Michigan Basketball: Duncan Robinson is solid again as Heat advance to NBA Finals

Duncan Robinson isn’t Jimmy Butler or anything but the former Michigan basketball player had a key role in the Heat’s win over the Celtics. 

Momentum can be a tough thing to get back in sports once you lose it. The Miami Heat and former Michigan basketball player Duncan Robinson had built a 3-0 lead over the Celtics before things started to fall apart.

Miami lost to the Celtics on a buzzer-beater on Saturday and with the series headed back to Boston, it seemed like the Celtics were poised to become the first NBA team ever trailing 3-0 to come back and win in the conference finals.

Yet, the Heat won for the third time in Boston and knocked out the Celtics after a 102-84 victory, which clinched the second trip to the NBA finals for the franchise in the last four years.

It wil also be the second trip for Robinson who signed with the Heat as an undrafted free agent after his Michigan baskeball career, which included a trip to the Final Four and two Big Ten tournament titles.

Robinson doesn’t start anymore for the Heat. Yet, he’s been effective off the bench just like he was for Michigan basketball in the 2017-18 season when he was the Big Ten’s Sixth Man of the Year. He also drilled a clutch 3-pointer against Florida State in the Elite 8 to seal the win.

After just seven minutes played in the first game and zero points, Robinson has averaged 13.3 points per game and shot 48.4 percent from 3-point range in the series. He averaged 11.6 points per game in total as well as 2.6 assists in 18.7 minutes. Robinson also didn’t miss a free throw and made 55 percent of his overall shot attempts.

Robinson scored 10 points Monday night. That effort included a 3-pointer in the fourth, as well as a cut for a bucket, which helped put the game away for good.

The Heat will head to Denver to Game 1 of the NBA Finals later this week and for the second time in four years, the former Michigan basketball alum will be on the game’s biggest stage.