Knicks Bounced by Jimmy Butler for National TV Slot

The New York Knicks have one fewer national television game on their docket.

Oct 30, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basketball against Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The NBA's national television schedule cooled on the New York Knicks in favor of a landmark for the Miami Heat.

Per Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press, the Knicks' March 25 showdown against the Dallas Mavericks has been removed from TNT's airwaves in favor of another interconference clash between the Heat and Golden State Warriors.

That latter game will be Jimmy Butler's first visit to South Beach since he was sent to the Bay Area in a Feb. 6 deal, one that ended a tense stand-off between the six-time All-Star and Miami management headed by president Pat Riley.

Both the Heat and Warriors are also fighting for their playoff lives: entering the immediate aftermath of the All-Star break, Miami sits in the penultimate spot of the Eastern Conference's four-team Play-In Tournament while Golden State holds the last one in the West's edition, a game-and-a-half ahead of Phoenix from postseason oblivion.

The Knicks probably shouldn't take things personally: the basketball world have used the Mavericks as a bit of a punchline since the jaw-dropping trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. While the Mavericks (30-26) have held their own since the deal (winning four of six and holding a Western Play-In spot), bad medical luck has eaten away at the leftovers.

Anthony Davis, the main haul of the Doncic trade, endured a left adductor strain, while Daniel Gafford (MCL sprain) and Dereck Lively (ankle) also remained sidelined. As it stands, the Mavericks are three games up on Phoenix from elimination and two games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for an automatic playoff invite.

Even with their remove, the Knicks (36-18) still have four regular season dates left on TNT before the network loses primetime NBA rights, the next landing on March 4, ironically enough against the Warriors.

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