The Miami Heat suffered a Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday by a score of 111-105. They played the game without Jimmy Butler, so they went into the contest with an already tough task in front of them. However, the Heat played tough, making it interesting all the way to the final minute of the game. The Knicks ultimately prevailed, and now the series flips to Miami and a pivotal Game 3 with the series tied. Ahead of Game 3, the Heat are slight favorites at -116, although it is close to an even line with the Knicks at -102. With that being said, the Heat are still favorites, and there are a few reasons why.
No one expected the Heat to be where they are heading into Saturday's contest. They limped out of the regular season into the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament, and they scratched and clawed their way out of that. Nonetheless, a flip switched come the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The Heat steamrolled through the No. 1 overall seed Milwaukee Bucks and find themselves now on the brink of another trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. They will have to take care of business the rest of this series, but there is a reason they are favorites to beat the Knicks. In fact, there are three particular reasons why. So, let's find out what they are.
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Miami Heat at Home
Miami has never been known for being a very raucous atmosphere to play in. The opposite is true in fact, as the fans are usually late arriving and not as die-hard as some smaller market teams. However, the Heat evidently have playoff success, and a lot of that has to do with a home-court advantage. It was on full display in the first round, as they took both games at home against the Bucks, including a thrilling comeback headlined by an historic 56 point outing from Jimmy Butler. Expect the same the next two games, allowing the Heat to obtain a 3-1 lead.
To give the Miami faithful some credit, they might be late arriving in the regular season, but they do show up for their squad in the playoffs. The Kaseya Center is no Madison Square Garden, but the Knicks will be in for a playoff atmosphere Saturday in Miami. On the backs of historically solid play at home for the Miami Heat in the Playoffs, they are going to cruise to a 3-1 lead.
New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson's Ankle
Whether or not Jalen Brunson plays on Saturday, his ankle is going to be a big factor. It is going to be a big enough factor that Brunson is unable to play at the top of his game, making him the second Knicks star hampered by an ankle injury. Tom Thibodeau did not sound so inspiring when talking about his star point guards injury, and it sounds like Brunson will not be at 100% even if he plays. Of course, Heat star Jimmy Butler is nursing an ankle injury as well, however it will have much more of an impact on Brunson.
Brunson has the ball in his hands the entire game, and the offense runs through him virtually every possession. Not to mention, his style of play is all based in footwork, so if he suits up, he will have no other option than putting that ankle to the test. Both of these factors will cause his ankle injury to have much more of an effect on his game in contrast to Butler. Butler plays off the ball, and is one of the best in the game at picking and choosing his spots while playing a mindful style of basketball. Not to mention, Butler relies on strength and patience, not heavily footwork-based moves. With the greater impact due to ankle injury, Brunson is not going be able to play at the top of his game, and expect the Heat to take advantage.
Jimmy “G” Buckets
There is no certainty that Jimmy Butler is going to play on Saturday. Based on his reactions to the end of Game 2, and media reports from the team, it looks like he is going to give it a go; and queue the reinstatement of “Playoff” Jimmy Butler. Butler looks to be on a mission throughout the 2023 NBA Playoffs so far, and he has already shown as such in this series. He controlled the tempo from the tip in Game 1, leading the Heat to a 108-101 victory. If he hadn't suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter, it is very possible the Heat would be heading back to Miami with a 2-0 lead. Nevertheless, he will return for the rest of this series and lead the Heat passed the Knicks into the Eastern Conference Finals.
After Jimmy Butler's Game 4 performance against the Bucks, it was clear he had elevated his game for yet another postseason. The 56 points were the most in Miami franchise playoff history, and the fourth most all-time in NBA Playoffs history. It gave the Heat a 3-1 lead, and came during a game where the Heat found themselves down by as much 12 in the final frame. All of this is to be said knowing Butler could easily put up another such performance in the playoffs, even in this series. If he doesn't, expect him to still be the best player on the floor and captain the Heat over the Knicks in this series.
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