Is Magic Johnson on to something or was the Los Angeles Lakers legend simply a victim of the moment?
Bam Adebayo helped seal the Miami Heat’s 117-114 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night by stuffing Jayson Tatum at the rim with seconds remaining in overtime.
It was an absolutely incredible block, which prompted Johnson to fire off a tweet in which he called Adebayo’s jaw-dropping rejection the “best defensive play I’ve seen ever in the playoffs.”
If nothing else, it’s a debate that’s been making the rounds in wake of Miami’s Game 1 victory. Probably an overreaction, sure, but the magnitude of the moment and the overall aesthetics of the block make it a wildly impressive play, nonetheless.
Of course, we won’t know the true importance of Adebayo’s block until we see how the rest of the series shakes out. And even then, it’d be hard to place it above several other defensive plays in postseason history, including LeBron James’ epic chase-down block on Andre Iguodala — who now coincidentally plays for the Heat — in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
Still, hats off to Bam. What an iconic moment in the Orlando bubble.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
