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The Miami Heat, despite their plethora of injury woes and aging core, simply refuse to die. With the series heading back to South Beach for Game 3, the Heat have a golden opportunity to take a commanding series lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Here, we'll be making a few predictions for how the Heat would perform in Game 3.
As is the case with most teams in the NBA, they will find it difficult to secure a win while missing the services of their best player. In Game 1, there was considerable concern from head coach Erik Spoelstra that the Heat may soon find themselves in dire straits after Jimmy Butler, someone who has been dominant throughout the 2023 playoffs, turned his ankle. Sure, Butler remained in the game and the Heat claimed a win, but it was clear that he wasn't 100 percent, as he camped in the corner to end that game.
Butler then proceeded to miss Game 2 after his ankle reportedly swelled to the “size of a baseball”, a phrase that should concern Heat fans. Thankfully, with there being three days between Games 2 and 3, the Heat could very well have the services of their talisman back on Saturday.
Even then, with Jimmy Butler on the mend in Game 2, the Heat remained right in the thick of things before the Knicks pulled away late. Whatever the case may be, it's clear that this Heat team is a well-coached unit, and a team motivated to show that they won't be mere pushovers despite entering the playoffs as the lowest-seeded team in the Eastern Conference.
And with role players usually performing better at home, the Heat's best may be yet to come.
Here are three bold predictions for how Game 3 of the Heat's second-round series against the Knicks.
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3. Kyle Lowry gets a triple-double off the Heat bench
Kyle Lowry, before 2019, did not have the best reputation as a playoff performer. There's a reason why many fans called him and DeMar DeRozan the “Trash Bros” for their penchant for disappearing in the playoffs. However, Lowry's 2019 playoff run allowed him to earn the level of respect that no one could ever take away from him, even if he stinks it up in future playoff appearances.
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In 2022, Lowry struggled immensely for the Heat in the playoffs. Gabe Vincent thoroughly outplayed the veteran, and amid Lowry's injury woes during the 2022-23 season, the Heat have decided to roll with Vincent as their starting floor general. But that doesn't mean that Lowry is sulking. In fact, he appears to have embraced this role in full.
In Game 1 against the Knicks, Kyle Lowry hit a few crucial shots with Jimmy Butler hurting. And then in Game 2, Lowry did his best to contribute in other facets of the game with his shot not falling at an efficient clip, finishing with six points, four rebounds, and six assists in 31 minutes.
The Heat will need more from him in Game 3, especially with the Knicks having gotten Julius Randle back from injury. Gabe Vincent may be shooting the lights out, but Lowry remains the most composed, battle-tested playmaker on the roster. Expect him to put on a masterclass performance that allows him to tally his first-ever triple double in the playoffs, especially if the Heat role players continue to breathe fire from beyond the arc.
2. Another unheralded player comes out of nowhere to score 20+ points
The tricky part about dealing with the Heat is the uncertainty regarding who to focus on defensively on any given night. Sure, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo will get theirs, with the former a borderline certainty to dominate the game, but beyond those two, anyone can either stink it up or look like a world-beater on any given night.
In Game 1, it was Kyle Lowry who stepped up to the plate by making clutch plays with the Heat's star player hurt. In Game 2, with Butler missing due to an ankle injury, Caleb Martin, Max Strus, and Gabe Vincent combined to score 60 points, almost leading the Heat to victory.
And now in Game 3, there could be another role player that takes center stage. It could perhaps be Duncan Robinson or Kevin Love; either way, Erik Spoelstra is a master when it comes to riding the hot hand, and expect him to make the right choices once more to put the Heat in a position of success in their game this Saturday.
1. Jimmy Butler returns, plays 40+ minutes, and drops 30+ points in victory
Jimmy Butler is a fighter. He did not want to miss Game 2 despite a swollen ankle. Thus, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone if he comes back with a vengeance in Game 3.
It's unclear at this point if the Heat even clear Butler to play on Saturday. If they clear him, it's now a question of how heavy a workload he can handle. But Butler has a strong voice in the locker room, and he leads the team by example, so if he can play in Game 3, expect him to put the Heat on his back once more like he has done throughout this playoff run.
