Knicks vs Heat Preview: Heat Ready to Wrap-Up Series
NY Forces Game 6 With Big Win
The Knicks vs Heat preview shows New York was able to overcome a sluggish start to post a 112-103 victory over Miami on Wednesday. That sends the series back to Miami where the Heat will try to close it out Friday. Miami is favored by 4.5 points for Game 6. The total on the game is 208.5.
A quick look at Wednesday’s boxscore shows New York had a commanding 50-34 edge in rebounding. That’s when the Knicks are at their best. But it looked anything but that in the early going Wednesday. The Heat led 24-14 after the first quarter, but New York outscored Miami 70-50 over the next two quarters. The Heat pulled within two in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks had an answer to force Game 6.
New York Knicks did something nobody has been able to do so far this postseason. The Knicks held Jimmy Butler to 19 points, as no Miami player reached 20. The Heat had five players in double figures but shot just 42% from the field for the game.
Jalen Brunson had a game-high 38 points for the Knicks, while RJ Barrett had 26 and Julius Randle had 24. The Knicks didn’t get a lot of help from the bench with eight points. But the reserves weren’t the liability they’ve been earlier in the series, finishing -2 for the game.
The teams are pretty comparable, with the Knicks finishing three games above Miami in the NBA East standings during the regular season. But the Heat were a much better home team than they were on the road. The NBA team standings show Miami at 27-14 at home in the regular season and 4-0 in the playoffs.
New York hasn’t been on the road, going 24-17 during the season and 2-3 in the playoffs. The Knicks are 0-4-1 in totals on the road this postseason.
Knicks vs Heat
Location: FTX Arena
Day/Time:
Knicks Get a Helping Hand
One of the keys to Wednesday’s win was a hand in the air – the officials had. The Miami Heat were called for 30 fouls compared to 19 for New York. The Knicks attempted 40 free throws compared to 19 for the Heat. Dating back to the 2002 season, playoff teams attempting at least 40 foul shots are 94-40 straight-up and 80-52-2 (60.6%) ATS. These games are 101-30-3 (77.1%) in total.
Love Going South
After starting the NBA playoffs on a high note, Kevin Love is heading the wrong way. Over the past three games, Love is 6 for 21 from the field and averaging 5.3 points per game. He has chipped in with a few rebounds, but he needs to shoot better. He’s just 2 for 15 in 3-pointers over the last three games.
Highsmith Has Rough Outing
Haywood Highsmith hasn’t played much this series for the Heat. On Wednesday, he was a -13, which was the second worse on the team. But he managed to do that while playing just three minutes. Highsmith didn’t record a point, rebound, or assist and picked up one foul.
Handicapping Game 6
The Knicks vs Heat preview shows Miami is in a perfect spot to wrap the series up. Playoff home favorites off a loss as an away underdog are 223-90 straight-up going back to the 2002-03 season. These teams have gone 176-134-3 (56.8%) against the spread, so it appears to be a decent spot to wrap it up.
Miami should play with a little more urgency than it displayed Wednesday night. The last thing the Heat want to do is return to New York for a Game 7, so they should come out strong. But unlike the last game, Miami should keep the pressure on should it get out to an early lead.
The Knicks vs Heat preview points to the Heat -4.5 as the way to go in this game. But New York’s 0-4-1 record in totals on the road is also worth considering. History doesn’t always repeat itself, but historical trends like Miami and it’s hard to disagree.
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