Luka Doncic and Bam Adebayo. Image via: Rich Storry/ Getty Images
Doncic is averaging 36.2 points in his first five games, which gives Miami plenty to solve. The Slovenian star also scored 37 in the Lakers’ 112-95 loss at Golden State on Oct. 30. The Heat opened 0-4 but have won two straight, and Adebayo kept his message short and simple. The Lakers have been outscored 164-119 in the 60 minutes and 41 seconds Doncic has sat across five appearances. 28 game against the Clippers, which Doncic missed with back tightness. The Lakers won it 103-87, and Collin Sexton scored 21.
Miami may not need a perfect plan if Los Angeles keeps giving ground when Doncic rests. The figure leaves out the Oct.
Bam Adebayo has a plan for slowing Luka Doncic, and he shared it before the Miami Heat headed to Los Angeles. The Heat face the Lakers on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena, the first stop on a five-game West Coast trip.
Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo anchor the Heat defense, and Doncic is also averaging 7.6 assists and 6.8 rebounds, so sending help is not a clean fix. The Lakers were 4-2 before Sunday’s game against Toronto. A win in Los Angeles would give Miami a boost after its 0-4 start and extend its two-game streak.
“We’re just going to try and make him make difficult shots,” he said. Miami wants Doncic to see two defenders and think before acting, and the goal is to get other Lakers to miss. Adebayo added other teams around the league do the same thing. Miami has the personnel to try it.
Bam Adebayo told reporters on Sunday how Miami will handle Luka Doncic, and the plan is not complicated.
Los Angeles was plus-9 during Doncic’s 37 minutes and 21 seconds and minus-26 over the other 10:39. Golden State’s bench outscored the Lakers’ reserves 50-7, and Sexton went 0-for-6. Austin Reaves had eight turnovers, six of them with Doncic on the floor, and the team gave it away 22 times in all.
“Got to figure the turnover thing out,” he told reporters. The Warriors game showed the gap. Coach JJ Redick was direct afterward.