South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Adebayo, Tucker back in mix
Capela out for Atlanta series
Bam Adebayo was back Saturday at Miami Heat practice essentially feeling the same way he felt the previous six days he spent in NBA health-and-safety protocols . . . perfectly fine.
And, with that, the versatile center was back in the mix ahead of Sunday’s 1 p.m. NBA playoff opener against the Atlanta Hawks at FTX Arena.
“I was all right,” he said. “I had no symptoms. I feel fine.”
And, again, engaged.
“It was a really boring process at the time,” he said of his NBA-mandated quarantine after returning a positive COVID test. “But it’s good to be back around the team, good to be back in this environment. It’s just one of those things when you’re gone for a couple days, you start to realize how much you really cherish the moments.”
All the while, Adebayo said he remained at work.
“I got a VersaClimber at the house now, so that’s my new thing for conditioning,” he said.
He said he also remained focused on the challenge at hand.
“Just keeping in contact with my teammates,” he said. “Everybody’s got a different perspective and different knowledge about the game, and they’ve been practicing.”
That included plenty of conversation with coach Erik Spoelstra.
“It was great to be able to see him in person and not just on Facetime,” Spoelstra said after Saturday’s practice at FTX Arena.
Also confident of a return without complication was power forward P.J. Tucker, who had missed last Sunday’s season-ending road loss to the Orlando Magic due to a strained right calf.
“It was good, it was good to get a couple days off,” Tucker said, “for everybody, to try to get as healthy as possible and do everything we can to get our bodies right. But we’ve had some really good practices and some good focus sessions this week. So it’s been good.”
Tucker is listed as questionable, but said, “I’m playing.”
The rest of the Heat’s injury report also has Markieff Morris (hip), Dewayne Dedmon, and Haywood Highsmith (hip) listed as questionable, with Gabe Vincent (toe) listed as probable.
For the Hawks, the primary injury questions are John Collins (finger, foot) and Clint Capela (knee), with Capela’s hyperextended right knee expected to have him out for at least a week, if not longer.
“You prepare accordingly,” Spoelstra said. “You have to anticipate that those guys will be available at some point in the series. So it’s about whatever is necessary.”
Quick change
Sunday’s opening tip will come less than 39 hours after the Hawks finished off the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night to secure the No. 8 playoff seed. But Spoelstra said there is ample familiarity.
“We’re playing an Eastern Conference team, so we played them four times,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat winning the season series 3-1. “What’s unique is we played them three times in 10 days just two months ago.
I think both teams are very familiar with each other.
“This is going to be about great competition. The competition is either going to raise the level of a team’s play or you’re going to have to manage through a lot of things.”
Starting point
The initial focus assuredly will come at point guard, with Atlanta’s Trae Young coming off Friday’s 38-point performance
in Cleveland, this time to go against the Heat’s Kyle Lowry.
“He’s the type of player that requires a deeper scouting report,” Spoelstra said of Young. “He’s playing great basketball and he loves this type of environment.”
Lowry said he is ready to meet the playoff challenges.
“My regular season is always about preparing for this time of the year,” he said. “I mean, year 16, I’m still happy to be able to play this game and play regular-season games, but this is what you’re here for. This is what you play for. This is what you train for. These are the situations you look forward to.”
Lowry said he is well aware of what’s ahead.
“Trae’s going to do him,” Lowry said. “Trae’s going to have his great games. He’s going to have some highlight. He’s going to do whatever he’s got to do to help his team
win. He’s one of the most dynamic point guards we have in our league now.
“You just have to know that he’s going to do some spectacular things. But what we do is have to wear on him, make things a little bit tougher, however that is.”