Heat center Bam Adebayo has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to an announcement from the team on Saturday, priming him to return for Miami’s opening round playoff game against Atlanta.
According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, Adebayo said he expects to be on the court when the No. 1 seed Heat take on the No. 8 Hawks in Game 1 of the first round playoff series on Sunday. The 24-year-old center missed Miami’s regular-season finale against Orlando last Sunday, but said that he was asymptomatic while in the league’s protocols with COVID-19, per Vardon.
Adebayo rattled off a career performance during the 2021–22 regular season, helping to lead the Heat to the best record in the Eastern Conference. He averaged a career-high 19.1 points and 10.1 rebounds, while serving as Miami’s defensive anchor. He played in just 56 games his season, after missing six weeks in December and January with an injured right thumb that required surgery.
After posting a 53–29 record, the Heat will now take on the Hawks, who beat both the Hornets and the Cavaliers in the play-in tournament to claim their spot in the Eastern Conference field. Game 1 between Miami and Atlanta will tip-off a 1 p.m. ET on Sunday at FTX Arena.
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