FILE – Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Warmth steals the ball away from Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks throughout their sport at Madison Sq. Backyard on February 02, 2023 in New York Metropolis. Al Bello/Getty Pictures/AFP
Shortly after the New York Knicks completed off the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, Jimmy Butler and the Miami Warmth stormed again in an sudden first-round sequence victory over the Milwaukee Bucks by authoring a dramatic comeback and taking additional time by storm.
These outcomes rekindled reminiscences of an period from 1997-2000 when the Knicks and Warmth met in 4 straight postseasons that had been fiercely contested, typically extraordinarily bodily and featured quite a few low-scoring video games.
20 years later, the groups meet for prime stakes once more when the fifth-seeded Knicks host the eighth-seeded Warmth to open the Japanese Convention semifinals Sunday afternoon within the coronary heart of New York.
“It’s all the time good for the league when there’s a Warmth-Knicks playoff sequence,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra stated.
The Knicks are within the second spherical for the primary time since 2013 once they misplaced a six-game sequence to the Indiana Pacers. Earlier than 2013, their final second-round look occurred in 2000 once they outlasted the Warmth in seven video games.
Miami is the sixth No. 8 seed to succeed in the second spherical. A type of groups was the 1999 Knicks, who superior previous the Warmth on Allan Houston’s game-winner.
The Houston shot was a part of Warmth-Knicks playoff legend that was remembered for issues like a brawl in Sport 5 of a 1997 sequence and Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy clinging to the leg of the Warmth’s Alonzo Mourning throughout a struggle in 1998.
New York reached the second spherical this season by profitable the ultimate three video games towards Cleveland, together with Wednesday’s 106-95 clincher. Jalen Brunson scored 23 factors and RJ Barrett added 21 and each gamers had been productive within the sequence with Brunson averaging 24.0 factors and Barrett averaging 17.4.
FILE – Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks reacts throughout the third quarter of the sport towards the Miami Warmth at Miami-Dade Area on March 22, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Megan Briggs/Getty Pictures/AFP
Brunson and Barrett’s manufacturing helped offset the restricted manufacturing of Julius Randle (14.4 factors, 6.4 rebounds), who has not totally recovered from a sprained left ankle.
Randle sprained his left ankle March 29 towards Miami, missed the ultimate 5 video games of the common season, then sprained the ankle once more Wednesday after taking part in 16 minutes. Randle has been practising and the Knicks are hopeful their common season main scorer (25.1 factors) and rebounder (10.0) can play Sunday.
Miami superior after Butler dominated its five-game sequence with Milwaukee. Identified for dazzling playoff performances, like in 2020 when he willed the Warmth into the NBA Finals, Butler averaged an astounding 37.6 factors within the first-round and scored 42 on Wednesday.
Within the clincher, Butler hit a tying basket whereas falling to his again with 0.5 seconds remaining in regulation earlier than the Warmth accomplished the comeback from 16 factors down for a 128-126 additional time victory.
“We’re an excellent group of basketball gamers and we’re having enjoyable every time we’re on the market,” Butler stated. “We’re taking part in basketball the precise manner and good issues occur in the event you do this.”
Butler scored 56 factors in Sport 4 when Miami dominated the fourth quarter of a 119-115 victory. The 2 shut wins within the closing two video games occurred after the Warmth tied an NBA report by profitable 24 video games by 5 factors or much less throughout a 44-win common season that despatched them to the play-in spherical.
“I do know what he’s about. He is aware of what we’re about,” stated Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, who coached Butler with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. “So, let’s go.”
The Warmth additionally superior by taking pictures 45.0 % from 3-point vary regardless of dropping Tyler Herro to a proper hand damage in Sport 1.
Herro’s alternative, Duncan Robinson, made 14-of-19 makes an attempt (73.7 %) and Butler was 12-of-27 (44.4 %). These performances occurred after Miami ranked twenty seventh within the common season by taking pictures 34.4 % from behind the arc.
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