Bam Adebayo’s Block Stops a Dunk, and the Celtics

Every now and then, fans get “I can’t believe my own eyes” moments in sports. On Tuesday night, Bam Adebayo, the 23-year-old center for the Miami Heat, pulled off such a play with the opening game of the Eastern Conference finals on the line.

Jayson Tatum, the 22-year-old Boston Celtics star, was on his way to the rim late in overtime in a game that his team had mostly led. The Heat were up 2 points. Tatum, with four seconds left, rose up to do something he has done many times in his career: dunk the ball, with a basket that could tie the game, or at the very least, draw a foul. Adebayo, who like Tatum made his first All-Star game this season, met him at the rim and swatted what appeared to be an open dunk away. There was no foul; it was a clean block. And it saved the game for the Heat, who went on to win, 117-114, to draw first blood in the series.

“It’s the playoffs,” Adebayo told reporters after the game. “I had to make a great play.”

Coach Erik Spoelstra was more effusive.

“That could be a poster dunk, and a lot of people aren’t willing to make that play and put themselves out there,” Spoelstra said. “Jayson Tatum was getting to the launching pad, and he just made a big time save for us.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/16/sports/heat-celtics-bam-adebayo-block.html