One of the NBA’s bitterest rivalries added another chapter to their saga Tuesday night when the New York Knicks visited the Miami Heat. It was an important match for both teams who are fighting for position in the Eastern Conference standings.
New York entered the game in fourth place, trailing the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 1 seeds. 2 and 3. Miami is currently No. 7, locked into first place in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
With so much at stake on Tuesday night, it was the Heat who were able to emerge victorious. They got ahead of the Knicks early, building a huge double-digit lead and holding it for most of the game, but no lead is safe in today’s NBA.
New York had an impressive comeback, tying the game in the fourth quarter despite trailing by as many as 16 points in the game. But they weren’t able to overcome the hump and actually retake the lead anytime soon, as Miami held them off to take a 109-99 win.
One of the players the Knicks were most afraid of slowing down was Jimmy Butler. Butler has hurt them in the past with his two-way skills, a stellar defender who can destroy any opponent on that end of the floor, and a timely shooter.
Before the game, Knicks guard Josh Hart talked about the impact Butler can have. He made an interesting analogy when talking about him, as this time of year is when Butler really starts to lock down.
“Jimmy does side missions throughout the year until around April. He then he starts to freeze. I’m sure people will see that maniacal competitive side of him now that he’s done with the side missions and moved on to the main mission,” Hart said, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.