Gabe Vincent Shines as a Supporting Actor for Miami Heat in NBA Playoffs

2023-05-22 08:30:00

“We were able to play our own basketball at the best timing.”

In Game 3 of the Conference Finals against the Celtics, Gabe Vincent scored a game-high and career-high 29 points to help the Heat win 128-102.

Vincent appeared in 68 games in the regular season. He started 34 of those games, averaging 9.4 points and 2.5 assists in 25.9 minutes. When it comes to the playoffs, he has started all 14 games and has improved his stats with 12.9 points and 4.1 assists in 31 minutes.

Teaming up with Tyler Herro in the backcourt, Vincent’s role was to create stops with hard-hitting defense and deflections with tenacious Denay. It was a pain that a hero with scoring ability broke his wrist in the first playoff game and withdrew from the front line, but the withdrawal of a hero who demonstrates his characteristics on the ball improved the ball movement of the entire team, and he is the leader. “Supporting actors” began to stand out. Vincent, Max Struth, Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson are all making vibrant comebacks.

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are the core of the team, but without the work of the “supporting actors”, there is no such good progress. Players and the ball move well together, and if anyone gets a chance to open wide, they hit it without hesitation. Vincent had a “hit” on this day, stacking up to 29 points with 11 of 14 field goals and six 3-point shots.

“You could say it was a surprise, but at the end of the day, we played well. We played good defense. I think I got it,” says Vincent.

Vincent is 26 years old and in his fourth year in the NBA. He’s a late bloomer as an NBA player. He played four years at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was not picked in the 2018 NBA Draft, and played for the Kings’ G League team. Midway through his second season, he signed a two-way deal with the Heat to make his NBA debut. In the four seasons since, he’s grown little by little, accumulating credibility, and making the playoffs as a mainstay for the Heat.

Considering the hardships it took to get to this stage, no small task is neglected. Heat manager Erik Spoelstra was recently asked about the secret to his sudden improvement in the playoffs, and he said, “We failed a lot in the regular season, tried a lot, and got through it all together.” .

Vincent responded to the same question: “It was a process that was at times painful and at times rewarding, but now I only feel rewarded. We have put in a lot of effort. We can play basketball,” he said, but that’s what he’s done throughout his NBA career.

“For me, it’s about where I stand in the moment. Even if I’ve had a bad first half or had a bad turnover, I’ve got to have the right mentality for the next play. The next possession. Focus on how you can win, how you can help your team win, and keep doing that.”

The Heat took two wins at home and returned to Miami for a third win. Going 3-0 in the playoffs means nothing more than a ‘win’, but the Heat won’t let their guard down in Game 4 either. Vincent said: “We don’t want to win three, we want to win four.”