Bam Adebayo may have rediscovered his All-Star form.
Adebayo, who will lead the Miami Heat on Thursday night against the visiting Boston Celtics, had been slumping for a couple of weeks.
During that eight-game stretch, he averaged just 10.9 points on 36.8% shooting from the floor. But on Tuesday in a 127-121 win over the visiting Phoenix Suns, Adebayo poured in a game-high 29 points on 11-for-15 shooting (73.3%).
Adebayo was particularly dominant late in the fourth quarter as he scored 13 consecutive Heat points.
“He’s our engine,” Heat reserve Jaime Jaquez Jr. said. “He’s the heart of this team.
“I’m so happy for him to have a game like this. He was due.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Adebayo “earned” his great game because of the way he played defense even before his fourth-quarter offensive explosion.
“The ball found the right karma,” Spoelstra said of Adebayo’s success. “He’s a great competitor in this league.”
Adebayo moved into second place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list with 9,461 points, passing Alonzo Mourning (9,459). Dwyane Wade (21,556) holds the club record.
The only bad Heat news coming out of Tuesday’s game was a shoulder injury sustained by starting point guard Davion Mitchell, who took a hard pick from Suns center Mark Williams. Mitchell is listed as doubtful for Thursday’s game.
Spoelstra also commented on the developing chemistry between his two most dynamic scorers: Norman Powell, who is new to the team this season, and Tyler Herro, who has been hurt most of the season.
“Give us a little bit of time. … It will get better,” Spoelstra said. “We love (the pairing) because the other team has to make decisions. Who are you putting on who? The synergy will be there if we play the way we need to play.”
Meanwhile, the Celtics are suddenly slumping. After winning five of six games, Boston was held to 95 and 96 points in consecutive losses.
On Monday, the Celtics lost 98-96 to one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Indiana Pacers. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla blamed the loss on what he felt was a final-seconds uncalled “illegal screen” — a phrase he used six times in his postgame remarks, which included no other words.
It didn’t help that Boston’s Jaylen Brown — who is tied for fifth in the NBA with 29.5 points per game — missed Monday’s game due to back spasms.
The Celtics, though, beat the Heat 129-116 last month in Boston in the teams’ only meeting so far this season. Boston was led in that game by Derrick White (33 points) and Brown (30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists).
White is one of the more underrated players in the league, averaging 18.6 points, 5.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals.
His play has helped keep the Celtics in playoff position despite being without superstar Jayson Tatum (Achilles) for the season.
Besides Brown and White, another Celtics player who has stepped up is Payton Pritchard, who is averaging career highs in points (17.0) and assists (5.3).
Pritchard, who started a combined 17 games in his first five years in the league, has started all 39 Celtics contests this season.
“Starting has been a little bit of an adjustment,” Pritchard said in an interview with NBC Sports. “I hadn’t (started on a full-time basis) since college. I’ve had to figure out the feel, how to get my teammates involved and how to get to my spots.”
