The New York Knicks are riding high after winning their first playoff series in a decade, setting up a second-round matchup with the Miami Heat.
The No. 5 seed Knicks and No. 8 seed Heat will reignite one of the ’90s best rivalries, with a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals on the line.
Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and Josh Hart, the Knicks advanced past the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Going into the series the Cavaliers had the better playoff pedigree, led by Donovan Mitchell, but they were vanquished with relative ease.
The Bigs of Cleveland were a nonfactor the entire series, and Jalen Brunson has solidified himself as a NBA Star.
NY.
Meanwhile, the Heat took care of business, knocking out the championship favorite Milwaukee Bucks in five games, becoming just the sixth #8 seed to advance in the NBA playoffs.
The Heat limped into the postseason via the Play-In Tournament, defying expectations as they eased past the Bucks, who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo for Games 2 and 3.
Then, Jimmy Butler went nuclear in Game 4, dropping a 56-point masterpiece in the win, which was the fourth-best scoring performance in NBA playoff history, before erasing a 16-point deficit to win Game 5 on the road in overtime.
The Heat Culture seemed dead after they lost their first play-in game against the Hawks. They got dominated on the glass and they looked like a shell of themselves. Jimmy Butler had one of the great playoff series in NBA History.
No. 5 Knicks vs. No. 8 Heat schedule | |||
Date | Game |
Time (ET) | TV Channel |
April 30 | Game 1 | 1:00 p.m. at Knicks | ABC |
May 2 | Game 2 | TBD at Knicks | TNT |
May 6 | Game 3 | TBD at Heat | ABC |
May 8 | Game 4 | 7:30 p.m. at Heat | TNT |
May 10 | Game 5* | TBD at Knicks | TNT |
May 12 | Game 6* | TBD at Heat | ESPN |
May 15 | Game 7* | 8:00 p.m. at Knicks | TNT |
The Knicks have found their groove on both sides of the ball, but it’s their suffocating No. 1 ranked defense that has made them one of the trickiest teams in the East. That will set the stage for a gritty seven-game series against the Heat.
This series is going to come down to the Heat continuing to shoot the ball at an amazing clip. They were not a good offensive team this year, but if Jimmy shows up like he’s Michael Jordan, anything can happen.
Updated round 2 schedule. Drop a 🔥 if you're excited for this week ahead! pic.twitter.com/vMPvgEQJv0
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 29, 2023
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| Title: New York Knicks vs Miami Heat Second Round Betting Preview
| Author: Matt Catton
| Date: April 27 2023