Long-distance dedication
Robinson’s day from beyond the arc was the story of Game 2’s win
The Miami Heat won the chess match because Duncan Robinson kept the Indiana Pacers in check Thursday at Disney World.
Converting his first six 3-point attempts and tying the Heat playoff franchise record of seven, Robinson closed with 24 points in the 109-100 victory that pushed the Heat to a 2-0 lead in the best-ofseven Eastern Conference opening-round playoff series.
Both teams went in aware that by the time the ball does or doesn’t pass through the net, one element of the equation is complete. The Robinson element. Even with the series in its infancy, it remains about Robinson getting his share of shots.
“I can’t dictate if Duncan’s shot goes in or not,” Heat center Bam
Adebayo explained. “But I can dictate if he gets an open look. And that’s my whole goal. If he gets an open look and he misses, I can live with that, ’cause he has an open look and Duncan has made millions of those shots.
“He has a bad night every once in a while; it’s not every other game. It might be every fifth game he has a bad game, or seventh game, but you don’t realize it because he’ll have six threes in a half. My whole goal is to keep his confidence up, because I feel like he gets in his head a lot when he misses three or four in a row. And it’s like getting in his head, and it’s like, ‘Hey Bro, like, look, listen we got this dynamic going and I’m going to need you to help me, so keep shooting.’’”
In the Heat’s 113-101 Game 1 victory Tuesday, Robinson closed 2 of 8 on 3-pointers. Then came the other side of the Robinson equation.
“It has definitely been a hyper focus on limiting my good looks and my open looks, in particular some of the actions that I’ve been able to get to and that I like to get to,” Robinson said, as he runs patterns reminiscent of what Reggie Miller used to do for the Pacers. “I think a part of it is on me, as well. I need to continue to be more aggressive.”
What Robinson said can’t cease is the attempt to get the attempts.
“Sometimes the ball is just not going to go in. That’s just the reality,” he said. “You got to be able to let go of the result sometimes, and just know and trust that you’re doing the right things.
“So I definitely give them some credit. They’ve thrown some different stuff my way. But I still feel like I’m able to be very impactful in this series.”
Lonely days
Now more than six weeks into this odyssey in the NBA’s quarantine at Disney, Robinson said
Butler finding himself as a focal point
Zoom, FaceTime and other connections with friends and family have become essential.
“It’s definitely been tough, just kind of being disconnected from them physically,” he said. “One of the great things about this whole stretch is there has just been so much downtime that it provides a lot of time to reach out, stay in touch and do those sort of things with the people that matter most.
“It’s been great. I certainly feel support from everybody back home and I just try to stay in touch as much as possible.”
Teammate Jimmy similarly
is taking technology.
“I’m on phone calls, Zoom calls, FaceTime, whatever it may be, just to let people know just because I’m here, it doesn’t change who I am or what I will be doing for everybody,” Butler said. “I love my people. Obviously, I miss my daughter. But this is just a little bit of a sacrifice.
“But I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to be competing and be around this family of mine. But I can’t wait to get back to everybody else.” advantage of such