Category: Duncan Robinson

Heat’s Duncan Robinson spills the tea on reasoning behind taunting Celtics fans in Game 7

May 31, 2023

Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson grew up in New England and regularly attended Boston Celtics games as a kid. That’s why it was so much sweeter when he had the chance to taunt C’s fans at the end of Game 7 on Sunday.

However, there was a legitimate reason behind his actions. Robinson appeared on JJ Redick’s podcast Monday and explained that someone he went to high school with got his phone number and put him in a group chat where a bunch of Celtics fans sent him memes and messages about how Boston was going to advance.

Via MassLive:

“I don’t know how this happened but maybe someone I went to high school with but my number got put in a group chat somewhere,” Duncan Robinson said. It was a massive group chat so after we lose Game 6, my phone is randomly blowing up from a bunch of random New England numbers. They are saying, ‘Get ‘F*****’, Celtics in 7, sending me memes of Curt Schilling’s bloody sock.’ It’s just all these random numbers, 70 texts.

“So I’m like what is going on and I’m also pissed since I’m on the heels of this bone-crushing loss, not to mention I missed some shots down the stretch I’d like to have back. I’m like really worked up about it. So then I’m like thinking, creating all these scenarios in my head, if I get the chance in the Garden, I’m going to do something.”

“I wanted to do it,” Robinson admitted. “There was a little of internal conflict because you are playing on the floor that you grew up being fortunate to go to some games on and grew up in Celtics country. You have this idea you want to do it but I have to be relevant enough to warrant that and I toed the line on that.”

After Robinson converted a layup that put the game officially out of reach, he did this:

Savagery. That had to feel good for Robinson though, icing his favorite childhood team and silencing the Celtics crowd.

Now, he’ll be looking to help the Heat win their first NBA title since 2013.

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NBA Twitter reacts to Heat stud Duncan Robinson savagely taunting Celtics fans in Game 7

May 30, 2023

The Boston Celtics came so close to making history as the first team to come back from being down 0-3 in a best-of-7 series. The Miami Heat, however, had other plans. Billed as the underdogs throughout their entire NBA Playoffs run, Jimmy Butler and Co. came into Game 7 at the TD Garden with most fans believing that this was Boston’s game to lose. True enough, the Heat made sure that this was going to be the case on Monday night.

After holding a relatively precarious lead for the most part of the game, the Heat ended up blowing this game wide open in the fourth and final quarter. At one point, they went up by 21 points courtesy of a Duncan Robinson deuce. After scoring on a well-contested lay-up, the Heat sharpshooter just had to go full savage on the Celtics home crowd:

Yup, he really did that. Duncan Robinson really motioned to his ear to indicate that he could no longer hear the Celtics crowd in attendance. The Heat did an exceptional job in not letting the fans get involved in this one, and Robinson just delivered the final nail in the coffin with his deuce here. His celebration was pure savagery at its finest, and NBA Twitter completely agrees:

Celtics fans have to be hating hard on Duncan Robinson right now. After all, that’s a pretty disrespectful move. To be fair, though, Robinson was right in that Heat completely silenced the Boston home crowd at that point in the game. This fact doesn’t make it less painful for the Celtics faithful, though.

 

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Miami Heat: 3 bold predictions for Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 vs. Celtics

May 28, 2023

The 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics will feature the two best words in sports: Game 7. Boston miraculously pulled off the Game 6 win on the road thanks to the heroics of Derick White’s game-winning putback to force the decider. Ahead of Monday night’s epic Heat-Celtics clash, we’ll be making our Heat Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 predictions.

The Heat squandered their closest opportunity to making the NBA Finals with a heartbreaking 104-103 loss in Game 6. As mentioned, White’s miraculous tip-in forced the do-or-die on Monday. But a lot of blame still has to go with how Miami’s two stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo performed through majority of Saturday night.

Butler and Adebayo shot just a combined 9-of-37 from the field. The duo was essentially non-existent from a scoring standpoint through the first three quarters. That is before Butler came alive in the fourth to score 13 of his 24 in the game. Still, if those two just played better offensively, they wouldn’t have found themselves in that situation and we’d be talking about a Denver Nuggets-Miami Heat Finals right now.

Nonetheless, Miami still has a chance to salvage this choke job and prevent itself from going down the history books as the first team ever to blow a 3-0 series lead in the NBA playoffs. With that said, here are three Heat predictions for Game 7.

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3. Duncan Robinson will come up big again

With Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler struggling for most of the evening, Duncan Robinson provided Miami with a much-needed spark in Game 6. The sharpshooting guard scored 13 points with three three-pointers on Saturday. He was a plus-8 in his 20 minutes off the bench. Stats aside, Robinson was terrific in terms of moving without the ball, giving Miami’s offense a better flow in the second half, where they were able to mount their comeback. He scored on some back cuts to the basket and even dished out a couple of assists.

Robinson, however, failed to connect on two wide open three-pointers that would have potentially propelled Miami to the Finals. The first with 1:24 remaining would have tied the game at 100. The second with 21 ticks remaining would have given the Heat a two-point lead.

With that said, look for Robinson to have another big game and become a major factor in Game 7. He’s played really well in the Eastern Conference Finals, averaging 11.7 points on 46.4 percent shooting from the three-point line.

2. Jimmy Butler will drop a 50-piece

Jimmy Butler did it in Boston last year. Well, almost. He came up three points shy of the big 5-0 in Game 6 in Boston last year. But what makes us think he can’t have a better performance this time around?

For one, he’s been struggling in these last three games for Miami. He’s looked hesitant and timid and has lacked that aggressiveness that the Heat need from their franchise superstar. Nonetheless, Butler did channel a little bit of Playoff Jimmy near the end of Game 6. He scored 13 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter. He knocked down three cold-blooded freethrows to give Miami a one-point lead with three seconds remaining. And if there was at least 0.2 seconds off the game clock, Miami would be going to the Finals and we’d sing praises for Jimmy Butler right now as we have been this entire postseason run.

But no, this is headed to Game 7 instead.

Butler is still confident they can get it done. And there’s good reason to believe. He’s shown it this postseason, especially with those epic back-to-back games in the first round to close out the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.

Butler is fully aware that he needs to be better and set the tone early if the Heat want a chance to win this series on the road. A lot is at stake here, not just for Miami, but for Jimmy Butler’s legacy. The legend of Playoff Jimmy is at stake here, and we predict he will show up and come up with the greatest virtuoso of his career in Game 7.

1. Heat will NOT become first team to blow 3-0 series lead

With Duncan Robinson’s hot shooting night and Jimmy Butler dropping a 50-bomb, we predict that Miami pull off the upset and win Game 7 on the road to advance to the NBA Finals. More importantly, they will save themselves from embarrassment and not become the first team ever to squander a 3-0 series lead in the NBA Playoffs.

This team has gone through so much this season. Their journey to this point has been nothing short of Cinderella-like. Despite the gut-wrenching loss, it still seems like the Heat, especially Jimmy Butler and coach Erik Spoelstra, remain confident that they can get it done. And they will.

The Heat have lost four straight twice this season. A third is not about to happen. Not with Playoff Jimmy.

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Heat: Duncan Robinson gets brutally honest on clutch open 3-point misses in Game 6 vs. Celtics

May 28, 2023

The Miami Heat were milliseconds away from advancing to the NBA Finals.

Derrick White’s last-second tip-in gave the Boston Celtics a win in Game 6, forcing an all-important Game 7 in which the winner will advance to the Finals.

But Heat forward Duncan Robinson had two shots that could have changed the result of the game. He did not make either, and Miami lost.

Robinson missed a three with 1:24 left that could have tied the game at 100. Here is how open he was:

Robinson then had an opportunity to give the Heat a 2-point lead, but he missed a transition three with 21 seconds left.

Duncan Robinson said those misses will stay with him.

“The first one, I couldn’t believe how much time I had,” Robinson said. “Checked the wind and everything. Obviously, you want to get those back. All juiced up, missed them long.”

The Heat took the lead afterward with three free-throws from forward Jimmy Butler.

If Miami won the game, Robinson’s missed shots would have been forgotten. Instead, they are under the microscope since the Heat are one loss away from becoming the first team in NBA history to lose a series after taking a 3-0 lead.

Game 7 between the Heat and Celtics will be Monday, which is Memorial Day, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Robinson has been a solid player for the Heat in these playoffs. After guard Tyler Herro broke two fingers on his right hand, he has averaged 9.3 points while shooting 43.8 percent from the 3-point line.

However, he will not receive credit for that if the Heat lose.

 

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Duncan Robinson reveals Erik Spoelstra’s stern message after Heat’s Game 5 loss vs. Celtics

May 26, 2023

The Miami Heat did not have much to go their way in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics opened up the game on a 23-7 run, and they did not look back from there. Boston once again enjoyed much success from beyond the arc, knocking down 15-plus 3-point shots for the second straight game. The Celtics also took advantage of 16 turnovers from the Heat for an astounding 27 points.

Heat forward Duncan Robinson featured in 28 minutes off the bench in Game 5, where he scored 18 points on 70 percent shooting. He also chipped in with nine assists in the contest.

Robinson took some time during his postgame press conference to touch on Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra’s message to the team following such a loss.

“Just to really not forget this,” Robinson said. “Shift our focus to Saturday, but let this sting.

“Let this carry with us, and do what it takes to just maintain that edge that we play our best with.”

Robinson sees that the Celtics have made a few adjustments in the last two contests that have paid for them.

“Yeah, they are playing faster, for sure,” Robinson said. “Shooting more threes, which is a little bit more their identity that they have kind of had throughout the season. We are not surprised by that. Kind of knew that’s what it was going to be. Just got to make it difficult and continue to make it hard. They are a good team, talented players.

“We have got some guys as well, so just continue to make it difficult. … They are a good team. They can do it on both ends. They have done it on both ends all year. But we are a good team. I don’t want to say we were surprised by it, but they raised their level, and we’ve got to adjust. We’ve got to raise ours as well.”

Overall, the Celtics boast a 7-1 record in elimination games dating back to last year’s NBA playoffs.

Game 6 of this season’s Eastern Conference Finals is set for Saturday from the Kaseya Center.

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Heat forward Duncan Robinson puts Celtics adjustments on notice following Game 5 loss

May 26, 2023

The Miami Heat were once on the cusp of sweeping the second-seeded Boston Celtics and, in turn, heading to the 2023 NBA Finals. Now, after a two-game losing streak, they find themselves still up in their Eastern Conference Finals matchup, though are certainly not as comfortable as they find themselves gearing up for a Game 6 down in South Beach with the series at 3-2.

The Heat were dominating during the first three games of action, though the C’s have seemingly made the proper adjustments to make things competitive. During his post-game media session after Thursday’s Game 5, forward Duncan Robinson explained what, in specific, the Celtics have managed to improve upon during their current winning streak.

“They’re playing faster for sure. Shooting more [3-pointers], which is a little bit more of their identity that they’ve kind of had throughout the season. We’re not surprised by that. We kind of knew that that’s what it was going to be and just kind of got to make it difficult [and] continue to make it hard. Obviously, they’re a good team with talented players but we got some guys as well so we have to continue to make it difficult,” Duncan Robinson said.

Heading into Tuesday’s Game 4, the Heat were converting on 51.9% of their looks from the field and 47.8% from deep while holding the Celtics to just 45.7% from the floor and 29.2% from deep. However, since claiming their first win of the series, Boston has gone on to boast shooting clips of 50.9% from the floor and 40.9% from distance while Miami has regressed to 47.4% shooting from the floor and 30.9% from deep.

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