Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo Fires Stern Warning Against the Boston Celtics Ahead of the 1st Round: ‘It’s Going to be a Dogfight’

“It’s going to be a dogfight. It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be in the end in mud. It’s not gonna be pretty basketball,” Adebayo said via Zachary Weinberger of ClutchPoints on X (formerly known as Twitter). “And that’s usually how it’s been when we see that team. Usually how it is, always competitive. Everybody always plays their best basketball in that series.”

Jaime Jaquez Jr., who will compete in his first NBA playoffs, echoed Bam Adebayo’s sentiments, saying he is “extremely excited” about this new opportunity for him and the Miami Heat.

“This is something I wanted to be a part of ever since I was a kid. Being in the playoffs, the most elite level of basketball in the entire world so I’d be able to play and have the opportunity to start, I’m excited. I can’t wait, especially with guys that we have to go out there and just battle,” Jaquez shared.

Can the Miami Heat defy the odds once again?

The Miami Heat were also a play-in team last season, but that didn’t stop them from going to the NBA Finals, dispatching the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and the Boston Celtics before losing to the Denver Nuggets in five games.

They were led by Jimmy Butler, who lived up to his “Playoff Jimmy” moniker with averages of 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest while shooting 46.8 percent from the field.

However, Jimmy Butler will be out of action for the Miami Heat after he sustained a knee injury against the Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in. With Butler sidelined , Erik Spoelstra will need Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. to lead the way.