The NBA postseason began last week with games in the play-in tournament. The Miami Heat, who are participating in the Eastern Tournament, lost their first game to the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. In this game, Miami's superstar wing Jimmy Butler went down with an MCL injury. He was joined by Terry Rozier, who missed this game with a neck injury. Due to Butler's injury, rookie Jamie Jaquez Jr. stepped up significantly with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal on 6-of-11 from the field. The performance wasn't enough to earn Miami a win in Philadelphia, but the Heat will have another chance to clinch a playoff ticket against the ninth-seeded Chicago Bulls.
With Butler out, Jaquez Jr. was inserted into the starting lineup against the Bulls, with Miami's season on the line. The rookie was no stranger to starting 20 of the 75 games he played in the regular season this year. In those appearances, he averaged 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Such performance and impact likely earned him All-Rookie status. He played that role against Chicago as well. Jaquez Jr. contributed to the big win with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, securing a playoff spot. He showed some interesting flashes of scoring skill with some of the buckets he was getting.
Now, the undermanned Heat will face the championship favorite, the Boston Celtics. After reaching the finals last June for just the second time in a decade, Miami's organization is used to winning. Now, they are losing heavily in first-round matchups and their typical playoff success is in jeopardy. With Butler and Rozier out for the foreseeable future, Jaquez Jr. will need to step up and fill Miami's scoring hole if they want to keep their postseason dreams alive. It's a lot to ask of a rookie, but many have started their path to stardom with memorable runs in the playoffs. This opportunity belonged to Jaquez Jr.
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