Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo Once Again Calls Himself Out

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo says he has to play better to take some of the load off Jimmy Butler

Center Bam Adebayo was the first person to credit teammate Jimmy Butler for his strong play in Game 5 that allowed the Miami Heat to remain alive in the NBA Finals.

Shortly after, he once again blamed himself for why the Heat are trailing 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. Adebayo said he has to play better if they are to capture a championship by winning the next two games. He also held himself accountable against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. 

"(Butler's) been as close to perfect as you possibly can get," Adebayo said. "On my part, I've got to be better for him so he doesn't have to carry that load as much. My whole mindset is I've got to be better for Jimmy, my team."

Adebayo had just 13 points, four rebounds and four assists Friday. He has averaged 12 points and five rebounds in a series he was counted on to complement Butler as Anthony Davis has LeBron James for the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I just got to be more aggressive," Adebayo said. "A lot of time, I just got to make the right reads. It's nothing major, just minor tweaks. I'm going to bounce back. We're going to figure it out."

Adebayo missed two games in the series because of a neck strain. He refused to use it an excuse even though he isn't 100 percent.

"When you get into the Finals, I don't think anybody is completely healthy," Adebayo said. "I can't dictate how I play because I'm injured. I've got to go out there and still play."

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