NYC Can’t Beat The Heat: Story Of The Series
The Miami Heat have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs
With all the happenings surrounding the NBA currently, it wouldn’t be hard to have forgotten about the series between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks. Which is saying something, because the six games they played were unforgettable.
In one corner we had the New York Knicks, a team synonymous with the Empire State and major league sports as a whole. In recent years, the spotlight seemed to shift more towards the Brooklyn Nets for one reason or another. But towards the tail end of this year’s regular season it felt like the Knicks once again were the basketball team of choice for New Yorkers. Surprisingly, the team was pretty solid this year even before the blockbuster trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving by the Nets. The Knicks then went on to shine in their first round victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, a result that many (myself included) did not see coming. And while I wasn’t rooting for them as hard as a certain ESPN analyst, I respected the Knicks enough to know that they weren’t going to be a pushover.
In the other corner we had the Miami Heat, the dark horse that never really seems like a dark horse. Sneaking their way into the bracket via the play-in tournament, the eighth seeded Heat went up against the top seeded Milwaukee Bucks. Many expected them to lose, few expected the series to be competitive, but all were shocked as the Miami Heat did the unthinkable and eliminated the Bucks in five games. If you had told me the series between the Heat and the Bucks was going to end in a ‘gentleman’s sweep,’ I would have assumed the Bucks cruised through their first opponent. I would have assumed that Jimmy Butler’s brilliance was enough to win them one game, but not a series. That’s what I get for underestimating Playoff Jimmy.
Which brought us to this matchup. Two underdog teams that only their diehard fanbases believed would prevail to this point. Two teams with an even chance of taking this series. But in the end, only one would be able to head to the Eastern Conference Finals. And for 6 games, these two teams would put on a show that wouldn’t look out of place on Broadway.
Act 1 would see the Heat arrive and torch the Knicks in their own Garden. It was a hard fought game, but the combined firepower of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Gabe Vincent would prove too much for the Knicks to withstand even with the marksmanship of RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson. Tragedy would strike in this game as Jimmy Butler suffered an ankle injury, but the hero of the Heat would not wilt under the bright lights of New York. The Knicks faithful were treated to a gutsy performance that has become common of Butler and the Heat as a whole. If ever a team personified the word ‘grit,’ it would be this Heat squad.
But grit alone is not enough to win games. Sure enough, in act 2 we witnessed the Knicks claim a victory on their homecourt. Again the battle was a hard-fought, back-and-forth affair. Again the stars on both teams came to play. And again, the game came down to the wire. If every playoff series was this competitive, the feature on the NBA League Pass (not a sponsor) that allows fans to watch more than one game at the same time would actually be useful. What was especially enjoyable was that every player on each roster played their hearts out, as opposed to just the big names. The Heat refused to resign themselves to a loss while Jimmy Butler sat out with an injury. At the same time, Julius Randle returned to the floor after being sidelined in the series opener with an injury of his own. Ultimately, the game came down to a few key possessions that went in the Heat’s favour.
Acts 3 and 4 in Miami would both favour the home team. In his first game back on the floor, Butler would lead Miami in a 19 point blowout of the Knicks. Which was surprising when considering how awful Miami shot the ball. Game 4 was a much more competitive showing from both clubs. Facing a 3–1 deficit, the Knicks would return to New York to claim game 5 and briefly reignite hope that they could win the series. It seemed that Jimmy Butler and the Heat were running out of steam. But the flame would not go out, and in game 6 they would finally end the series, punching their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.
