The well-rested Miami Heat, led by captain Bam Adebayo, will play against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night.
Miami has had time off since Monday, while Dallas won 123-120 against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
Adebayo, 27, is a three-time All-Star but seems to be finding his role as captain difficult, a position he took on after Udonis Haslem retired in the summer of 2023.
“Do I hate it? Yeah, but it’s the responsibility I’ve been dealt with,” Adebayo said on Friday in an interview with Clutch Points. “It’s like anything — pros and cons.”
Adebayo shared that he enjoys the title but doesn’t like the responsibility that comes with it.
“They put you in this role where they want you to bring everybody (up) with you,” Adebayo said. “That’s kind of the captain’s role, being able to have everybody motivated, (player) one through 15.”
Adebayo, who still receives advice from Haslem, is not satisfied with Miami’s 6-7 start to the season.
“That’s below average,” he said.
The Heat’s standout player so far has been Tyler Herro. He is averaging 24.2 points and 5.2 assists — both team highs — while shooting 48.6 percent overall and 45.2 percent from 3-point range. All those stats are on pace to be career highs for Herro in his sixth season.
Adebayo’s performance has dropped, however. Last season, he averaged 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds (a career high), shot 52.1 percent from the field, and 35.7 percent from three. This season, he’s averaging 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, with shooting percentages of 42.6 percent overall and 31.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Jimmy Butler, a six-time All-Star and the third member of the Heat’s “Big Three,” is averaging 17.7 points, a decrease from last season’s 20.8 points. Butler didn’t practice on Saturday and is questionable for Sunday’s game due to an illness, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
While the Heat might be without Butler, the Mavericks know they’ll be without superstar guard Luka Dončić, who is still out with a strained right wrist. Dončić, a five-time All-Star and the NBA’s leading scorer last season, leads Dallas in points (28.1), assists (7.6), and steals (1.6).
Despite Dončić’s absence, the Mavericks have won four straight after losing four in a row.
Dallas beat Denver despite Dončić being sidelined and a scoreless night from Klay Thompson (0-for-8 shooting). Instead, the Mavericks relied on contributions from seven players scoring in double digits.
Naji Marshall set a career high with 26 points off the bench, while Dereck Lively II added 11 points on perfect shooting (4-for-4) and two big blocks in the final two minutes with the score tied.
“This is a character game for us,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said after the win, per The Dallas Morning News. “I think we learned from that situation — being able to keep our composure.”
Kyrie Irving, second on the Mavericks with 23.9 points per game, scored 19 on Friday. The eight-time All-Star is also averaging 5.3 assists while shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 51.2 percent from three.
Sunday’s game continues a historic series between the two teams, including two NBA Finals matchups. Miami defeated Dallas 4-2 for its first title in 2006, while the Mavericks beat the Heat in six games to win their first championship in 2011.
