offense elsewhere.
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Tyler Herro Scores 25+
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When looking for an offensive spark, Tyler Herro is a good place to start. The likely 6th Man of the Year has struggled to get going through the first two games and will need to step it up moving forward. Herro is averaging just 10.5 points in the series and has shot 8-22 from the field. He has made just one of his eight three-point attempts and is yet to assert himself offensively.
The Heat have relied heavily on Herro’s production throughout the season The 22-year-old is Miami’s second-leading scorer with 20.7 points per game during the regular season. Duncan Robinson has made a major impact in the series in a way that Herro has not been able to establish himself. The Kentucky product launched onto the national map during his impressive play in the 2020 NBA Finals so it certainly isn’t the size of the moment that has led to the struggles. Look for Tyler Herro to shake off the first two games and find his stride for an impressive offensive performance in Game 3.
Bam Adebayo tallied 20+ points and 12+ rebounds
The numbers are not a proper indicator of Bam Adebayo’s impact thus far in the series as he has made a positive impact on the court. The Heat Center plays a massive role in how the Heat play defensively and his ability to defend on the perimeter is especially useful. He has tallied a steal and two blocks on the series, with his impact going much further than this.
While he has played a positive role already, Bam Adebayo should be utilized more offensively in Game 3. The Hawks are without their starting center Clint Capela, who injured himself in the play-in games. Onyeka Okonkwo has done an impressive job filling in with the starting role, but this is a matchup that Adebayo should feel confident about.
Through the first two games of the series, the former Kentucky standout has tallied just 15 points and 10 rebounds. He also is 4 for 11 on field-goal attempts in the series. These numbers are well below his average as Adebayo has scored 19.1 points and secured 10.1 rebounds per game this season. The 11 shot attempts are simply not enough for a player of Adebayo’s caliber. Look for the big man to get back to playing like himself and fill up the stat sheet much more in Game 3.
As great as the Miami Heat have played through the first two games, this series is far from over. The Atlanta Hawks do not roll over to anyone and they will lean on their home crowd for support in this Game 3 matchup. The Heat must be prepared to make these adjustments as the Hawks have shot the ball uncharacteristically poor through the first two playoff matchups.
