The Miami Heat took a commanding 2-1 series lead over the New York Knicks on Thursday night, defeating them 105-86. The Heat were led by Jimmy Butler, who scored 28 points and added 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Butler was the star of the night, as he was able to take over the game and lead the Heat to victory.
The Heat started off strong, taking a 10-point lead in the first quarter. The Knicks were able to cut the lead to 4 at halftime, but the Heat pulled away in the second half. They outscored the Knicks by 10 points in the third quarter and then held on for the 19-point victory.
The Heat had a balanced attack on offense, with five players scoring in double figures. In addition to Butler’s 28 points, Goran Dragic added 17 points, Bam Adebayo had 16 points and 8 rebounds, and Tyler Herro and Andre Iguodala each chipped in 12 points. The Heat also had a great night from beyond the arc, shooting 12-for-30 from three-point range.
The Knicks were led by Julius Randle, who had 25 points and 15 rebounds. RJ Barrett added 15 points and 7 rebounds, but the rest of the Knicks struggled offensively. The Knicks shot just 37% from the field and were outrebounded by the Heat 51-41.
The Heat now have a 2-1 series lead and will look to close out the series in Game 4 on Saturday night. If they can win that game, they will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014. The Knicks will need to find a way to bounce back if they want to keep their season alive.
