The Miami Heat have defied all odds thus far in the 2023 NBA Playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. After eliminating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in their first-round series, Miami is on the cusp of doing the same to the New York Knicks in the second round.
Miami defeated New York 109-101 in Game 4, giving them a commanding 3-1 series lead. They will now have a chance to put the finishing touches on the series Wednesday night back at Madison Square Garden, where they have already won once this series.
“It was great that we were able to hold home court,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But we know we have a task in New York.”
The Heat have been a step ahead of the Knicks in every regard thus far in this series. 50/50 balls and hustle plays have almost exclusively gone in their direction as Knicks’ All-Star forward Julius Randle admitted the Heat looked like they wanted it more after Game 4.
“We’ve been tested this year,” shooting guard Max Strus said. “And we knew that when the battles would come, we’d be ready for it.”
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In Game 4 the Heat were able to demoralize the Knicks with their effort on the offensive glass. What was expected to be a major edge for New York coming into the series has been anything but that as Miami has handled itself well on the glass.
The Heat grabbed seven of their 11 offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter of the game on Monday night, getting second and third opportunities to put the game away. On the evening, they held a 44-35 edge on the glass, which proved to be a major difference in the outcome of the game.
“They got to offensive rebounds, to loose balls, they’ve got some tough guys that get respect,” Knicks small forward RJ Barrett said. “I give them credit. They’re working hard. They’ve got guys falling every possession, they’re getting calls, they’re getting rebounds. They’re playing hard. We played hard as well.”
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While New York certainly showed some fight in Game 4, their effort and energy level didn’t quite measure up to what Miami was bringing. Everyone on the Heat knows their role and executes it to perfection. Their role players have vastly outplayed New York’s role players as Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry had dominated minutes without Jimmy Butler on the floor.
“You’ve got to win four to win a series,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “So, all we’re thinking about is win the next game. Go quarter by quarter. Win the first quarter, win the second quarter, win the third, win the fourth. And then the next day we’ll think about the next day.”
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Winning for a second time in New York will be a challenge for Miami. But, as Strus said, this is a battle-tested team that has endured a lot of battles to help prepare them for this situation.
There is going to be a lot of energy from what will assuredly be a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd. If the Heat can survive that early burst, they will be in a great position to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
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