New Castle's Duncan Robinson talks latest NBA playoff run with Miami Heat

BOSTON — Growing up in New Castle and playing basketball at Phillips Exeter Academy, Duncan Robinson said his earliest memories and dreams of playing in the NBA level didn't necessarily include him playing for the Boston Celtics.

Instead, Robinson, now in his fifth season with the Miami Heat, said he looked up to certain players. Players like Ray Allen and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics during their championship run in 2008, as well as other NBA greats, such as Allen Iverson and the late Kobe Bryant.

"I don't know that it was with a particular team, but just growing up being a fan of basketball and really starting to watch and follow the NBA, just having players and trying to emulate them in the backyard and at the park and all that sort of stuff," Robinson said.

The 29-year-old spoke after Thursday's morning shootaround at TD Garden hours before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics. Robinson scored 18 points in Miami's 110-97 loss as the Celtics forced a Game 6 Saturday in Miami.

"Memories go back to when I first started playing at 8, 9, 10 years old," he said.

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Robinson, who went undrafted coming out of the University of Michigan in 2018, was signed as a free agent that summer by Miami, one of Boston's biggest rivals.

Since then, Robinson has broken numerous franchise records with the Heat. In Sunday's Game 3 win over the Celtics, he passed LeBron James for most 3-pointers made by a Heat player in the playoffs. Robinson went 5 for 7 from 3-point territory and finished with 22 points in 24 minutes off the bench. He hit two more 3-pointers on Thursday, and now has 126 career 3-pointers in 54 playoff games.

Playing for a rival team, a team that has shared many Eastern Conference battles with the Celtics over the last decade-plus, Robinson called playing for the Heat "the ultimate blessing."

"It's a life and an experience that I don't take for granted," he said. "I'm super grateful. I never would have envisioned this for myself, so I'm just trying to maximize every opportunity."

Handling ticket requests

Robinson said ticket requests have been still rolling in as he's playing for a team most of the New England population is rooting against.

"Definitely a lot," Robinson said. "I haven't been given any free comps, so I've had to pay for all of my extra tickets. It's been some expensive trips to Boston, but it's worth it."

Miami's difficult road to the Eastern Conference finals

Robinson and the Heat were just 4 minutes away from being eliminated in a play-in game against the Chicago Bulls. However, the eighth-seeded Heat closed the game on a 15-1 run and survived with a 102-91 win. Up next was a date with the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.

The Heat defeated Milwaukee Bucks in five games, and then beat the New York Knicks in the conference semifinals in six games.

"Making runs is all about playing your best at the right times," Robinson said. "We have a great connection and everyone is just kind of on the same page. There's a collective effort of what we need to do to accomplish our goals. I think all year we've kind of known we were capable (of this), it's just a matter of hitting our stride at the right time."

Miami went 44-38 in the regular season, finishing three games behind the Atlanta Hawks in the Southeast Division.

"Getting to this stage in the season, I don't take it for granted," Robinson said. "I think we don't take it (for granted) as a group because (getting to the NBA Finals) is really hard to do at this point."

Miami last played in the NBA Finals in 2020, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the COVID "bubble." Robinson averaged 12.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the series. The Heat went into Game 5 against Boston needing one more win to earn the right to face the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, which start June1.

"Whether it's in a bubble or outside or whatever, both have been different experiences going on these runs," Robinson said. "So just trying to maximize the opportunity and soak it all in."

Robinson's changing role this year

Robinson averaged a career-high 31 minutes a game in the 2020-21 season, scoring 13 points a game and then signing a five-year, $90 million contract. He has three years left on the contract.

This season, Robinson averaged 6.4 points a game, his lowest since his rookie season in 2018-19, when he averaged 3.3.

"This year has been kind of ups and downs in that sense, had to deal with injuries really for the first time in my career," Robinson said. "So just trying to do what I can behind the scenes to prepare for moments and opportunities, so I can go out and make the most of them."

But as his recent 22-point outing in Game 3 showed, the fifth-year player embraces the "stay ready" mindset, especially with injuries to Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo. He has played in every playoff game so far for the Heat this postseason.

The University of Michigan product had at least one game in each of playoff series so far where he has hit five 3-pointers. Robinson scored 17 points with five 3-pointers in a Game 3 win against the Bucks, and scored 20 points with five more 3-pointers in a Game 5 loss to the Knicks.

Robinson staying prepared, staying ready

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is known for creative ways of instilling confidence in his players, which Robinson said comes from Spoelstra's experience.

"We knowing he's going to prepare us for opportunities and moments like this," Robinson said. "He just wants us to be aggressive and be the actors and not the re-actors on a stage like this. He wants us to go out and take advantage of the moments."

Another element of Robinson's game and growth, along with his 3-point shooting, is his ability to play an effective two-man game with Miami big man Bam Adebayo. Whether it's with dribble handoffs, or Adebayo as the primary ball-handler and initiator with Robinson cutting to the rim for layups, Robinson is ready.

"That's a connection we've been working on for four or five years now," Robinson said. "It's something that has developed over time, and hasn't kind of created itself over night, but instead through a lot of reps. Game reps, practice reps and everything in between. (Adebayo) is a super dynamic player and I just try to allow him to play to his strengths."

"Me and Duncan have built a (two-man game) from year two," Adebayo said after Thursday's shootaround at TD Garden. "Just being able to explore that and keep exploring that to find new ways to get each other open. At this point, I feel like it's second nature."

Through it all, Robinson said, the playoffs "are the moments you want" as a competitor.

"The rest of the league and the rest of the world is watching," Robinson said. "Now it's down to three teams, and we're just trying to continue to compete and punch our ticket to continue to advance."

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Duncan Robinson talks latest NBA playoff run with Miami Heat