The Miami Heat will have their All-Star center ahead of Game 1 on Sunday!
Take a deep breath, Heat fans.
Miami stalwart Bam Adebayo, who entered the health-and-safety protocols on April 10, cleared the protocols Saturday and returned to the team, per multiple reports. He is expected to play in Game 1 Sunday versus the Atlanta Hawks, which tips off at 1 p.m. EST on TNT.
Bam Adebayo is out of protocols and is expected to be available for Game 1 vs. Hawks tomorrow.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) April 16, 2022
Bam Adebayo (protocols) has rejoined the Heat today and is expected to be available for Game 1 against Atlanta tomorrow afternoon.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) April 16, 2022
Bam Adebayo (health protocols) expected to play on Sunday. https://t.co/UfG1p9X2QD
— FantasyLabs NBA (@FantasyLabsNBA) April 16, 2022
Needless to say, Adebayo’s on-court presence augments Miami’s ceiling, especially against a potent Hawks offense. Adebayo posted career highs in points (19.1 ppg) and steals (1.4 spg), also averaging 3.4 assists plus 0.8 blocks. He shot 55.7 percent from the floor and 75.3 percent from the charity stripe — good enough for a 60.8 true-shooting percentage.
The All-Star center played in just two of the four season matchups against the Hawks, averaging 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks on 65.3 true-shooting. Per PBP stats, the Heat totaled 125.6 points per 100 possessions when Adebayo was on the floor against the Hawks in those meetings — including 137 points and a 39.2 NET rating when Clint Capela, who injured his knee in the play-in versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (get better soon, Clint!), was off the floor (24 minutes) — albeit the incredibly small sample(s).
This is a breaking news story. We will update when more details become available.