Without Tyler Herro, affected in the first playoff game, the Heat managed to reach the Finals last season. With Erik Spoelstra at their head, the Miami players are capable of all exploits, and among the Bulls, we did not boast when learning of the withdrawal of Jimmy Butler, injured in one knee.
“They have a culture. Whoever takes his place, they won't be able to make up for everything he brings because he's an All-Star.” recalls Coby White. “But when we play Miami, we know what to expect. They give their all. They are physical. They don't give up. They always bring energy. »
Respect the Heat
Same speech from Ayo Dosunmu, who must still be relieved not to come across Jimmy Butler. “We know what they’re going to do… We know they’re physical. Both teams are keen to qualify for the playoffs. We know that we failed last season. Now we have a new opportunity. We are going to seize it and try to make it happen.”
For Alex Caruso, Jimmy Butler remains the leader of the team, and his absence remains a notable fact.
“He’s one of the biggest competitors in the championship. This time of year is where it rocks. It's a big loss for them because he's sort of the head of the snake, their pulse… But they still have plenty of talented players who know how to play. Obviously, whether he's there or not, it changes a little what we're going to do. But we always respect the Heat and what they give on the field.” he explains like this.
For Billy Donovan, it will come down to the balls lying around
The final word for Billy Donovan who sees a key sector in this meeting: the balls lying around, the famous “50/50”. And he knows that the Heat has players capable of throwing themselves on the rebound or on the ground.
“There are a lot of things they do really well” underlines the Bulls coach. “It’s not a series, but it’s played over a match. You have to prepare in 36 hours, and the ultimate goal will be to win the battle of the lying balloons. It's going to be muscular and physical actions. Both teams shoot at 50%, and that means each team will miss half of their shots. So that’s a lot of balloons lying around. »
