76ers Playoff Watch: Miami Heat Stay Hot vs. New York Knicks

With the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks pulling off upsets in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the two teams met for Game 1 of their second-round series on Sunday afternoon.

As expected, the Heat remain shorthanded as the veteran sharpshooter Tyler Herro underwent surgery after Game 1 of the first round, leading him to get ruled out for several weeks.

With Herro out, the Heat have relied heavily on their veteran forward, Jimmy Butler, to carry the load.

In Sunday’s game, Butler appeared on the court for 43 minutes. He put up 16 shots during that time, knocking down half of them. He also went to the free throw line for 11 attempts, knocking down all but two of them. Butler finished Sunday’s game with 25 points.

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson traded points with Butler. In 40 minutes of action, Brunson went 11-23 from the field and 3-4 from the charity stripe for 25 points.

While Brunson had led the Knicks throughout the first round, the young veteran RJ Barrett continued to have himself a solid run. In 40 minutes of action, Barrett hit on 50 percent of his shots from the field, scoring a game-high of 26 points in the Sunday afternoon battle.

The Knicks had control of Game 1 throughout the first half. After leading by as many as 12 points, New York had a five-point lead heading into halftime. In true Miami fashion, the Heat turned the tables in the second half.

During the third quarter, the Heat outscored the Knicks 31-20. As a result, they possessed a six-point lead going into the fourth quarter. From that point moving forward, Miami never looked back.

While the Knicks put up a good fight in the fourth quarter, it wasn’t enough. The Miami Heat defeated the New York Knicks 108-101, stealing a game on the road and taking a 1-0 lead.

Next up for the Eastern Conference is the battle between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. Game 1 takes place on Monday night at 7:30 PM ET.