Observations and other notes of interest from Sunday’s 108-101 NBA playoff victory over the New York Knicks:
– No, Gabe Vincent won’t necessarily go down as the Tim Hardaway of Heat-Knicks 2.0.
– And Kevin Love might not necessarily be P.J. Brown 2.0.
– Or Caleb Martin as Dan Majerle 2.0.
– But just as Alonzo Mourning received steady support when Heat-Knicks initially became a rivalry, so did Jimmy Butler’s supporting cast in this one.
– Heck, it almost was as if Kyle Lowry channeled his inner Terry Porter (look that one up, kids. Yes, he played here.).
– This is what it is going to take with Tyler Herro out.
– And that is what Heat coach Erik Spoelstra got Sunday.
– No, the Heat might not break the bank for Vincent in free agency.
– No, Love might not be back as a free agent.
– And, no, Lowry might not live up to his contract (although Martin certainly has).
– But for one afternoon, as part of this most unlikely playoff resurrection, it worked.
– Allowing Butler to exhale.
– And allowing Bam Adebayo to be at less than his best.
– This is the formula.
– Now all the Heat have to do is do it again.
– Three more times in this series.
– And perhaps beyond.
– The Heat stayed with the starting lineup that closed out the Bucks series, opening with Adebayo, Love, Butler, Max Strus and Vincent.
– It was the 100th career playoff start for Butler.
– The Knicks, lacking sidelined Julius Randle, opened with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin and Mitchell Robinson.
– Butler immediately took the initial defensive assignment against Brunson.
– On the other end, Josh Hart did solid early defensive work on Butler.
– While Vincent got off to a solid offensive start, the Knicks continually went at him on the other end with the size advantage of R.J. Barrett.
– Of the Heat’s first 18 shots, seven were Gabe Vincent 3-point attempts.
– Martin played as the Heat’s first reserve.
– Martin’s first 3-point attempt was the 50th of his playoff career.
– Lowry followed.
– And then Duncan Robinson.
– With Haywood Highsmith making it nine deep.
– And Cody Zeller 10 deep.
– Love’s outlets were as crisp as they have been since his arrival.
– At one point going long for three consecutive assists in the third period.
– While the Knicks weren’t necessarily conceding 3-point looks like the Bucks in the previous round, the Heat still launched at a significant rate early, with 17 attempts in the first quarter and 23 in the first half.
– The problem was the accuracy, the Heat 4 of 17 in that first quarter and 7 of 23 in the first half.
– The Heat averaged 34.2 attempts per game during the regular season. They shot a league-best .450 on 3-pointers in the first round.
– While the Heat struggled over the top, the Knicks scored 40 points in the paint in the first half, their high for a playoff half in 25 years. They had averaged 48 paint points against the Heat during the regular season.
– Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau again addressed his relationship with Butler, who he coached in Chicago and Minnesota.
– Asked pregame what stood and stands out most about Butler, Thibodeau said, “His worth ethic, I think. When you look back from where he started from to where he is today, each year he’s gotten better. So I think it’s a testament to his drive, his commitment and that’s usually what separates people.”
– Thibodeau also questioned pregame those who questioned his team’s defense this season.
– “The rating systems some people use, I don’t go by. My markers are field-goal percentage, defensive field-goal percentage, 3-point field-goal percentage, rebound margin, points in the paint, fastbreak points allowed.”
– Thibodeau said pregame respect was due for what the Heat accomplished in the first round against the playoffs’ top seed.
– “The way they played against [Milwaukee] tells you how good they are,” he said. “To knock off a team like that, they played at a very high level.”
– Of his team setting up as undersized again, Spoelstra said pregame, “It’s a challenge for us, obviously.”
– He added, “You have to find a way to overcome and conquer.”
– Aaron Rodgers certainly is all in with the New York thing. He was at the Rangers’ game at the Garden on Saturday night and back Sunday for the Knicks.
– And from the days of Heat-Knicks lore, Pat Riley, Alonzo Mourning, John Starks, Allan Houston and Patrick Ewing were among those in the crowd.
– Jack Harlow was also in the crowd, with Lowry almost landing in his lap in the first half while trying to save the ball from going out of bounds.
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