All 76ers

76ers Playoff Watch: Miami Heat Prevent Knicks From Clinching

The New York Knicks haven't clinched their spot in the playoffs just yet, as a Miami Heat win prevented it from happening on Saturday.
Justin Grasso|
76ers Playoff Watch: Miami Heat Prevent Knicks From Clinching
76ers Playoff Watch: Miami Heat Prevent Knicks From Clinching

In this story:

Philadelphia 76ersMiami HeatNew York Knicks

The Miami Heat are making the New York Knicks wait a bit longer before they clinch a spot in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Going into Saturday’s slate of games, there was a scenario where the Knicks could become the fifth team to clinch a playoff berth, following the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, and Milwaukee Bucks.

Unfortunately for New York, the Dallas Mavericks couldn’t offer any help. With a Heat loss, the Knicks would’ve been on the path to the playoffs for the first time in two years. 

A big night from Jimmy Butler allowed Miami to take care of business on Saturday. During a 37-minute shift on the floor, Butler scored 35 points and racked up 12 assists. With some help from Cody Zeller, Tyler Herro, and Kevin Love, the Heat put the Mavs away 129-122.

For Miami, they advanced to 41-37 on the year, which places them under two games behind from the Brooklyn Nets, who currently possess the sixth seed. As for the Knicks, they remain comfortable in the fifth seed with a three-game lead over Brooklyn.

The Knicks will take the floor once again on Sunday evening. They’ll face the Washington Wizards for the fourth and final time this year. 

So far this season, the Knicks hold a 2-1 record over Washington. New York will look to help their playoff campaign on Sunday, as a win over Washington helps them further improve their spot as a fifth seed. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

MORE SIXERS NEWS

New CBA is Bad News for Embiid: The NBA and NBPA agreed to a new CBA on Friday night, and one of the key changes pertaining to requirements for end-of-season awards could have a strong impact on Joel Embiid’s ability to win major personal accolades moving forward. READ MORE

James Harden’s Health: The Beard claimed he was feeling good after the Sixers faced the Raptors on Friday. However, Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers mentioned that the Achilles soreness that Harden is currently dealing with remains a concern for the team moving forward. READ MORE

Rave Reviews: Tyrese Maxey doesn’t typically earn a bunch of praise for the value he brings to the Sixers on the defensive end, but on Friday night, that wasn’t the case. After a notable performance against the Raptors on defense, Maxey’s defensive value was all of the talk from Philly. READ MORE

Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

Share on XFollow @JGrasso_
Home/News