Many NBA fans and experts haven’t given the Miami Heat much of a chance to make a deep run in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Despite the fact that the Heat are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, few have chosen them to represent the East in the 2022 NBA Finals.
On Sunday, the Heat seemed well aware of the doubt that they are facing and looked ready to prove their doubters wrong in Game 1 of their series against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Heat dominated the Hawks by a score of 115-91. They held Hawks star Trae Young to a paltry eight points in the contest. Though a No. 1 seed is usually expected to win its first-round matchup fairly easily, the lopsided affair certainly surprised some.
However, one person who is not losing confidence due to the lopsided game is Young himself. The superstar guard issued a message of confidence regarding the rest of the series.
Trae Young (1 for 12 today), while showing respect for Heat, notes: "They got swept here last year so they can't out with a different energy. Winning one game isn't the whole thing….I'm very confident we'll turn this around."
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) April 17, 2022
The Hawks shocked the NBA world last season by advancing all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. As for the Heat, they had to face the eventual NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, in the first round.
Young clearly feels confident in his team’s chances to turn things around against the Heat. Ultimately, his comments will likely just serve as more fuel for the Heat as they look to bring another title to South Florida. Game 2 will take place on Tuesday.
