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The Miami Heat simply refuse to die, like that piece of excrement that simply won't go down the drain no matter how hard you press the toilet flush. With their Game 3 win at the friendly confines of Kaseya Center, the Heat are one step closer to inching to their second-consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance. However, the New York Knicks definitely won't go down without a fight. Here we will be making a few predictions for the fourth game in the Heat and Knicks' second-round clash.
In Game 1, it seemed like the Heat's Cinderella run in the 2023 NBA playoffs was heading to a close sooner than later. Jimmy Butler writhed in pain on the ground after he twisted his ankle, much to the concern of Heat fans all around the globe. Butler's ankle reportedly then swelled to the size of a baseball, forcing him to miss the entirety of their Game 2 loss.
However, Butler got that dog (or dawg, depending on your preferred spelling) in him. He wasn't going to miss Game 3, and the Heat responded to his return with a rousing 105-86 victory. Butler's two-way mastery was in full display, and he finished with 28 points to lead all scorers, playing as if he didn't just suffer an injury days prior that relegated him to a corner-sitting role.
With a chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, expect the Heat to put it all on the line. As they've shown time and time again, there's simply no underestimating this pesky veteran squad. But can the Heat overcome what should be a very motivated Knicks squad?
Here are three bold predictions for how the Heat would perform in Game 4 against the Knicks.
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Bam Adebayo goes off for his best game of the playoffs
Bam Adebayo, without question, is the Heat's second-best player. Even if Tyler Herro was healthy, Adebayo is more than deserving of that distinction. An indefatigable defensive presence and the Heat's dribble handoff lynchpin, there's simply no one on the roster who can replicate his versatility on both ends of the floor.
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However, one of the Heat's foremost struggles throughout the 2022-23 campaign, mostly in the regular season, has been their ability to put the ball through the hoop consistently. While the Heat have scored at a decent enough rate in the playoffs, some of their wins have come off the strength of their synergistic defense. Their Game 3 victory was exactly that, as despite struggling from the 3-point line, they still won with ease.
Adebayo hasn't exactly had a signature playoff moment yet this year. He's been remarkably consistent, however, scoring between 12 and 22 in his eight playoff games thus far.
With that said, there may not be a more opportune time for Bam Adebayo to show off his scoring than in Game 4. Mitchell Robinson is a difficult matchup to overcome, but on Monday night, Adebayo will be feeling his jumpshot to such an elite degree that it will make the Heat's life on offense as easy as it has been during this playoff run.
Heat hold Jalen Brunson to less than 20 points
After bursting onto the scene as one of the best playoff performers in the association last year with the Dallas Mavericks, terrible postseason outings have come few and far between for Jalen Brunson. Brunson's sublime dribbling, exquisite footwork, and silky shot-making have made him such a dangerous weapon. In this postseason run alone, Brunson hasn't scored in less than 20 points for the Knicks just yet, even though those games have come at varying levels of efficiency.
It goes without saying that holding Brunson is check is imperative for the Heat to take Game 4. But for them to hold the Knicks floor general to his worst playoff outing this year will take a total team effort, and as they have shown this playoff run, the Heat are more than capable of doing so.
Miami scorches the nets from deep in another blowout win
The story of the Heat's playoff run thus far, beyond Jimmy Butler's exceptional heroics, is their torrid three-point shooting from deep and their undrafted players' ability to contribute at the highest level. After a year of struggles, the likes of Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Duncan Robinson have come alive.
In Game 3, the Heat won despite a putrid effort from downtown. They'll find it difficult, however, to replicate that kind of performance. As is the case in today's NBA, winning the three-point battle is as close as it gets to winning the game. Expect the Heat to shoot the light out en route to a dominant victory to take a 3-1 series lead, especially when Bam Adebayo is carving up the Knicks' interior defense.
