The Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA playoffs brings us a renewal of a bitter rivalry from the 1990s as a pair of teams look to continue their surprising run in the Big Apple. It’s the eighth-seeded Miami Heat traveling to face the fifth-seeded New York Knicks in Game 1 of their best-of-seven series Sunday afternoon. Miami advanced to the second round as they dispatched the top-seeded Bucks in five games after rallying for a 128-126 overtime win on the road in Game 5, winning outright as a 13-point underdog, Wednesday night. New York punched their ticket as they dropped the fourth-seeded Cavaliers in five games after winning Game 5 106-95 on the road, covering the line as a 5.5-point underdog, Wednesday night. The Knicks won three of four meetings this season, including a 101-92 home win in the most recent matchup on March 29.
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Miami made short work of the top-seeded Bucks, becoming just the sixth eight-seed to drop a one-seed in the NBA playoffs. The Heat sliced and diced Milwaukee, putting them away in five games, including a pair of victories in the Fiserv Forum. Against the Bucks in Game 5, Miami found themselves up three after the opening quarter, down six at the half and they trailed by 16 after three quarters before storming back. The Heat outscored the Bucks 32-16 in the final quarter, tying the game on a Jimmy Butler off-balance shot with 0.1 seconds remaining in regulation. Miami led by seven with 1:43 to play in overtime and withstood a Bucks’ charge as Milwaukee had the ball with a chance to win or tie, only to fail to get a shot off. The Heat shot 45.5% from the field, including 17 of 45 from three-point range, and benefited from the Bucks missing 17 free throws. Butler led the Heat with 42 points and eight boards in the win.
The Heat enters this one 1st in the league in postscoring offense with 124 points per game this season. Miami is 12th in the league in rebounding with 42.6 boards a contest while the team stands 5th in assists by dishing out 25.2 dimes a night. The Heat stands 13th in the league in the playoffs in scoring defense as they allow 118.8 points per game. Jimmy Butler is leading the team with 37.6 points, six rebounds and 4.8 assists per contest. Tyler Herro kicks in 12 points plus a night while Bam Adebayo chips in 17.4 points plus 8.6 rebounds per contest. Duncan Robinson, Kyle Lowry, Cody Zeller, Max Strus (11.7 points), Caleb Martin (11.2 points, 5.4 boards), Victor Oladipo (11.5 points), Kevin Love and Gabe Vincent (13 points) are solid role players for the Heat. Miami is 1st in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 51.9% from the floor this postseason. The Heat stands 3rd in threes per game by draining 15.4 triples per contest and the team is 1st in three-point shooting by hitting a blistering 45% from beyond the arc.
Herro (hand) was injured in Game 1 of the series against the Bucks and is expected to be out until sometime in June, which could easily end his season. Oladipo (knee) suffered a torn patellar tendon in Game 3 against Milwaukee on April 22 and is done for the year.
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