The New York Knicks last faced the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 12, 2023. The Miami Heat won the game 96-92, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 24 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 41 points. The Heat won their 10th conference finals appearance, their third in the last four years, and sent the Knicks home for the summer.
They’ll meet again tonight, in an In-Season Tournament game. Our first glimpse of the orange court!
The Heat (10-5) started the season 1-4, but have since won nine of ten games. Except for one, all of their victories were by a single digit. What is their secret? Top-ten defense and top-twelve offense.
The Knicks have gone 6-4 in their last two games. Both teams rank in the bottom third of the league in terms of field goal percentage and points per game. The Heat don’t take many threes, but they make them at the fourth-best rate in the league (the Knicks are ninth).
Expect a slow-paced game against the Knicks in tonight’s NBA Cup game. Both teams have below-average field goal percentages and are in the bottom third of the league in terms of points per game.
Injuries could start to slow down Miami’s winning streak. Bam Adebayo, the team’s anchor, has averaged 22.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists this season, but he’s questionable for tonight’s game due to a sore hip (he’ll be replaced by Thomas Bryant or Kevin “Dorian Gray” Love if he sits). Tyler Herro is still out. Duncan Robinson is making a comeback in South Beach this season, shooting 62% eFG and averaging 14.5 points per game while hitting 43% from downtown on about seven attempts per game. Last season, Spoelstra gave him about 17 minutes per game; this season, he has nearly 30. He’s also doubtful for tonight (sore thumb).
Jimmy Butler (20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists) returns to the starting lineup, joining Kyle Lowry and Haywood Highsmith. Caleb Martin could see more playing time if Robinson is out with an ice pack.
For the Knicks, all of their key players have returned from injury (sorry, Evan). Jalen Brunson, who was named the Easter Conference Player of the Week last week, is 28 points shy of 2,000 and eight assists shy of 500. Keep track of everything!
And Julius Randle needs 15 more three-pointers to pass Jamal Crawford and move into fourth place all-time in the NBA. I believe he will accomplish this during New York’s West Coast road trip in mid-December. Place your wagers.
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