Hypothetical scenarios will do the Miami Heat no good vs. the New York Knicks. Everyone knows what their prospects are if postseason hero Jimmy Butler is sidelined for the remainder or even a portion of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Kyle Lowry is not going to just wait by Butler's bedside until he gets an answer on his health, though. He and Miami must prepare for the worst and somehow make the best of it.
“If he goes, he goes. If not we’ve got to find a way,” Lowry succinctly told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Monday.
That is the exact answer everyone expects to hear, but there is more validity behind those usual hallow words when a tenacious veteran like Lowry proclaims them. He is a valued leader on this team, whose impact was felt even as he nursed a knee injury and struggled at different points in the regular season.
The Knicks arguably already have the edge in talent with Butler on the floor, but if his rolled ankle prevents him from suiting up, then intangibles like those possessed by the 2019 NBA Champion will be essential for the Heat to stay in contention.
They certainly paid dividends in Sunday's Game 1 victory at Madison Square Garden. Butler scored a team-high 25 points, but the 20 from Gabe Vincent and smart play by Lowry and Kevin Love were what put the team over the top. Love's quarterback-like passes down the other side of the court enabled Miami to punish New York in transition in the pivotal third quarter. Lowry did a little bit of everything.
The six-time All-Star with the Toronto Raptors tallied 18 points, six assists, five rebounds and a whopping four blocks in 30 minutes of action. He was everywhere, looking as active as he has maybe in his entire South Beach tenure. He will need to be healthy since Jimmy Butler was clearly not in the final moments of the game.
But it will be more than just his individual effort. Kyle Lowry has less than 48 hours to get this group mentally locked-in for a potentially Butler-less Game 2 Tuesday night.
His ability to complete that task might determine how much longer this magical Miami run lasts.
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