Bam Adebayo says his fingers went numb on game-saving block

Miami Heat All-Star forward Bam Adebayo says that his fingers went numb on his game-saving block of Jayson Tatum in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Heat forward Bam Adebayo had one of the most impressive blocks in NBA playoff history on Tuesday night, sealing a Miami win with a rejection of a Jayson Tatum dunk attempt in the final minute of Game 1.

With the Heat now up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, Adebayo’s rejection has garnered national attention, and the All-Star has finally begun to receive the recognition that he deserves for his outstanding play.

In an interview with Rachel Nichols, Adebayo went in-depth about his block, saying that his fingers went numb after sending back Tatum’s attempt, a small price to pay to put Miami in the driver’s seat in its pursuit of an NBA Finals appearance.

Adebayo has presented plenty of problems for the Celtics throughout the series, and figuring out how to neutralize him will be crucial to Boston’s title hopes. The 23-year-old tallied 21 points and 10 rebounds on Thursday night, playing a critical role in Miami’s 17-point comeback.

Was Bam Adebayo’s block one of the greatest defensive plays of all time?

However, his Game 1 block remains one of the defining moments of the NBA’s 2020 playoffs, with many calling it the second-best postseason block of all time behind only LeBron James’s Game 7 block of Andre Iguodala in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Adebayo and the Heat have shown no signs of slowing down this postseason, earning a 10-1 record so far with the only loss coming in overtime to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra has continued to show why he is one of the NBA’s best coaches, and the front office has received its due praise for a quick turnaround, finding promising players like Adebayo and Tyler Herro in the later stages of the lottery. With the former as a franchise centerpiece, Pat Riley’s team looks to be in good hands for the foreseeable future.