On April 27, Beijing time, the first round of the NBA playoffs G5, the Heat narrowly defeated the Hawks 97-94 at home, and the big score was 4-1 to advance to the second round. In this game, the Heat's two main players, Lowry and Butler, all stopped due to injury, and Oladipo got the starting opportunity.
In the last game, Oladipo scored 6 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists off the bench, winning wide praise after the game. In this game, butler's suspension, Spoo decisively put Oladipo into the starting lineup. Oladipo did not live up to Spoo's trust, and his performance was remarkable.
In this campaign, Oladipo played 36 minutes, shooting 8 of 16, including 3 of 6 three-pointers and 4 of 4 free throws, with 23 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 3 steals. After the start, Oladipo was hot in the hand, scoring 8 points on all four shots. In the crucial fourth quarter, Oladipo scored seven points to help the Heat withstand the Hawks' counterattack.
With the Heat missing two main players, Oladipo's 23 points are crucial. It is worth mentioning that this is also the heat's highest score in the whole team. With Butler on leave, Oladipo, who returned to the starting lineup, suddenly found the feeling of being the team boss at the Pacers.
Over the past three seasons, Oladipo has experienced many setbacks and injuries. According to statistics, since the 19-20 season, Oladipo has only played 41 regular season games, during which he has changed teams three times, playing for the Pacers, Rockets and Heat. This season, Oladipo's return from injury was not reused by Spoo, and was once directly hidden. In the first three games of the playoffs, he never got a chance to play. But starting with G4, Oladipo was reactivated by Spoo and performed well, becoming the Heat's X-factor in this series.
After the game, Oladipo was interviewed on the sidelines. "There's nothing I can't cope with, I feel like I can overcome everything and get back to where I was before."