SUMMARY

Victor Oladipo had 23 points and Bam Adebayo added 20, helping the Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 97-94 in Monday’s 5th game.

The Heat managed to get the job done despite the absences of protagonists Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler.

In their absence, Miami relied on Olandipo, who played in just 96 of the 309 he could play in the last four seasons. Oladipo, who was limited to just six points in the first four games of the series, finished the game with 23 points and a 50% success rate on his perimeter shots.

Max Strus was also key for the Heat with his 15 points, including an unanswered 10-point streak that led the Heat from a one-point deficit to a nine-point lead at the end of the second quarter.

Adebayo also had a strong game with 20 points and 11 rebounds, including a crucial last-minute dunk to give Miami four points to avoid the Hawks’ late return. Tyler Herro, one of the three finalists for the sixth man of the year, scored 16 points.

Trae Young closed an extremely difficult streak for him with another 11-point underperformance, with just two successful shots in 12 attempts.

The Heat, known for their defensive play, responded to their reputation by preventing the Hawks from taking a shot in an attempt to equalize the game in their last possession with less than six seconds on the clock.

Miami will play the winner of the first round of the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors, which the Sixers lead 3-2, securing at least a few days off for Lowry and Butler.