Bam Adebayo says he is to blame for the Miami Heat’s loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night.
The Heat led the Celtics at halftime but lost the game 121-108 to send the series to a Game 6. Adebayo had 13 points with eight rebounds and eight assists in the loss. He was also a -15 on the floor, which was the worst mark among Heat players.
“This game is on me. I played terrible. That can’t happen, and I know that. And I feel like I let my team down,” Adebayo said after the game. “I played like s—t. Bottom line. I put that game on me. Not my teammates’ fault. Not my coaches’ fault. Me.”
Adebayo is a big part of Miami’s defense, which allowed Boston to run away with the game in the second half. The Celtics were motivated by some halftime speeches. Also note that Adebayo is playing through a wrist injury.
Whether or not Adebayo is really to blame for the loss is debatable and likely false. But him taking the blame shows he is willing to hold a valuable leadership role on his team.
Miami will have a chance to clinch the series with a win in Game 6 on Sunday.
