The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1499505
JUNE/JULY 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 63 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE T he Miami Heat were the No. 8 seed in the East and needed to survive in the play-in tournament just to make the playoffs. They rode that to a stun- ning first-round series victory, beating the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games. That marked just the sixth time in NBA history in which a No. 8 seed took down a No. 1, and the franchise became the first-ever play-in tournament team to win a series (the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers also did so in the West this year). Former Michigan sharpshooter Dun- can Robinson wasn't a mainstay in the rotation late in the regular season, play- ing less than 10 minutes in seven of his final 12 outings, but he's carved out a role in the playoffs. Robinson was on fire in the first round against Milwaukee, making 14 of his 19 three-point attempts in the five games, shades of what he did as a starter help- ing the Heat to the NBA Finals in 2020. In a 121-99 Game 3 victory, Robinson nailed his 98th career postseason three- pointer, passing legend Dwyane Wade for the third most in franchise history. The 6-7, 215-pounder fell out of favor a bit in the second round, but he still made his mark, especially late in the six-game series win over the New York Knicks. He played less than 20 minutes in four of six contests despite surpass- ing 20 minutes in three of five outings the previous series, and he shot just 28.6 percent from three-point range. However, he nailed 5 triples on 10 tries in a Game 5 loss and made 2 of 7 at- tempts in a Game 6 win. The Heat have now made the Eastern Conference Finals in three of Robinson's four full seasons in the league (2020, 2022, 2023). The franchise has made it this far seven of the last 13 years. The Heat now take on the Boston Celtics for a spot in the NBA Finals. FORMER WOLVERINES IN THE NBA PLAYOFFS Through May 14 • Moussa Diabate (played at U-M from 2021-22), F, Los Angeles Clip- pers: Did not appear in the Clippers' 4-1 first-round series loss to the Phoe- nix Suns. • Caris LeVert (2012-16), G, Cleve- land Cavaliers: Opened three of five games in the Cavaliers' first-round series loss to the New York Knicks, appearing in all five … Averaged 15 points, 4.6 re- bounds and 2.6 assists per outing, while shooting 42.9 percent overall and 36.1 percent from three-point range … Was second on the team with 24 points (9-of- 16 from the field, including 4-of-9 from three-point range) in Cleveland's lone victory of the series, Game 2 … Added 4 rebounds and 3 assists, and posted a plus-23 on-court rating. • Jo rd a n Po o l e ( 2 0 17-19) , G, Golden State Warriors: His Warriors won their first-round series against the Sacramento Kings in seven games before falling in six to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals … Put up 16 and 22 points in Games 3 and 4 against the Kings, respectively, with that two-game stretch turning the tide in the series after the Warriors were down 0-2 … His impact (and playing time) died down in the second round, with Poole averaging 8.3 points, 4.2 as- ❱ MICHIGAN IN THE PROS Duncan Robinson Is Making An Impact For Eastern Conference Finalist Miami Robinson was on fire for Miami in the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks, making 14 of his 19 three-point attempts in the Heat's remarkable five-game series victory over the No. 1 seed. PHOTO BY FERNANDO MEDINA/COURTESY MIAMI HEAT