Jimmy Butler propels Heat to beat Knicks, advance to Eastern Conference finals

Jimmy Butler in action for the Miami Heat

NBA PLAYOFFS Jimmy Butler propels Heat to beat Knicks, advance to Eastern Conference finals

Tosin Abayomi 05:40 - 13.05.2023

The Miami Heat will be playing in the Eastern Conference finals again after dismissing the New York Knicks in 6 games.

The Miami Heat defeated the New York Knicks in six games on Saturday, May 13, 2023 thanks to their playoff experience and understanding of what it takes to succeed in the postseason.

In the sixth and final game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Heat defeated the Knicks 96-92. 

Bam Adebayo had 23 points and nine rebounds, while Jimmy Butler finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. 

Off the bench, Kyle Lowry contributed 11 points, nine assists, three steals, and one block.

The eighth-seeded Heat, who became only the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to reach the conference finals, exposed the fifth-seeded Knicks. 

The 1999 New York Knicks succeeded in doing so and advanced to the Finals, even though the season was only 50 games long due to the lockout.

The Knicks' offense has flaws, and those weaknesses were amplified by Miami's defense. 

Despite not having a strong offensive game, the Heat managed to score enough points, hold the Knicks to 38% shooting, and contain Julius Randle and RJ Barrett.

Randle's scoring average and shooting percentage against the Heat were well below those of the regular season. In Game 6, Barrett only hit 1-of-10 shots for 11 points on 3-for-14 shooting, including 1-for-7 from outside the arc.

The Heat advanced to the Eastern finals for the third time in four years after defeating the Knicks at Kaseya Center.

For a spot in the NBA Finals, the Heat, who defeated top-seeded Milwaukee in the first round, will face the winner of the Philadelphia-Boston series. Sunday in Boston is Game 7 of the Sixers-Celtics series.

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